Boat full of rainwater

[Napa Ed]

I always read the claims section of Seaworthy where they show boats underwater at the slip for one reason or another.

I went down to my boat today to check after several days of heavy rain and pick up the OB for servicing. The back of the boat was low in the water almost but not quite to the top edge of the bottom paint. Some one had dropped a plastic business card for a diving service in the cockpit. It had found its way to the single cockpit drain and was plastered perfectly in place to just cover the entire opening. The cockpit was half full; up to a point where a hole had been drilled for an old wire pass thru. The excess water was in the bilge and up to the sole. I don't have an electric bilge pump, just a whale gusher mounted in the cockpit floor.

Pulled the business card out and learned my cockpit drain is way undersized. It took a couple of minutes to drain a half full cockpit. I don't think I'd want that if I was ever pooped in following seas.

Glad I went down to the boat. The forecast is for more rain later this week and it would have just kept filling up the boat.

Gave me a couple of things to think about for improvements.

 

[Tim R.]

I would call the number and let them know what happened. I would also look to the marina's security for allowing this.

Glad it turned out well though.

 

[Mike B]

That business card could just as easily been some leaves or other debris so I wouldn't be too upset at the guy that left it there. I think you have two opportunities. The first is to either add a cockpit scupper (whihc may not be too easy to do) or install a guard that will keep the drain from becoming blocked. Or both. House gutters years ago had a small inverted basket installed where the gutter met the downspout. They were realtively effective at keeping the downspout from clogging. I'd think along the same lines for your scupper. The other is to install a bilge pump so, in the event you do get water in the cabin, it will get pumped back out automatically. There are some small bilge pumps that have the motor and switch built into the same unit that should work for you. You'll need to run a 12V fused, but not switched line to it to ensure you always have power to the pump. You'll also need to install a thru hull (above the water line) for the output from the pump. It shouldn't be too big of a job. Good luck
Mike

 

[kloudie1]

NAPA Ed .. A quick fix is to take a piece of hardware cloth (1/4 by 1/4" squares) and roll a cylinder about 6" tall with a diameter that will just fit inside the drain in the cockpit. Insert it inside the drain so it stands 4-5 inches tall above the cockpit floor and that will stop things like leaves, cards, chip bags.. from giving you heartburn.. Easy to pop out when you are sailing..

 

[Mike B]

Kloudie, not sure what hardware cloth is but I would think he could also use an open mesh like that on a screen door but something more porous. Local hardware stores have a variety of screening available. The only issue that comes to mind is finding something that wont rust out.
Mike

 

[alexco38]

An idea I did on my boat:

I added another drain about an inch higher than the cockpit sole. Look at you bathroom sink. There is an overflow drain. Same idea.

 

[Ross]

On my boat I had small drains and they could be covered by a single leaf each. I used a hole saw and cut through the aft bulkhead and then through the transom and glassed in a 2 inch pvc pipe that has about 3 inches of drop in the length. I glassed the full length and also glassed a strut under it so that if someone(me) stepped on it there was no chance of it breaking. There is a serviceable anti-back-flow valve in the line.

 

[Prime Time]

Great Idea!

On my boat I had small drains and they could be covered by a single leaf each. I used a hole saw and cut through the aft bulkhead and then through the transom and glassed in a 2 inch pvc pipe that has about 3 inches of drop in the length. I glassed the full length and also glassed a strut under it so that if someone(me) stepped on it there was no chance of it breaking. There is a serviceable anti-back-flow valve in the line.

Sounds like a great solution. Did you use some form of a thru-hull on the transom and cockpit or just place the PVC flush? What did you use as an anti-back-flow valve?

 

[Ross]

Sounds like a great solution. Did you use some form of a thru-hull on the transom and cockpit or just place the PVC flush? What did you use as an anti-back-flow valve?

Polyester resin bonds to pvc so I just brought it flush on both ends and faired the glass into the bulkhead and transom. The back flow valves are stock for sewage systems and can be found in the plumbing supply stores .I haven't ever seen them in the big box stores.

 

[kloudie1]

Hardware cloth is like screen but with openings of about 1/4" or 3/8" instead of small.. The small openings will plug too easily .. Your hardware store will have some and you'll need so little that they may have a scrap laying around that they'll give you. I like Ross's pipe drain too; that will not plug but will take a considerable amount of work to install.. Good Luck with it!

 

[Ross]

Hardware cloth is also called woven wire mesh and is also discribed as to the openings per inch as in 2x2, 4x4, 8x8, and then you start into the insect screening which can be 14x16 more or less and then there is filter cloth which can go to 400x400 and this takes you into the coated abrasives area aka sandpaper.

 

[Mike B]

Kloudie, thanks I never heard of it refered to as "hardware cloth". You learn something new every day.
Mike

 

[kloudie1]

Yeah.. Good stuff.. Most of it comes galvanized so it will last a season.. since it is dealing with fresh water most of the time, It won't disappear too quickly..
That is a great idea, Ross.. Have you a picture of the installation? I don't remember what the aft end of that boat looks like..

 

[bffatcat]

Clogged scuppers

Kloudie`s I dea sounds like a quick easy simple fix You might want to try nylon screening availab;e in most hardware stores

 

[Ross]

Yeah.. Good stuff.. Most of it comes galvanized so it will last a season.. since it is dealing with fresh water most of the time, It won't disappear too quickly..
That is a great idea, Ross.. Have you a picture of the installation? I don't remember what the aft end of that boat looks like..

I found a picture. The two large holes are the drains and the smaller hole just below "Bel Air" is the exhaust.

 

[kloudie1]

Thanks, Ross.. That is fine looking.