Anchor locker has no drains? Collects standing water. What to do?

[Morgali]

So, my anchor locker on my 1977 dencho cf41 has no drains at all. Over time, moisture accumulates and becomes a problem.

I'm looking to add some drainage. My first thought was to open a drain hole to the bilge and let the bilge pump deal with it. However, the anchor locker doesn't go down as far as the floorboards, and I don't feel like having ick water flowing across the floor of my forward cabin.

My next thought was to install a drain going outboard and letting the locker drain directly to the ocean as I've seen on other boats. However, I have no idea how to safely accomplish this.

Is draining outboard a viable option? Should I install a sump and pump and pump it to a thru hull? What's the best option for me here?

[SailingHarmonie]

Without knowing the details, I can’t suggest the “best” option for you, but fixing this stupid design should be a priority. A bulkhead fitting and a hose to the bilge can work well

[Morgali]

This is the interior view of the bottom of the anchor locker and floor.

[chrisr]

nothing wrong with the normal solution of an overboard drain. by far the best option

just has to be done correctly

cheers,

[gonesail]

overboard is good depending on how far above the waterline the floor of your locker is. it still may not drain totally so you might have to figure that out. my anchor locker drains into the bilge which I am not so fond of either

[Mike OReilly]

Best solution is overboard, as long as your locker is above the waterline. How to do it? Grab a bit and a long bit . Install a small thru-hull

I wish I could do that. Mine drains to the bilge. The bottom of my locker sits below the waterline, so I have no other option.

In my case, my boat was designed this way, so water flows below the sole, and down to the deep bilge, but I'd be happier if it went directly overboard. It requires a cleaning every season to scoop out all the muck and growth that lingers.

[capt jgw]

Overboard is the way to go if the floor of the locker is well above the water line. If can be as simple as drilling a hole in the hull at the bottom of the locker. But be careful there is not a gap that can let water drain past the floor into to the bilge. Mads on the YouTube channel Sail Life had a problem with this a couple weeks ago. The floor was tabbed to the hull above the floor and he drilled through that. He didn't realize there was a gap between the tabbing and hull that let water pass by. This not only let water into the bilge but rotted the plywood floor. Would have been much easier to correct up front had he known the gap was there. Check his video to see the problem and how he fixed it.

[Sailorman97]

Originally Posted by Morgali

So, my anchor locker on my 1977 dencho cf41 has no drains at all. Over time, moisture accumulates and becomes a problem.

I'm looking to add some drainage. My first thought was to open a drain hole to the bilge and let the bilge pump deal with it. However, the anchor locker doesn't go down as far as the floorboards, and I don't feel like having ick water flowing across the floor of my forward cabin.

My next thought was to install a drain going outboard and letting the locker drain directly to the ocean as I've seen on other boats. However, I have no idea how to safely accomplish this.

Is draining outboard a viable option? Should I install a sump and pump and pump it to a thru hull? What's the best option for me here?

Couple of options I guess.

I would not rely on a pump. Gravity drain only. I know a fellow on an Beni 35S5 that was on a Lake Ontario 300 and the anchor locker filled up and then started to slosh over the bulkhead into the forward cabin. The aft anchor locker bulkhead was joined to the deck.

On your boat, is the bottom of the anchor locker above the waterline. If so drill a hole out to the great blue and make sure you have one of those Air Vent Scoop Drain Cover Shell Shaped stainless items. Install it so that the opening is to the back and then it will actually suck water out of the anchor locker as your boat moves forward through the water.

If the bottom of the anchor locker is below the water line can you put a floor in it so that the bottom is above the water line? I know this is terrible work but it could be an answer. Then you could add one of those drain cover shells and your done.

If you drill through the hull from the anchor locker, if you find that you have cored hull there you must cut the interior hull back a bit, pull out the core and then glass the interior down to the exterior hull so that the hole only goes through the outer hull. Don't do the short cut of trying to pick out the core and then seal with some resin or putty. Be sure there is no way this could ever leak.

I know that I would not be comfortable having my anchor locker draining into my bilge.

[Knotical]

I would suggest an overboard discharge with a properly sealed hole, it will need to be above the waterline and below the lowest level in the anchor locker. Mine drains very well, leaves just a few drops in the locker, I wouldn’t want it draining in the bilge.

[boatpoker]

We built a deck Plywood (covered with FRP and glassed in) 2' above the waterline and angled down toward the bow. We then drilled a hole in the bow at the forward (low) end of that deck. Drains quite well.

[Morgali]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

We built a deck Plywood (covered with FRP and glassed in) 2' above the waterline and angled down toward the bow. We then drilled a hole in the bow at the forward (low) end of that deck. Drains quite well.

I was thinking about that. I have a spare 24"x24" piece of coosa ocean 26 that I could use for the purpose. But, it's going to be a major project because my anchor locker doesn't even have a hole for the anchor chain/rode to go through, or a windlass. We'll be fixing that.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Best solution is overboard, as long as your locker is above the waterline. How to do it? Grab a bit and a long bit . Install a small thru-hull

I wish I could do that. Mine drains to the bilge. The bottom of my locker sits below the waterline, so I have no other option.

In my case, my boat was designed this way, so water flows below the sole, and down to the deep bilge, but I'd be happier if it went directly overboard. It requires a cleaning every season to scoop out all the muck and growth that lingers.

Hey Mike...looking at the image on Sailboatdata.com,


I'm wondering if you couldn't glass in a platform 4"s above the waterline and use a weep hole.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Hey Mike...looking at the image on Sailboatdata.com,

I'm wondering if you couldn't glass in a platform 4"s above the waterline and use a weep hole.

Yes, good eye, and analysis. I've not actually done the measure, but I bet you're right, and I could likely do that.

A reno of the massive chain locker on this boat is on the list ... it's just not a high priority. What I really want to do is partition the locker to so my main and secondary rodes don't overlap each other. This will require some serious fibre glassing. At that point, I could install an elevated floor.

But after over a decade now with this boat, I know the current setup works fine. So this project never seems to rise on the priority list. Maybe someday though. I would rather drain overboard, for sure.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yes, good eye, and analysis. I've not actually done the measure, but I bet you're right, and I could likely do that.

A reno of the massive chain locker on this boat is on the list ... it's just not a high priority. What I really want to do is partition the locker to so my main and secondary rodes don't overlap each other. This will require some serious fibre glassing. At that point, I could install an elevated floor.

But after over a decade now with this boat, I know the current setup works fine. So this project never seems to rise on the priority list. Maybe someday though. I would rather drain overboard, for sure.

I have done that exact job of partitioning the anchor locker. One in my former Hallberg Rassy 35 and my friends Kelly Petersen 44. Definitely a boat yoga job but well worth it. On the HR 35, one side was the chain and the other was chain and rode. The partition on both boats were slightly offset of center-line. The worst part about that job is grinding to create a good bond.

[marcjsmith]

common issue on some moody's as well

anchor locker drains to bilge. since bottom of locker is below WL

common fix has been to add a raised floor to the anchor locker that is above the WL and then drill a hole in the hull and fix a clam shell over the hole such that water can't be forced into the locker while sailing.