sunfish sailboat bailer ball

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Please explain self bailing for me

• Thread starter scottstef
• Start date Oct 11, 2020
• Oday Owner Forums
• Day Sailers

I recently picked up a 1971 O’Day javelin. Can someone please explain how the self bailing works and what plugs I need? In the cockpit is a drain that drains straight through the bottom of the hull. When the boat is in the water without a plug in the cockpit it fills the cockpit with eater. There is also a drain in the transom that will fill the bulge with water if it is not plugged. my question is if both of these holes should be plugged or to keep water out? How does the self bailing work if they are plugged? I wouldappreciate any guidance because I am wondering how I can leave the boat in a slip without it sinking. Attached are picks of the drains. Thanks in advance.  

Attachments

Self bailers usually have some sort of rubber one way valve involved, either an internal flapper or external duck bill. They prevent water entering when the boat is stopped and allow it to drain when moving. Sea-Dog Line Thru-Hull w/Scupper TH Marine Supplies Duckbill Scupper  

You need a few removable plugs like for a sink at home. You'll have to learn to live with the fear when it rains that you'll find your boat swamped. I had bailers in my Bandit 15. They worked pretty well when the boat was moving smartly. The suction created by the water passing the hole sucks out incidental water from spray or whatever. Mine had a closure mechanism which only worked so -so. I dragged that boat up on a beach to empty the water more times than I'd like to think about. Finally after Hurricane Bob stove the hull in on the trailer, I glassed over the holes and never looked back. There are all kinds of plastic bottles that can be formed into bailers.  

Automatic Bailers | West Marine

That drain in the bottom should have a little floaty ball in it that would stop water from entering at rest but open when underway to let water drain out of the boat.. It is not as "floaty as a hollow ball but an elastomer ball that is just a bit positively buoyant.. I have no idea who made those or if the ball is available.. EDIT: These are kinda "iffy" and always should be plugged if the boat is going to be in the water for a while unattended.  

So can I simply cut a hole in the cockpit deck large enough to put an 8” cover plate on it and a put a bilge pump in it? If I do that I can put a drain hole in the cockpit deck and then just drain all water into bilge and have it pump itself out when it gets full.  

scottstef said: So can I simply cut a hole in the cockpit deck large enough to put an 8” cover plate on it and a put a bilge pump in it? If I do that I can put a drain hole in the cockpit deck and then just drain all water into bilge and have it pump itself out when it gets full. Click to expand

scottstef said: I recently picked up a 1971 O’Day javelin. Can someone please explain how the self bailing works and what plugs I need? In the cockpit is a drain that drains straight through the bottom of the hull. When the boat is in the water without a plug in the cockpit it fills the cockpit with eater. There is also a drain in the transom that will fill the bulge with water if it is not plugged. my question is if both of these holes should be plugged or to keep water out? How does the self bailing work if they are plugged? I wouldappreciate any guidance because I am wondering how I can leave the boat in a slip without it sinking. Attached are picks of the drains. Thanks in advance. Click to expand

• ds1man-oday.pdf 530.5 KB Views: 352

Sunbird22358

That Self-Bailer is the older "DePersia" Brand unit, also used on that vintage DS II. Newer boats have a plastic version that is basically the same as the one used on the SUNFISH. The drainplug in the transom is used to drain any bilgewater after boat is hauled out and MUST be plugged while boat is in the water. Replacement drainplugs with the flange can be purchased at most good marine stores or maybe better yet, at D&R Marine www.drmarine.com D&R is owned and run by Rudy Nickerson who was the Parts Dept. Manager for O'DAY from 1973-89. He now sells replacement part for our boats. The DePersia bailer originally had a screw-in plug to seal it when you don't want water to come in, but those were often lost on older boats. Based on my DS II, you can leave the plug out of that and only about a gallon or so water will come in at rest with no one aboard, and any rain water will easily drain out. While sailing, the bailer will suck water out due to suction formed by the water flowing past the scoop under the boat. I have the newer plastic bailer fitting and leave it open while moored and insert a rubber stopper into the top hole while sailing to stop water from coming in. There should be 2 plastic inspection ports in the cockpit sole (floor) located near the forward end of the cockpit, those can be used to access the CB pivot bolt, but also to bail out any bilge water that may collect while boat is in water. You can use a sponge to bail or insert a typical tube-type bilge pump (they look kind of like an old-fashioned bicycle tire air pump). I happen to have a good diagram of how that bailer is supposed to work and have attached it. I wil lalso attach a picture of the newer plastic one, D&R sells those, but not cheap! (around $50).  

Have you ever seen or know where I can get a replacement drain plug like what’s in the pic? I rebuilt my self bailer with a custom cut washer and a replacement ball and seal for a sunfish and it works. Just want to get the boat to 100% for some reason.  

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Sunfish, Sunfish Bailer (1-5/16 Inches), 91025

• Description
• Reviews (0)

The bailer is mounted in the bottom of the cockpit and drains excess water out of the cockpit. It is easily opened and closed with the rubber cap.

• This bailer fits older Sunfish manufactured prior to 1972 with a 1-5/16'' thread length
• Old # 79266
• Attention:  If your Sunfish boat has a metal/brass bailer, this part will not be compatible.

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• Brand: SERO Innovation
• Product Code: SUN-91025

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