Best way to build up the bottom of an anchor locker?

[hlev00]

I am building up the bottom of my anchor locker as it has never drained correctly. The aft end is too low. I have shaped some green foam board to roughly fill the space and provide the new slope. The aft end is about 1" thick and tapers to 1/4"" or so at the forward end but stops short of the hole.

My plan is
1. sand the bottom and part way up the sides of the anchor locker
2. bed the foam with some silica thickened epoxy, especially where the foam doesn't meet the old bottom.
3. fillet the inside corners/edges with epoxy and 410 fairing filler.
4. fair the transition from the front of the foam to the bottom of the locker with fairing filler.
4. two layers of 1708 with epoxy including tabbing into the vertical sides of the anchor locker using the 1708.
5. painting with bilge paint.

The chain is 250' of 5/16" G4.

Am I missing anything in this plan or something to simplify the plan?

[rslifkin]

That sounds like what I'd probably do. Basically just build a new fiberglass floor at an appropriate height and angle.

[deltaten]

I'd go with a few more layers of 1708, just to be sure. In my experience doing the underside of the foredeck, rebuilding the cabintop area fwd of the companionway, and fashioned a cover/turtle for the sliding hatch, the two lams you mention will only provide approx. 1/8 inch. One or two "dings" with the anchor and oooops. Perhaps with a full coverage board of sorts with a rubber cushion over? But if yer gonna do that, might as well add the 2-3 more layers, as yer already sticky

[Bowdrie]

I would also use more than two layers.
Hint: Put the layers of glass on the foam before you install it.
Then, after it's in place you only need to do the edge work, you're not fumbling around in a hole trying to do everything.
Use the wide "tape" for the edge work, no loose strands splaying out in all directions.

[hlev00]

Great suggestions, thanks.

I am also thinking about putting some Dri-Deck as the last step to also help drainage but wondering if it will hold up with chain on it and if the nature of chain results in reasonable drainage anyway.

[Madehn]

My first thought was to cut a piece of gp03 to the right shape and the put some cross pieces under it of varying height to create the slope. Then glue it on with fiberglass tape around the edges. Don’t make the slope subtle get good drainage. The dried k sounds like unnecessary complication that will end up trapping mud grit smells etc.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

I would also use more than two layers.
Hint: Put the layers of glass on the foam before you install it.
Then, after it's in place you only need to do the edge work, you're not fumbling around in a hole trying to do everything.
Use the wide "tape" for the edge work, no loose strands splaying out in all directions.

spoken like someone who has built a boat. That’s exactly how you do it.

Stack up a few extra layers of extra glass so that your chain can’t eat through it so quickly.

Laminate a panel outside of the hole.

Cut and fit the panel so that it’s perfect.

Put the panel in place and secure it.

Do your fillets and glass it in around the edges.

All done.

[sailorbobdeb]

We have dri deck in our anchor locker and it helps let the sand, grit, etc. drain better and keeps the chain off the bottom of the locker. Our B43 anchor locker has quite a steep slope and my challenge is keeping the dri deck from slipping forward and bunching at the tip of the bow. I am happy with the cleaner results I see when we take everything out to do a full cleaning of the anchor locker.

[Bowdrie]

Forgot to mention this before.
After you've cut the foam part to fit, but before you glass it, give it a heavy coat of epoxy on all its surfaces/edges.
You want to fill-up all the exposed cells of the foam and provide a smooth surface that has a good interface/bond that you can now glass on the upper face and epoxy down on its underside.
If you try cutting a part to fit after its already glassed, (as jig-saws cut on the up-stroke,) you run the risk of breaking the bond around the cut lines.
So cut the glass to fit the part with perhaps it being a bit scant around the perimeter, the edge work with the tape will cover-up any part of the foam that protrudes beyond the glass work.
Harder to describe than to do.

[ggray]

Make sure you have a good slope downward toward the bow so that it will still drain while heeled. I think dry-deck helps, and have it in my anchor locker, a large flat locker on my cat.

[GordMay]

FWIW: The minimum recommended slope, for drainage pipes, is typically between 1/8 inch per foot, to 1/4 inch per foot [1.04% ➛ 2.08%].

[hlev00]

For laminating before installing, which is a great idea, I am thinking of doing it upside down. i plan on using a flat plastic sheet with wax for easy release, to laminate the 4 layers, then attach the foam piece. Will that be too much exothermic heat insulated with the foam on top? I also thought laminate the four layers, let it start to cure, then do the foam as a hot coat while the epoxy is still gel.

It also occurred to me that since I am doing this lamination outside the boat, I could use polyester, then tab in with epoxy. Either way I am going to have to scruff up the surface if I laminate on flat plastic.

[ZekeB]

Originally Posted by hlev00

Great suggestions, thanks.

I am also thinking about putting some Dri-Deck as the last step to also help drainage but wondering if it will hold up with chain on it and if the nature of chain results in reasonable drainage anyway.

Looking for comments from the experienced glass folks...

sailorbobdeb in post #8 mentions the Dri-Dek slipping on him. Could the OP take this opportunity, to embed something into his insert to prevent this?

An anchor point to attach the aft edge of the Dri-Dek?A few "spikes"? I don't know enough about glassing to suggest anything that would work, and last.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by ZekeB

Looking for comments from the experienced glass folks...

sailorbobdeb in post #8 mentions the Dri-Dek slipping on him. Could the OP take this opportunity, to embed something into his insert to prevent this?

An anchor point to attach the aft edge of the Dri-Dek?A few "spikes"? I don't know enough about glassing to suggest anything that would work, and last.

Not every foot of chain is going to leave the locker. Most times, there is a pile on the bottom that never moves.

A piece of starboard could be installed on the top of the new floor to act like a sacrificial surface for the chain. I doubt it would ever need to be replaced.

[wrwakefield]

Assuming the drainage leveling solution is not also needed for structural reinforcement of the locker bottom [and because I am inherently lazy…] I would consider a simple polyester resin pour, or perhaps one of the epoxy based concrete floor leveling kits. Mix. Pour. Trowel the incline you want with a wide putty knife.

And to keep the chain off the bottom, we lined our anchor locker with cheap draining rubber floor mat you see at most box stores. The bottom of our locker has 3 layers of mat and has held up well to 550’ of 5/16” chain since 2014 when I installed it. Lining the sides of the locker helps the chain air dry and keeps things quiet in the locker too. [Link to cheap black rubber floor mat we used: https://amzn.to/4k9AMvu]

One last thought: Consider adding a 2nd drain hole on the opposite side and one diameter higher than the first. That way if the lower drain ever clogs, the upper will flow readily. Cover the outside of the drains with a heavy case resin cowling with the opening facing aft. [Our locker is set up this way and never ships water through the locker drains when underway.]



All just FWIW.

Wishing you success with your project.

Cheers, Bill

Above photo from our Anchor Locker Design Considerations post.

https://svdenalirosenc43.blogspot.co...n-details.html