Anchor Locker Drain Too Low

[unbusted67]

The other day while motoring down the icw we started taking on a lot of water. I searched and searched and couldn't find the source of the ingress. Finally I went up to the bow to find that my anchor locker was flooded! We stopped the boat let it drain and plugged the drain. No more water in the bilge! First of all I can't believe I've never noticed this before, or that the previous owners never did anything about it. I think we have a lot more on board weighing us down than we usually do so there's that. Then, I have glassed in this anchors locker before so theoretically that bulkhead should be water tight.

I guess this is a bit of a brain teaser question. I don't want to raise the anchor locker floor because I worry about water getting underneath a glasses in false floor and rotting it out. I can't just raise the locker drain because then all of the water won't drain out... Should I put a check valve in there? What should I do?


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[colemj]

Reseal the locker bulkhead so that the water stays in there and drains when it has the chance.

Mark

[ryon]

My first thought was that maybe you were in fresh water near a river, thus sitting a little lower, but you say your anchor locker drains to the bilge. How does being underway fill it, and stopping allow it to drain?

[rwidman]

"What should I do?"

Figure out why your locker drain is so low and correct the situation.

I'm assuming there is a cover on the outside of the drain to keep rainwater from coming in. I'm also assuming that the water coming in is splashing in, that the drain is not actually under water. Try to figure out some sort of splash guard to keep water from splashing in but still let water drain out naturally.

A check valve won't work because the water in the anchor locker is not under pressure and pressure is needed to open a check valve.

Now that I read you post again and you say the locker drains to the bilge, I am confused. If it drains to the bilge, how did it get flooded? How is water getting into your anchor locker? Fix this and you've solved your problem.

[colemj]

While not a check valve per se, a flapper put on the outside of the drain hole will prevent a lot of water from coming in.

Mark

[a64pilot]

I'm thinking fill the drain with 4200 or equalivent and ensure there is an open drain to the bilge.

Way I understand it, the locker drain is going under at times and forward motion of th eboat is forcing water into the locker, and the locker slowly drains into the bilge, which it isn't supposed to be able to do as it's supposedly sealed?

[Opie91]

Reseal the anchor locker bulkhead as Mark says. Pretty sure you do not want to drain the anchor locker into the bilge.

Anchor locker drained into bilge = smelly bilge

[unbusted67]

Sorry the anchor locker drain is getting pushed under water when we motor. It should drain back out but is unable to due to the pressure of the water pushing on the bow while motoring. It is leaking into the bilge through the bulkhead that separates the v berth from the locker. But I can't zero in on where because there is a liner in the v berth. I also can't figure out how because I recently reglassed the whole thing in.


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[rwidman]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Sorry the anchor locker drain is getting pushed under water when we motor. It should drain back out but is unable to due to the pressure of the water pushing on the bow while motoring. It is leaking into the bilge through the bulkhead that separates the v berth from the locker. But I can't zero in on where because there is a liner in the v berth. I also can't figure out how because I recently reglassed the whole thing in.


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If the anchor locker is sealed (glassed in) then it can't be draining into the bilge. Perhaps your water is coming from somewhere else.

If your anchor locker drain is under water when motoring I think that's something you should give serious thought to. I'm sure that's not the way it was designed.

[deblen]

I'm going to install 3/4" thru hulls in the aft P&S corners of my anchor locker,& block the existing drain thru the stem.Dumb idea to have a drain facing fwd.My anchor locker aft bulkhead is a fibreglass crash bulkhead & totally w/proof from rest of boat-except,where they drilled thru it for the propane line.(propane tank & solenoid valve in anchor locker). I re-sealed the propane line & it seems leakproof now. The line passes thru around 20" above the bottom of the locker,& I don't want 20" of water in my anc.locker,when driving into head seas.The existing stem drain@bottom of locker is about 15" above the waterline & the hatch was not designed to be W/P.The existing drain just can't handle the volume of water,especially when water is being driven into,while it's trying to drain.
I suspect you could temporarily alleviate ur problem by plugging ur drain &/or shifting some load aft.Sounds like she's down by the head a bit.

[Cheechako]

Glass the anchor locker in water tight. You must have missed something. Have a small drain out the hull topsides on each side of the anchor locker/bow. A couple tank vents with the screens removed will work. Evidently you have a nice deep anchor locker... which is good to keep the rode from jamming... but like everything else on a boat, it's a tradeoff. It sounds like your bow is down a lot when moving...? or...If you have room to not jam the rode,.... glass in a higher false floor.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by deblen

...(propane tank & solenoid valve in anchor locker). ...

Not good - in fact, BAD!!!

Propane is heavier than air, so the locker drain hose must lead from the bottom of the locker to outside of the hull above the static waterline and have a minimum inside diameter of not not less than 1/2" (this means you must use a 3/4" throughull and hose). The Locker must be above the waterline, top loading with a tight fitting gasketed lid that opens to the atmosphere, be vapor tight to the interior of the vessel (all apertures to be sealed) and must be used for no other purpose. ie. don't keep your anchor in there.

ABYC Standard A-01 ➥ https://law.resource.org/pub/us/cfr/....A-01.1993.pdf

[Terra Nova]

Forget about a check valve. Make sure the bottom of the locker is well above the waterline. Insure the the drains are open. If necessary, cover the outside of each drain with a small clam-shell vent cover, facing away from normal water flow, so it purges the locker and deflects water from intrusion.

[Opie91]

Is the locker part of the hull or a liner too? If it is maybe your drain hole needs to be reworked.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Not good - in fact, BAD!!!

Propane is heavier than air, so the locker drain hose must lead from the bottom of the locker to outside of the hull above the static waterline and have a minimum inside diameter of not not less than 1/2" (this means you must use a 3/4" throughull and hose). The Locker must be above the waterline, top loading with a tight fitting gasketed lid that opens to the atmosphere, be vapor tight to the interior of the vessel (all apertures to be sealed) and must be used for no other purpose. ie. don't keep your anchor in there.

ABYC Standard A-01 ➥ https://law.resource.org/pub/us/cfr/....A-01.1993.pdf

I agree. Before you modify anything or seal anything. have a competent person inspect this installation for ABYC compliance.

Whoever "engineered" this propane installation was an idiot.