Cockpit Drain Holes

[rboom]

Hello, my boat is an Invicta 26 MK1 (1967) the sister of the famous Contessa 26. My intention is to do a singlehanded ocean crossing with it.
My concern is about the safety of the cockpit. Now there is one little drain in the back; not enough to drain out a wave.
My intention is to add a couple of drain holes (2,5-3 inch each) but i have problems to figure out the best solution; because the boat have two berth under the cockpit (left and right) and there is no much space (engine, tank, impeller on the back of the engine). The measurements says that i have around 10cm from the bottom of the cockpit to the waterline and 35cm from the bottom of the cockpit to the hull.
The biggest concern is about the water coming in the cockpit going upwind. The ideal solution is to cross the pipes but is'not so easy.

Have anybody faced similar situation and wich could be alternatives?

Thanks
RUGGERO

[Noreastern]

rboom,
We have close to the same problem. Our 1965 Pearson has forward cockpit drains that like many CCA designs built in the sixties are to small drain a full cockpit with water quickly. Our concern is sailing off the wind and getting pooped. Instead of making bigger drains (and thus also thru-hulls) we are thinking of reducing cockpit well volume.

[Boulter]

Hi:

I don't know if my plan would be applicable to your situation but here is what I am doing...

The existing drains were two pairs of 1.5 inch scuppers, each pair sent down through the hull via crappy gate valves and thru hulls. I removed all these parts and will seal over the holes.

The scuppers will instead be run aft through the transom above the WL. This does not increase capacity any, but it reduces sinking risks with the removal of two holes in the hull below the WL.

To increase capacity, I am running a 4 inch drain through the aft cockpit vertical wall and thus through the transom, again all above the WL. Being somewhat above the cockpit floor, this drain alone would never completely drain the cockpit, but it will get the job 90% done very rapidly, and the existing scuppers can finish off at a leisurely pace. The parts for this bit are exhaust fittings and hose.

Cheers,

Boulter

[rboom]

Yes reducing the volume of the cockpit is useful but i don't think it's enough.
Actually the winning solution is similar to the one proposed by Boulter.
The only difference is that i can't go above the WL to the transom so i will exit directly to the bottom by the shortest way. The idea is to fiberglass all the thing.

Thanks
RUGGERO

[Wand]

Originally Posted by rboom

Actually the winning solution is similar to the one proposed by Boulter. The only difference is that i can't go above the WL to the transom so i will exit directly to the bottom by the shortest way.

I once had rboom's problem, and solved it in much the same way Boulter describes - with a twist. Instead of coming out the transom, which was not possible, I came out in that part of the hull (underside) between the waterline and the transom. All sailboats have some hull territory there that is above the waterline and thus ideal for cockpit drainage. I installed a pair of 90mm household PVC pipes and elbows (it was a big and deep cockpit); cheap and highly recommended.

[Noreastern]

Wand,
Do you mean the aft topsides for the drain? Your post has starting to rattle my brain. I have forward cockpit drains (water drains forward on the cockpit sole). Instead of going strait down to thru-holes could I reroute them to the topsides? Maybe with half cups outside the thru-hulls on the hull to create suction while boat is heeled moving forward. Hmm.

[Bash]

Boating 101

Staircase = Companionway
Kitchen = Galley
Toilet = Head
Floor = Sole
Drain = Scupper

And the national flag flow at the stern = Ensign

(Apologies for the thread drift.)

[Wand]

Pedant alert @ 13.13

Of the terms Bash lists, the only one which ought to be avoided for issues of clarity is floor/sole. The rest might help a boatie sound shippy but can hardly lead to misunderstanding. Although I've never heard anyone use "staircase" - that really is odd

Language is an organic thing of course and with the massive uptake of sailing by hitherto landed folk in recent decades, it's reasonable to expect some terra terms to become widely acceptable salt talk. Whether we like it or not...

[Wand]

Originally Posted by Noreastern

Wand,
Do you mean the aft topsides for the drain? Your post has starting to rattle my brain. I have forward cockpit drains (water drains forward on the cockpit sole). ...

Easy to sketch, trickier to explain... The cockpit on the boat in question also drained forrard; I altered it to drain aft to make things easier. A forrard draining arrangement could still work however; it depends on the design.

I ran my PVC pipes from the aft face of the cockpit for about a foot and then elbows sent the pipes south. The exit point is thus on the underside of the hull between the waterline and the transom.

This setup is an option on sailboats (but not stink boats) because the transom should be well clear of the design waterline. On that boat, for example, if the plane of aft face of the cockpit was extended through to the hull, it would meet the hull at close to the same spot where the water meets the hull on the other side. Most sailboats have roughly this same design parameter.

[Noreastern]

Altering cockpit sole so water drains aft of cockpit? That would be a major design change on this boat. Wish they were designed that way when built.

[Wand]

That was a rebuild; the sole was rotten. I'm not recommending pulling up a good one But check you levels; you might still have the option to do something similar...

[barnakiel]

Hi,

I think

A) you have a nice boat capable of ocean passages,
B) she has a cockpit that WILL nearly sink the boat, if flooded,
C) if you sail enough, the above scenario WILL happen,

We are sailing a similar boat. Our cockpit is too voluminous (offshore) too. We got (very badly) pooped once. It took about 5 minutes for two 1+'' drains (plus one very frightened skipper with a bucket) to drain the cockpit. This may, in some situations, be too long to assure the boat is safe. We were lucky.

I think drains aft may be mistake in some designs - they sometimes tend to flood the cockpit when the boat gains speed. I think drains belong in the forward corners. I am not certain they have to cross - they do not cross here and we never have water coming into the cockpit when sailing.

My advice:

1) limit the volume,
2) limit the volume,
3) see above,
4) with limited cockpit volume, make sure you have two 1+'' drains (IMHO forward corners).

Too bad the floor is this low. As it is, we can only try to improve on what the designers designed for less troubled waters.

Cheers,
b.

[zeehag]

mine in both formosa and ericson cross over, and sit forward in cockpits...but my drain holes are 2 inch in ericson, only tiny in formosa-- formosa is a dry boat, i learned--pooping seas drain out scuppers and not from cockpit well....well is small and central in cockpit.