running plastic tube through bulkhead?

[Tom1340]

Rainwater is collecting at my mast base. Eventually, the water gets high enough to flow to the bilge, but first it spreads out into other areas of the hull and is a nuisance. I'm planning to build a small box (epoxied wood) around the mast step to keep the water from spreading out. Then I want to run a 1/2 inch clear plastic tube to move water from the "box" directly to the bilge.
My problem is passing the plastic tube through the "box" wall in a way that is water tight. Here are my solutions and the reason's I don't like them:

1) Use a plastic bulkhead fitting with 1/2 inch hose barb on the outlet. Problem: the bulkhead fittings have fairly large sealing flanges. The clearance required for the flange means the actual drain hole will sit above the box's floor by an estimated 3/4 inch.

2) Use pvc pipe to pass through the box wall, then use pvc coupling to connect to hose barb on outlet. This puts the drain hole much closer to bottom of box. Problem: How to seal pvc into epoxied wood wall? Neither epoxy or silicon bond well with pvc.

Suggestions?
Thanks, Tom
ps. sealing my selden mast is even more problematic.

[Cheechako]

Sooo... your mast base is under the floor, it is enclosed enough to build up water in the surrounding area.. right? is there no way to just drain that enclosure without building another enclosure...?

[HopCar]

I've made several small drains with copper tube. Say I want a drain hole about 1/2" in diameter, I get a short length of 1/2" copper tube and flare one end. The copper tube needs to be long enough to clamp a hose on after it goes through what ever needs to be drained. I then drill a 1/2" hole where I want the drain and counter sink it a little. I butter the tube and hole with epoxy, push the tube through and clean up the epoxy. The flared end fits down flush in the counter sink. When the epoxy has dried I can push a 1/2" hose onto the copper tube and clamp it in place. This makes a very neat professional looking drain.

[cszosler]

Originally Posted by Tom1340

Rainwater is collecting at my mast base. Eventually, the water gets high enough to flow to the bilge, but first it spreads out into other areas of the hull and is a nuisance.

Suggestions?
Thanks, Tom
ps. sealing my selden mast is even more problematic.

hi, in your situation I rather fill up mast with expanding foam to the level above deck and drill drain holes just on foam top. result is dry bilge. I like it this way.

[Tom1340]

Cheechako, the mast step is not enclosed now. There is just a slight upward step to the bilge, which forces the water away from the bilge until it reaches a certain level, then it starts flowing to the bilge.

CSZOSLER, I'd like to seal the mast. But filling her up with foam will really complicates future rewiring. Selden does not recommend your approach (sealant) for mast with combined sailtrack/wire conduit. Better to deal with the leak.

Hopcar, Your copper tubing solution sounds viable for my situation.

Thanks to all for your comments. Any other suggestions?
Tom

[Exile]

I have what sounds like a similar situation with water pooling in the bilge just forward of the mast step. Not an issue, I'm sure, when the boat is underway, but at the dock there is often rainwater from the mast and/or the chain hawse pipes that fails to flow down to the deep bilge and sits in this area. This is made worse when I fill my fwd. 80-gal water tank which lowers the bow a couple of inches. I am concerned that it might be corrosive to the mast step itself, among other problems it potentially creates.

What about raising this area up by adding material to the bilge surface in this area? By eliminating the low section(s), water could then flow away from the area and down to the deep bilge. Might be harder than it sounds, like most boat projects!

[IdoraKeeper]

Why let the water into the bilge? I have plastic tubes leading to strategically placed plastic milk jugs. Cappilary action and siphon action drain the step boxes to the jugs...empty once a winter. The bilge is almost always dry.

Todd

[SVNeko]

Well, it doesn't really sound like you are passing a pipe through a bulkhead, but rather through a replaceable wooden box. So this is less important, but if it were a bulkhead, be sure to seal it up good. Wouldn't want a small issue to turn into a bigger one such as rotten wood in a stuctural bulkhead.

[sailr69]

Originally Posted by Tom1340

Rainwater is collecting at my mast base. Eventually, the water gets high enough to flow to the bilge, but first it spreads out into other areas of the hull and is a nuisance. I'm planning to build a small box (epoxied wood) around the mast step to keep the water from spreading out. Then I want to run a 1/2 inch clear plastic tube to move water from the "box" directly to the bilge.
My problem is passing the plastic tube through the "box" wall in a way that is water tight. Here are my solutions and the reason's I don't like them:

1) Use a plastic bulkhead fitting with 1/2 inch hose barb on the outlet. Problem: the bulkhead fittings have fairly large sealing flanges. The clearance required for the flange means the actual drain hole will sit above the box's floor by an estimated 3/4 inch.

2) Use pvc pipe to pass through the box wall, then use pvc coupling to connect to hose barb on outlet. This puts the drain hole much closer to bottom of box. Problem: How to seal pvc into epoxied wood wall? Neither epoxy or silicon bond well with pvc.

Suggestions?
Thanks, Tom
ps. sealing my selden mast is even more problematic.

just drill a hole slightly smaller then the vinyl tube. press fit the tube into the hole. it's not under pressure, will seal very good.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by sailr69

just drill a hole slightly smaller then the vinyl tube. press fit the tube into the hole. it's not under pressure, will seal very good.

Perhaps adding a dab of silly-cone too? Maybe one of the few good uses for the stuff onboard.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Tom1340

Problem: How to seal pvc into epoxied wood wall? Neither epoxy or silicon bond well with pvc.

Suggestions?
Thanks, Tom
ps. sealing my selden mast is even more problematic.

Tom, FWIW I have successfully bonded PVC pipe with epoxy... actually works quite well with normal surface prep.

The copper tube solution works well too.

Cheers,

Jim