Cockpit drains

[GILow]

Hello Cruisers,

Our cockpit drains run in two 1.5" hoses from the floor of the cockpit, straight down through the engine bay to skin fittings just above and either side of the keel, about 1 foot or so below the waterline..

I have been doing a bit of measuring, and I THINK that the cockpit floor is about 1.5 feet above water level. It would be possible, therefore, to run the cockpit drains out to the starboard side, through skin fittings just above the waterline as there is a bulkhead between the cabins on that side that would allow me to run the hoses across the bulkhead, and therefore not across the walkway to the stern cabin.

Is there any reason to NOT do this that I should be aware of? It seems such a logical solution, but I am worried that I am missing something important, something to do with what might happen in various sea conditions or on the starboard tack or something. Maybe if I was on a starboard tack and healing heavily the cockpit would not drain, that might be a problem... albeit an unlikely one. And surely such a risk is lower than that posed by two extra skin fittings, maybe not. Any ideas?

I am reluctant to change anything without understanding the logic behind it.

Matt

P.S. The Swanson has a centre cockpit, with a raised stern, so the chance of a wave over the stern flooding the cockpit is pretty low, but of course, not impossible.

[rebel heart]

It doesn't sound like too bad of an idea. You're right about the slower draining aspect when heeled, but I don't think it's super relevant. Either way you have x water that's y feet above the waterline. If you want to be really careful you can increase the diameter of the holes. No one is upset that their cockpit drains too quickly.

Just my $0.02 anyway.

[GILow]

Thanks Rebel Heart. I've been visiting your blog from time to time, my word you get around. How did the hydrovane go, or is that a BAD question?

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by GILow

Thanks Rebel Heart. I've been visiting your blog from time to time, my word you get around. How did the hydrovane go, or is that a BAD question?

It actually went pretty well. The winds here in the Sea of Cortez are flukey and ever shifting, but we managed to sail maybe 10 hours or so last week using the Hydrovane. If there's enough wind to sail, the Hydrovane is able to steer so that's pretty cool.

Hell of an install job though. After doing it once I don't think it would be as hard again but definitely a vertical learning curve.

[GILow]

May it steer you many, many more miles and repay you for the hours of hanging off the backside of the boat in the dinghy to fit it.

Matt

[JPA Cate]

Matt,

Does your cockpit ever fill up beam reaching? How much water over the side of the boat can your cockpit handle? Usually, we've only been pooped off the wind, never hard on. On I-1, we did get wave-slaps that would accelerate up the hull and jump down our neck sometimes when beam reaching, but in the condx. in which we've sailed, that would drain quickly, and was not a problem.

Somewhere here on CF in the last week or so, someone posted a formula about what diameter drains one needs, and it depends on a number of variables, including your cockpit volume, and the carrying capacity of the drains.

Ann

[Cheechako]

I dont see a reason not to.

[barnakiel]

I was going to try this in our boat, just our floor is too close to the water level.

I think it is a good idea.

b.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I was going to try this in our boat, just our floor is too close to the water level.

I think it is a good idea.

b.

Criss Cross the tubes....?

[boatsail]

mine were that crappy flexible stuff that gets holes in it and had a bit of a p-trap action to it. I removed it. Glassed in pvc smothered in fiberglass(west) and now it's a straight line to the stern going in a downward slope. No worries about stuff clogging em up. I hated having to check on it all the time in the winter to make sure they were working right. I forgot what size they are, but they are awesome. rock solid and I never have to worry about a hose coming undone or getting clogged up. I say do it!

[landonshaw]

My only concern is that you are putting two more holes in your boat. I try to keep them to a minimum, above or below the water line.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Matt,

Does your cockpit ever fill up beam reaching? How much water over the side of the boat can your cockpit handle? Usually, we've only been pooped off the wind, never hard on. On I-1, we did get wave-slaps that would accelerate up the hull and jump down our neck sometimes when beam reaching, but in the condx. in which we've sailed, that would drain quickly, and was not a problem.

Somewhere here on CF in the last week or so, someone posted a formula about what diameter drains one needs, and it depends on a number of variables, including your cockpit volume, and the carrying capacity of the drains.

Ann

Ann,

I absolutely dread to think of what it would take to get water in our cockpit. It has never even felt close to coming over to me, but I've only had the boat for less than a year, and my experience is limited. Banjoship might have seen it happen, I just can't imagine it, which is part of the problem really, just because I can't imagine it does not mean it might not happen.

But you see, we don't all tear around the place in race-bred Jon Sayer designs. Or is I-2 a bit drier than I-1?

Thanks for the tip on the post, I will find it and have a read.

Matt

[GILow]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

My only concern is that you are putting two more holes in your boat. I try to keep them to a minimum, above or below the water line.

I am 100% with you on this concern, but actually, the idea here was to glass over the existing holes which are below the waterline and make the new ones above the water line.

Matt

Edit: Ahh, but I see what you mean, it does mean drilling MORE holes in the boat... yes, bad thing... but I still feel the trade off might be worth it just to get rid of two skin fittings below the waterline, and the S42 is hardly a delicate little shell, at least 35mm thick below the water line, and I am told by the original owner to expect closer to 40mm in places...

[GILow]

Originally Posted by boatsail

mine were that crappy flexible stuff that gets holes in it and had a bit of a p-trap action to it. I removed it. Glassed in pvc smothered in fiberglass(west) and now it's a straight line to the stern going in a downward slope. No worries about stuff clogging em up. I hated having to check on it all the time in the winter to make sure they were working right. I forgot what size they are, but they are awesome. rock solid and I never have to worry about a hose coming undone or getting clogged up. I say do it!

Did you manage to get the exit at the stern to be ABOVE the waterline?

Matt

[GILow]

Well I feel silly.

I just did the maths I SHOULD have done at the outset. Our overall beam is 13 and a bit feet, so at that point it is probably around 12 feet, so that translates to a drop of one in four, or 15 degrees. Which means with more than 15 degrees of port list, the cockpit would not drain.

Now the question in my mind is, "Is that ok?". Probably not, but I don't know...

Matt