Self Bailer - Auto Bailer

[heimtun]

I've read many of the forum posts regarding self bailers on our boats... from what I can tell, the descriptions don't match my boat. I have a 1977 DSII. On the floor (deck) - at the rear of the cockpit is a hex shaped "rubber" thing with an attached plug. It is attached to what appears to be a selfbailing drain under the boat on the hull - due to the shape of drain, I would expect it to have a venturi effect and suck the water out. What I don't see is any ball to close the drain when the boat is not moving, nor do i see a "cage" for a ball. Can someone provide a photo... advice... anything thing to help me understand what type of bailer I have and what, if anything, is missing.
TIA,

Wayne

[Alan]

Installed in my 1980 DSII is what I assume is the original DePersia bailer. The lower portion is a venturi unit like the one you describe, made of metal (I think aluminum, but it's pretty corroded). It's secured to the cockpit floor by a large hex nut. There's a knurled brass plug that screws into the venturi unit. The threaded portion of the plug is hollow, and has four holes through the threaded area, so water will pass through when the plug is partway open. There's no ball, and no obvious way to capture one if it had been there. The words

DEPERSIA
AUTOMATIC
BAILER

GRAND HAVEN MICH.

are stamped into the top of the plug.

I've also got (in my box of shiny new stuff I'm going to install if I ever get time) the replacement bailer that D&R Marine sells. It's similar to the DePersia, but it's made of white plastic. There's a ball in the lower portion, held in by two metal pins that protrude downward from the top. There's a hex-headed threaded fitting (water passage) that passes through the cockpit floor and hull and threads into the lower unit. The hex fitting has a soft plastic or rubber plug, secured to the hex fitting by an integral strap so it doesn't get lost.

[Alan]

None of which really answers your question - I'll have to leave that to more knowledgeable posters - but it sounds like you don't have either the original bailer or the most common replacement.

[heimtun]

Alan,

You post was spot on... in-fact, the D&R bailer is exactly what I have on my boat. Well, without the ball and it's missing a pin.

Thanks!

Wayne