How do you drain your pungo?

[fishhead64]

Ok now that it's been swamped for the first time (not by me, but a friend who wanted to surf in it) how do I drain the damn thing? It's design is such that when you hose out all the sand off the inside and turn it over, much of the sand and water is left inside.
I'm not sure I'm ready to drill holes in it yet as it's my first one, but if that's the only way, please recommend a good drain plug and tell me the best place to put it.
thanks!
al

[BravesWin]

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As my grandfather taught me, the best time to fish is when you can.
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[ralphfr]

Hello Al,

Just got a PUNGO140 and had it out this weekend for it's shakedown. Of course the boat flipped and filled on my first solo entry. I used the bilge pump and got out as much water as I could and finally got on the water.

Of course on the way home my car got a saltwater bath everytime I stepped on the brake. When I got home I hosed it inside and out but as you see there is still plenty of water even after turning the boat upside down.

The PUNGO140 has a bulkhead behind the seat so that part of the boat was dry. So I removed the front hatch cover, flipped the boat upside down and tilted the boat up from the stern and shook as much water out as I could. Then I used a pack towel to sponge up what was left. These towels even pick up the sand. Hope this helps but if you come up with a better way please share it. Thanks.

Ralph

[JonS]

A pump for lots of water and a sponge for smaller amounts. there's a reason I call them sit in slops. http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

baja55@optonline.net

[Yak-a-Lou]

They sell drain plug kits. I installed one on the boys SIK. My Scout came with one. If I recall correctly it was about $6 and was easy to install. The only hard part was getting over drilling a hole that big in a kayak. Thankfully(?) his is a Pelican so I felt very free to experiment on it.

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[Bernie]

What Jon said.Ralph,how did you try to get in your boat that caused it to flip?The easiest method ive found is to just set it in water deep enough for it to float with you in it.Maybe 5-6" is plenty.Then just swing a leg over or pull the boat up(bow first)between your legs so your straddleing the boat.Grab the CP rim back by the seat and ease/flop into the seat.Then just lift your feet in.I use the same method in reverse to get out.Never dumped it yet.Good luck!

[Eric G]

Installed a drainplug assembly in my "orginal" pungo. Rear, right behind the screw holding the foam floatation. Off center of the centerline. Jabbed a little of the foam away to create a "channel." Bedded with aquacarium sealant and provided screws.

Turn upside, park the bow on a handy tree limb and spray it down with hose.

West Marine or any marine store will sell the drainplug assembly. Buy the one where the plug stays with the assembly at all times.

[ralphfr]

Hello Bernie,

Put my left leg in the boat and pushed off with my right leg. Thought I could balance enough to swing my right leg in while the boats was gliding forward. NOT!!! Went over like Arte Johnson on his tricycle. No Eskimo blood here I guess.

After emptying the boat I put the bow in the water with the stern on the beach. Got in and wiggled and bounced my way until I could paddle the stern off the beach. Quite a sight. I think the location, which by the way was very quiet water with no surf, and the stage of the tide I launched at put me in a spot were the grade of the beach was pretty steep. One or two steps in and you were knee deep.

How about parallel to the beach? Do you think that would work better as this would put all of the boat in shallower water? Thanks for the tips and suggestions.

HAPPY PADDLING!!!

Ralph

[ralphfr]

While were on the subject, the PUNGO140 has a drain plug at the stern. But there is a bulkhead right behind the seat so this plug is useless for draining the bow and cockpit of the boat.

Does anyone know if a drain plug could be put into the bulkhead? This way if I stand the boat up on the stern I could hose down the entire inside of the boat and have it drain completely. The bulkhead seems to be made from a firm, fairly stiff rubbery foam material so I'm not sure how watertight it would be after drilling a hole in it.

Maybe someone has a different solution. I would prefer not to put anymore holes in the hull of the boat though. Thanks.

Ralph

[beagle]

Don't have any reservations about putting a hole in the bulkhead. I know what that material is. Put the hole in up high along the outboard side of the bulkhead. You want to put it up high so that when you get H2O in the cockpit it is not able to migrate into your storage area inadvertantly. Like, if you for get to put your plug back in that hole.

