[lmdengler]

I am new to the club AND a new Mariah owner. I am also the "co-captain" of the boat. Which in my world translates to: “I know nothing about boats!” I am along for the ride; I supply the "elbow grease" when it comes to cleaning, and I provide the happiness!

We just purchased a 2001 238 Shaba. We haven't put it in the water yet - we are "cleaning" it up to get it ready. The boat was docked in a fresh water lake each season. Since we have purchased it - we noticed the drain plug (in the back of the boat beneath the prop) appeared to be "clogged". The water that normally would drain from inside the boat (from sink or deck or wherever) will not flow freely. It will trickle out. I am sure I am not describing this very well - so feel free to ask more questions so I can describe the situation better.

[mikeyt]

I'm assuming you mean the bilge drain or 'bung hole' to us lesser sophisticated types.

Yes, sometimes debris in the bilge can block the drain hole and it simply needs to be cleaned out (with a little elbow grease) so that it drains properly. Dont forget to put the plug back in when you are done.

[lmdengler]

We have tried feeding a wire through the "bilge drain " (now I know the name for it!) but that didn't relieve the clog.

[lmdengler]

The indeck cooler that drains into the bilge will not drain, we have tried flushing it with a hose, both from the bilge plug and the cooler itself. Now I'm wondering, "where did all that water go"

[mikeyt]

Forcing water back in thru the bilge drain wont help. You will likely just force water into other areas like the ski locker etc. If possible use an air line or probe from the cooler to the bilge and then the bilge area out thru the bilge drain. There could be just about anything blocking the drain lines such as leaves, debris, dead mice.....

[z275st]

This is what I had to do when I traded to my Z275 and all it would do was trickle out the drain.
I tried the wire hook trick and stuck the shop-vac hose down under the motor to try to suck up the debris to no avail. I finally took out the three screws that hold in the brass fitting that the threaded 1/2 inch plug screws into. I pried it out leaving a much larger hole in the stern. I then took a hose and flushed out the bilge area(there was twigs,rocks, and even a oil container lid in there. While the water was running out I put my finger in and cleaned the area around the outlet. I even found a void in the area between the inner and outer hull. I then let it dry a couple days and filled the void with silicone. I coated all I could reach with silicone and put the fitting back in. Now it drains full stream.
Hope this helps!

[ShabahZ280]

I don't know if yours is like mine, but there's an internal drain plug built into mine. Occasionally it'll block the exterior drain plug and only a small amount of water will come out. Usually I can just poke my finger up in there and move the internal plug out of the way to let everything drain. You might want to give that a try.