Installing scuppers -- which end out?

[BVLew]

Hi all,

Downsizing from a Catalina 30, I've just bought a 1984 Catalina 22. Over time, I'm sure I'll have lots of questions, but for now: Before I put her back in the water, I'm installing the aft-scuppers available from Catalina Direct. They have a screw-in cap. Should I install with the cap on the outside (so I can only take off when I'm on the trailer), or on the inside (so if I'm going fast and want to let water out, I can take off from inside the cockpit)? Catalina Direct suggested putting on the outside, but I'm curious for experience of others. Thanks.

Transom Scupper Drain Assembly CP-14.2, C-15, CP-16, CP-18, CP-22, C-22, CP-25, C-25, C-27

Catalina Direct, publishers of the Catalina 22 and Catalina 25 Owner's Handbooks and the largest supplier of parts and Lewmar winches for Catalina Yachts in the country

www.catalinadirect.com

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Your year C-22 has a forward draining cockpit. The stern scuppers won’t do you much good until you go to a New Design C-22 which was introduced in 1987. Having said that, you do need to be meticulous about keeping leaves and debris from blocking the forward cockpit scuppers as the cockpit will flood and either let water into cabin. Have fun with your new to you C-22!

George

 

[BVLew]

Your year C-22 has a forward draining cockpit. The stern scuppers won’t do you much good until you go to a New Design C-22 which was introduced in 1987. Having said that, you do need to be meticulous about keeping leaves and debris from blocking the forward cockpit scuppers as the cockpit will flood and either let water into cabin. Have fun with your new to you C-22!

George

Thanks, good to know! Still makes sense to install for draining when pulling out of water. And, yes, I'm upgrading the forward scupper screens (PO just had easily-dislodged wire mesh there).

 

[Gene Neill]

You will almost certainly never need to plug them. But since they have plugs, I suppose I'd at least retain the capability to quickly plug them when it matters, if it ever matters, by placing the plug end inboard. The only reason I have ever heard for plugging scuppers is to flood the cockpit and take a bath.

Yes, your cockpit drains forward, but you're still doing a good thing. No such thing as too many scuppers.

 

[BVLew]

The only reason I have ever heard for plugging scuppers is to flood the cockpit and take a bath.

Thanks.

 

[BVLew]

Just to close the loop: I installed them with the caps on the inside. My reasoning: If I ever got huge amounts of water in the cockpit (for example, hit by a wave; or, as @Gene Neill suggested, taking a bath), had the hatch boards in so the cabin didn't flood in that moment, and wanted to drain as fast as possible, having the caps accessible on the inside made more sense.

Also, installation note: The O.D. of the outer piece is 1.5" and the inner piece is 1.25". So initially I drilled different size holes from inside and outside transom. But I found I needed to drill 1.5" all the way through, as the length of the outer piece reached almost all the way through the transom.

 

[Captain Grey Beard]

Yes, your cockpit drains forward, but you're still doing a good thing. No such thing as too many scuppers.

Amen to that!

The original forward cockpit drains are only 3/4"...and converge to drain through the bottom of the boat....through a 3/4" through hull. I see all of this as potential liabilities.
So, I installed 1-1/2" drains..
And ran them aft to drain through the transom...above the waterline..

As you can see I also installed a pair of scuppers in the aft cockpit through the transom. I still need to trim off the excess on the inside...

I don't know about anyone else?
But I find it quite disturbing how much water one breaking wave can deposit into your cockpit!
And I want that water to leave immediately!
If not sooner..

 

[ShawnL]

I did a variation of what Jim did on the Jim's Little Boat youtube channel. I found a fairly flat space on the hull -- port side, a little farther back, cleaned it well and epoxied a piece of 3/4" plywood that was absolutely soaked in epoxy there. I would love to have used something like G10, but I used what I had, and I'm pretty sure the plywood couldn't have absorbed another ounce of epoxy before I let it dry, sanded it and installed with thickened epoxy. Once firmly bedded, I drilled a 1" (I think) hole through the plywood and boat and installed a proper seacock coated with 5200.

I know, I know. No one likes 5200, but I had it, and I'm pretty sure by the time it needs to be changed on my '72 it will not matter to me, or my kids. Had to take turns seating it on the outside with a lead hammer and having my son crank down on the nut inside (wanted to make sure it was fully seated). Then ran new pipes from the existing cockpit drains to the through-hull. Also used a pipe-wrench to remove the stock Catalina threaded nipple and filled the hole with thickened epoxy. It's been a couple of years sitting on a mooring all summer and no issues yet.