The Basic Principle behind a Self Bailing Boat


Actually the idea is quite simple really...

                   
It consists of a floor above the hull with open drain plugs in the rear of the boat and above the water line.  By this simple method as water comes in to the boat it will drain right out of the back.  If too much weight is in the boat then water will simply come in through the drain holes. This is no worry to me because I can always just put some plugs in the drain holes when carrying a heavy load.  I made the decision to build the aluminum skiff 17ft long and strong enough to hold an outboard motor with a mass of 141kg (approx. mass of 90Hp Mercury).  Below are some simple sketches that illustrate my boat and the basic self bailing idea.