[ralphfr]

Thanks BEAGLE. Do you have any suggestions on what type of plug I can use in that type of material? Thanks.

Ralph

[cliffblair]

Get rid of it...I did and been happy ever sens with my sots!!!!

[GaryNJ]

I have a Loon 138 which I'm going to guess is about as wide as the Pungo. I normally can straddle the boat with both legs and just lower my backside onto the seat and bring both legs in at the same time. Reverse for getting out.

I also had a drain plug installed in the bow. Haven't swamped the yak yet so can't say how well it works.

I think SIKs have as much a place in fishing as SOTs. A matter of opinion I guess.

GC

[ralphfr]

Hello CLIFFBLAIR. Thanks for the suggestion but then there won't be any watertight storage and I'll have to put more flotation in the boat.

Just saw those drain plugs that are made for kayak hulls. Maybe I'll use one of those on the bulkhead. It should stay watertight if I use a good sealer and install it with nuts and bolts instead of the wellnuts that come with it. Or maybe I'll install it on the deck towards the bow. Then when the boat gets rinsed out the water will have another place to go when I turn it over and tilt it forward. Thanks.

Hello GaryNJ. It seems you and Bernie use the same technique. I'll give it a try this weekend. Bye the way, getting out did not seem to be a problem. I brought the boat parallel to the shore then swung both legs out towards the open water and was able to turn over and push myself upright using the boat. I'll try reversing the entry as you suggested also. Thanks.

Ralph

[ralphfr]

http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Hello CLIFFBLAIR. Just reread your post. You meant the whole boat not just the bulkhead!!! http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif Sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake!!!

Wanted a boat not a pool toy!!! http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

HAPPY YAKKING!!!

Ralph

[Maniac]

Do yourself a favor and buy one of those big ol sponges you wash the car with and just leave it inside the yak. Good to suck up the sand,also good to suck up the condensation before you load it on the rooftop so you can see where you are going. Dan http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

Quit wishing go Fishing

[Bernie]

At first i started out launching with the stern on the beach/bow straight out.Parallel to the beach is best though.Another option if you dont want to get wet at all is to again set the boat parallel to shore but not fully floating.Put one end of the paddle on shore and hold the other end against the CP rim.You use the paddle like this to add a little stability.Grab the far side of the CP rim with your other hand and sit on the side edge of the boat.Next just swing one leg in then slide into the seat.It's a little harder but your feet stay dry when the water starts getting cold.Just to be on the safe side i stuffed a bunch of pool noodles in up front and tied them to the bow hatch cord.That little bit of foam Wildy provides aint gonna do much alone.Good luck!

[cliffblair]

Ralph...11 years ago a container ship dropped a container overboard in the Pacific that was loaded with pool toys. Those toys keep circling the oceans of the world, they are now landing on the beaches of eastern Canada and New England!
had those yellow rubber duckys been sits instead of sots whey would be sitting on the botton of the oceans of the world!!!!! http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[ralphfr]

Hello BERNIE - Thanks again for the advice. I'm going to try out these techniques tomorrow, Sunday. http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Bye the way I do have extra flotation that I planned on using in the bow. But that was one of the 2 things I left at the ranch. The other was drinking water so it was a short outing. I guess it could have been worse. I could have forgotten the paddle.

Hello CLIFFBLAIR - I can't argue with the laws of physics!http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif I take back the pool toy comment. I meant to say surf board. http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
Who knows? Maybe I'll show up at one of those demos one day and become a convert. http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

HAPPY YAKKING!!!

Ralph

[cliffblair]

My first two yaks were sit ins, but I am old and stiff and I got very nervous about filling it with water, how do I get it out and get back in.
The term sot seemed to be to me a surfboad with a seat on top. I finally realized a sit on top is really a sit in, double hull, safe, dry, easy to get in and off,self draining. Now I yak with total confidence and security...Cliff http://kfs.infopop.cc/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_razz.gif