Companionway Hatch Water Capture Cure

Jun 27, 2019
2
catalina catalina 30 burlington vermont
Hello all; after a 2019 purchase of a Catalina 30 1987 #5005, I found that often, when opening or closing the companionway sliding hatch - water would be forced out, splashing into the galley/salon below. First exam tells me it's a design flaw, as this happens when the boat is sitting well on the waterline. The forward end of the hatch slide and boards is still lower than the aft end.

I believe there needs to be a scupper created in the forward slide section (which seems to be lower and allows water to accumulate). I'm wondering (have searched but not found owner solutions) if someone has tackled this successfully.

Cheers!

Craig
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Craig, while it is possible that the boat manufacture made the boat in a way it would encourage water to be dumped into the galley. Is it possible, there is a weep hole in the area that the water is accumulating? Could this weep hole, which is designed to let water out on to the deck be blocked?

Occam's razor says that when presented with competing hypotheses that make the same predictions, one should select the solution with the fewest assumptions, and it is not meant to be a way of choosing between hypotheses that make different predictions.
 

BillyK

.
Jan 24, 2010
502
Catalina 310 Ocean City, NJ
My 30 (1990) had weep holes at the forward base of the hatch bump on the top deck. whenever i would flush out that area a LOT of nasty would come out of those two holes.. Do you have those weep holes? maybe you are just really gunked up. i never had any issues with water pooling in the hatch slide area as it would drain out of those holes or aft along side the hatch boards.
 
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dmax

.
Jul 29, 2018
970
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
I had an 1989 C-30 and it was the same as BillyK says, never had a problem dumping water into the interior.
 
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Jul 19, 2013
384
Pearson 31-2 Boston
FWIW, I owned a CS 36T whose PO created some weep holes in the forward corners of the seahood to solve the same issue. although the problem actually on;y occurred when beating hard in a seaway.

It involved through-drilling the seahood frame and epoxying in a short plastic tube
 
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Jul 6, 2013
221
Catalina 30TR, Atomic 4 2480 Milwaukee
The run-off from the hatch should be flowing out under the slide rails. The gap could be clogged up. A strong jet of water directed at the base of the rails will wash out a surprising amount of crud.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Thanks guys for jumping in and sharing your real life experiences.
 
May 7, 2011
205
Catalina 30 Lake Lanier
Could be a P(revious)O(wner) replaced the trim and did not re-create the scupper. Should still come out under the trim however. If you try a high-pressure jet, be careful. On ours a pressure washer tore the front end off the coach roof. I'd recommend a low pressure jet from a hose first.

If you are handy (or know someone who is) you may want to remove the trim and see what's what. There is a track the hatch slides in and it is covered forward by the piece the hatch slides under. On ours, the starboard side had crushed down and made sliding the hatch very difficult.

Hatch Scupper.jpg