Moving Cockpit Drains to Transom?

[a64pilot]

I believe ALL at least older Island Packets have two rather large cockpit drains to the transom. Not sure about the sugar scoop models.
I think mine may be 1”, anyway I have never, ever gotten a drop of water back up one of the drains.
But an IP cockpit is way above waterline too, but I can’t imagine getting enough water back up the drain to matter.
The two bottom thru hulls are cockpit drains.

[01kiwijohn]

I did that to my Cascade 36, because it has quite a large cockpit and I wanted to insure it would drain quickly. 2, 3inch tubes glassed in and connected with exhaust hose. Maybe, a few times we've had a little backwash.

[Jim Cate]

Probably because your cockpt floor level is below your waterline

Umm... if this was true water would always be standing in the cockpit, right up to the waterline level. Might want to rethink this statement!

Jim

[GILow]

I’ve recently made this change to my boat. Centre cockpit, it had two drains running straight down from the cockpit out the bottom, well below the waterline. They really worried me.

So I’ve plumbed mine with PVC pipe to come out the stern, just above the waterline.

Some comments/cautions:

Shutoff valves on the aft skin fitting(s) are a GOOD idea. Frankly, if you are worried about accidentally shutting them off then you’ve got some pretty strange behaviour going on. I mean really... who goes around randomly shutting seacocks? But if something goes wrong with the plumbing you really want to be able to isolate that outlet. Sure, it’s above the waterline when the boat is stationary, but what about when you are moving fast, or in following seas, or heeling? Fit a seacock if you can, well worth it.

Depending on how you plumb the pipe work out from a centre cockpit there’s a good change you’ll end up with a low point that fills with water. This needs to be managed so that it does not eventually cause a blockage from slime and crud. In my case I fitted a T and a ball valve so I can drain that low point from time to time. I did consider putting a very small bleed hole in the low point to allow it to drain into the bilge, but I’m still aspiring to a dry bilge so that idea is only a fallback.

Totally agree with the idea of getting rid of those skin fittings if you can.

[geoleo]

My Beneteau 41S5 was built this way. Stern cockpit floor drains-no seacocks! I think it is cool.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by GILow

I’ve recently made this change to my boat. Centre cockpit, it had two drains running straight down from the cockpit out the bottom, well below the waterline. They really worried me.

So I’ve plumbed mine with PVC pipe to come out the stern, just above the waterline.

Some comments/cautions:

Shutoff valves on the aft skin fitting(s) are a GOOD idea. Frankly, if you are worried about accidentally shutting them off then you’ve got some pretty strange behaviour going on. I mean really... who goes around randomly shutting seacocks? But if something goes wrong with the plumbing you really want to be able to isolate that outlet. Sure, it’s above the waterline when the boat is stationary, but what about when you are moving fast, or in following seas, or heeling? Fit a seacock if you can, well worth it.

Depending on how you plumb the pipe work out from a centre cockpit there’s a good change you’ll end up with a low point that fills with water. This needs to be managed so that it does not eventually cause a blockage from slime and crud. In my case I fitted a T and a ball valve so I can drain that low point from time to time. I did consider putting a very small bleed hole in the low point to allow it to drain into the bilge, but I’m still aspiring to a dry bilge so that idea is only a fallback.

Totally agree with the idea of getting rid of those skin fittings if you can.

Changing the outlet does not imply changing the drain hole in the cockpit floor. You leave the drain from the lowest point of the cockpit, even if it means a longer run of the hose to the transom.

Secondly, you make sure the run is a continuous drop, no low spots then going uphill before going down to the outlet. It may mean hangers for the pipe.

Thirdly, the biggest pipe you can fit is best. My cockpit is drained by two 1.5 inch pipes and honestly, it is not enough. One wave can put a foot of water in the cockpit and that may not drain out before the next wave adds another foot.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by wingssail

...



Secondly, you make sure the run is a continuous drop, no low spots then going uphill before going down to the outlet. It may mean hangers for the pipe.



...

A continuous drop is almost certainly not possible with a centre cockpit boat. Not sure what boat the OP has, their profile does not list a boat make or model.

[sailortype]

"Changing the outlet does not imply changing the drain hole in the cockpit floor"
The title of the thread is changing the drains, not the outlets. And the 'english' in the initial post talks about changing drains, not hoses. So it is ambiguous at best and we could be talking about different things together.

[bailsout]

My Herreshoff came with cockpit drains and the “bathtub”prevented access to the hull for inspection and cleaning. I replaced the bathtub with easily removable slats. All water in the cockpit now goes directly to bilge and pumps. I removed the big sea clocks and capped the thru-hulls.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by bailsout

My Herreshoff came with cockpit drains and the “bathtub”prevented access to the hull for inspection and cleaning. I replaced the bathtub with easily removable slats. All water in the cockpit now goes directly to bilge and pumps. I removed the big sea clocks and capped the thru-hulls.

Are you saying that the cockpit now drains into the bilge?

This seems a dubious idea to me, for keeping water out of the bilge is a important part of seamanship IMO.

Jim

[Celestialsailor]

Two of my pasy boats I relocated the cockpit drains also above the waterline. My Tartan Blackwatch 37 had 4 in each corner of the cockpit at 3/4". Slow draining and always clogging. I put 2, 1-1/2"ers out the back. They gurgled a lot, so I put cam shell vents over them. Problem solved.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Are you saying that the cockpit now drains into the bilge?

This seems a dubious idea to me, for keeping water out of the bilge is a important part of seamanship IMO.

Jim

Agreeing with Jim and what would happen in heavy weather and a lose of power. JMHO

[bailsout]

Yep. Water goes straight to the bilge. And yes there is always seawater in the bilge. Wood loves salt water. So far I do mostly coastal sailing and have never been close to green water coming into the cockpit. You seem to forget that self bailing cockpits are a relatively modern invention. And it’s good to have strong electrical and manual pumps. And some buckets!

[sailortype]

"Are you saying that the cockpit now drains into the bilge?"
'yikes' ....is all I can think of
talk about a disaster waiting to happen!

[GILow]

Originally Posted by bailsout

Yep. Water goes straight to the bilge. And yes there is always seawater in the bilge. Wood loves salt water. So far I do mostly coastal sailing and have never been close to green water coming into the cockpit. You seem to forget that self bailing cockpits are a relatively modern invention. And it’s good to have strong electrical and manual pumps. And some buckets!

I understand where you are coming from with this, but the two problems I stumbled over when considering this approach for my own boat are:

1. This system makes you DEPENDANT on your bilge pumps working, and continuing to work. There is a lot of testimony around to how this is not a practical desire.

2. The bulk of the water that comes through those drains will be rainwater, not salt water, and it can really make the bilge stink.

In the end I just added the complex plumbing I needed to get I all out the stern.