Cockpit drains

[Terra Nova]

Never combine bilge pump drains.

[martin0759]

Ok, then where to pump bilge water, what little there will ever be on a trailer sailed without adding more holes to the boat?

[redsky49]

Discharge the bilge out the stern.

From the strainer (or pump if using a submersible pump) located at the low spot of the bilge, extend appropriate discharge hose to stern. Loop the hose up as high as possible (tight to underside of deck) and then turn hose back down to discharge 12" above waterline at roughly center of stern. Very simple.

Use smooth bore hose - not the ribbed type. No check valve. Make provision to be able to service the strainer if clogged.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by martin0759

Ok, then where to pump bilge water, what little there will ever be on a trailer sailed without adding more holes to the boat?

Is this a joke?

[martin0759]

No it isn't a joke, trying to learn and do a good job, a big emphasis on learning and understanding. More holes seems like a bad thing to me, sorry if that is joke to you. Running the bilge hose to the back with a high point seems reasonable and plausible also in affect making a check valve with the high point. Don't like the idea of more holes but if that is the only option then so be it. Get another thru hull, drill and seal another hole more work but it will be right.

Martin

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by redsky49

Discharge the bilge out the stern.

From the strainer (or pump if using a submersible pump) located at the low spot of the bilge, extend appropriate discharge hose to stern. Loop the hose up as high as possible (tight to underside of deck) and then turn hose back down to discharge 12" above waterline at roughly center of stern. Very simple.

Use smooth bore hose - not the ribbed type. No check valve. Make provision to be able to service the strainer if clogged.

+1 This is exactly the way it needs to be done.!!

[martin0759]

Thank you for a complete and understandable answer that helps me learn and go forward with the boat.
Martin

[Boatyarddog]

Don't worry about condescension, these posts are full of that.
That's good advise though, transom exit points are good, be sure to use a rise on the bilge pump discharge hose if it's to run below the WL, to prevent back flow.
Mostly great advise on CF.


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[martin0759]

Going threw the transom will be a pain in the @&? but doable. Better to do a job right and know how to do the work right in the future. I have many little projects and a lot more questions, fixed most everything except a boat.

Martin

[Ex-Calif]

Be careful about the length of the bilge pump hose run. You do not want to create a situation where the pump activates, pumps the water out and when it shuts off the backlfow is enough volume to float the switch again.

Cockpit drains - Keep as stock factory, however they were done. For those elongated hoels consider fiberglassing them shut and redrilling.
Sink Drain - Keep is stock and simple
Bilge - Consider the exit out the side of the boat, as noted 12 inches above the water line if his gives you a much shorter run. I'd be very cautious of a 10 foot run. Mine is like 4 feet?

My boat had no "loops" - the sink drain and the blige drain exited the sode of the boat. A loop is no problem but not critical IMO. The sink gravity drained so a loop was impossible anyway. Besides it's the way tha factrory did it...

So you end up with 3 holes in the bottom and a new one on the transom or side of the boat.

Depending on the sink instal height above WL you could close the bottom hole and also drill a drain in the side of the boat.


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[Boatyarddog]

Scuppers is the marine term, for cockpit drains.


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[martin0759]

I am fiberglassing the cockpit drains shut and reinforcing the underside of the cockpit then I will redrill the holes, should I really with welding repair before installing the drains. Then 1" hose straight down to the thru hulls. The plywood structure under the cockpit wont allow crossing the hoses.

I can go about 4 feet with bilge hose if I go thru the side, sounds much better. Is 1' above waterline when the boat is flat or do I need to figure that out when sailing.

The sink drain goes almost straight down right at the water line and the sink is about 2' above the waterline. When I was glassing the cockpit drains I glassed in the fiberglass washer that was between the hull and retaining nut with 4 layers of 6 oz glass.

[martin0759]

Correction should i repaint the fiberglass with gelcoat before I install the drains, I assume so. And how many coats?

Martin

[Boatyarddog]

You should scuff the surface of the glass or paint or gelcoat, before you apply your sealant to the scupper drain fitting your using.
If you use gelcoat, use finish gelcoat, and remove the wax on the cured product with wood alcohol, prior to scuffing the flange.
It'll seal much better.
I use 3m4200 for most fittings.
Acetone to cleanup the residual 4200.


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[rwidman]

Martin, Reading your posts, I get the feeling that you've never been around boats and you bought this boat as your first boat and as a project. I suggest finding a way to see how other boats are configured and talking to local boat owners and asking questions before you begin work on your project boat.

Also, there are some pretty good books out there for beginning boaters that explain the different parts and systems.

It's fine to ask questions on a boating forum but the dangers are that the person answering your question may not understand what you are saying because you are using incorrect terminology or the person answering may be giving you bad information because he or she doesn't know how it should be done in the first place.