Deck drainage options

[gamayun]

For a long time, I've been pondering whether to cut some holes to create drainage from the side decks. I am now at the point where I need to decide what to do because I'm about to put new non-skid on the decks. I was sanding them down the other day and found that a previous owner had actually cut three holes into the deck there but had plugged them up with maybe MarineTex or something. Whatever it was, the water leaked through into the inside of the hull and right over the compressor for the icebox. Would you cut a hole that comes out the hull? Would you put in a large scupper to drain it or something small like these holes? I'm not opposed to drilling holes in my boat but don't want it to look like an amateur job. A friend suggested cutting the toe rail flush with the deck but that actually does freak me out. Would welcome all ideas and suggestions!

[psk125]

We had a similar problem with our J/36. The toerail (T-track) had spaces to let water flow over the side, but they weren't in the places the water puddled. Our current boat has scupper drains.
To have dry decks and avoid leaks you might be able to drill a hole under the toerail and out through the topsides. Fill it with epoxygoop, and then drill out a smaller hole through the epoxygoop so it will drain overboard. Some sort of hose exit cover over the hole in the topsides (like a vent fitting) would keep it looking OK. Having any water freeze in the passage in the winter would not be a good thing, but if you're in CA that should not be a big worry.

[Orion Jim]

You need some type of scupper at the low points on deck.I have three slots milled into my teak toerail (port and starboard) and the milled slots are flush with the deck. They work very well and you could easily extend some slots in your extrusion so it would be nearly flush with your deck while leaving the base of the extrusion intact so it would maintain the watertight seal with the deck. A Dremel might be all that is required for the modification.

[GordMay]

Another option, is to drape a chamois leather [or synthetic] cloth over the toe rail. This acts as a wick, drawing water up from the [smaller] deck puddle, eventually dripping off overboard.

FWIW: Chamois leather can also be used as a gasoline filter. When soaked with clean gas, chamois will not allow water to pass through its surface fibers. Don’t know about synthetic versions.

[Benz]

You can also drill a hole in the deck at the low spot, install a flush-faced fitting with a hose barb at the back end, then direct the water back out out with a through-hull halfway up the hull or wherever. I did this on a boat where water puddled, and was able to divert the flow inside the boat to catch rain water whenever I wanted to. You can get as complicated as you like with y-valves and such, or simply pull the hose off the lower barb and hold it in a water jug.
Filled up not a few water jugs that way....

[skipmac]

Have been dealing with this on my boat as well. In my case there are gunwales that block deck draining so the boat was built with two drain holes each side at more or less the low points. The drains are flush through-hull type fittings with a hose barb on the inside that of course connects to a hose that goes to another fitting a few inches above the waterline.

The drains are a bit small, about 3/4" ID if I recall, and used to clog a lot and neither are at the exact lowest point on the deck so water collects in between them when moored. I thought about making horizontal drains through the gunwales but noticed a lot of boats had dirty streaks down the topsides where the deck drains were located which didn't appeal to me.

Figured out the clog was due to a 90 elbow under the deck fitting I guess to keep the hose closer to the side of the hull. Removed that and the deck drains work much better although in a very heavy rain don't drain quite as fast as the water accumulates.

With the clogging fixed I'm reasonably happy with how this setup works. If slightly larger, maybe a 1" ID drain and placed closer to the lowest point on the side deck it would be fine.

By the way, I agree with your reticence to mess with the toe rail.

[SV Siren]

I have these and they work well, they are original to the boat. They are tied into the cockpit drain lines and through hulls.

[gamayun]

Great suggestions all!! I really like the idea of flush-mounting scupper drains that tee into the cockpit drains (about 4 feet away), which need to be pulled and fixed anyway because they were poorly attached to the stern. Then I could put a y-valve below the port scupper for diverting rainwater to a container inside the cockpit locker. An added bonus! Anyone see drawbacks to this? It would eliminate cutting the toe rail or putting holes out the side, which didn't feel like the right approach.

[Tayana42]

ganayun, I have a slotted toe rail like yours which traps rainwater too. I use the chamois method GordMay described and it works really well. I use microfiber cloths, common rags really. It is simplicity itself, it works and it is nearly free.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Another option, is to drape a chamois leather [or synthetic] cloth over the toe rail. This acts as a wick, drawing water up from the [smaller] deck puddle, eventually dripping off overboard.

FWIW: Chamois leather can also be used as a gasoline filter. When soaked with clean gas, chamois will not allow water to pass through its surface fibers. Don’t know about synthetic versions.

This is exactly what I do so that I don’t compromise the toe rail
Cheap easy and you ca pretty it up if you wish

[Cheechako]

It's a common issue and often you step in the sitting water then track it on board. I guess you have to decide if it's really an issue for you. Does water sit there a lot? Scuppers at the worst place are a possibility, but I wouldn't. They often wont drain the last little bit anyway. You would have to install them flush recessed into the deck glass to be of use, not on top of the deck glass.
Do the 3 holes actually work where they are? You could just 5200 or epoxy in a small fiberglass tube in each one I suppose.
Chamois sounds good to me.

[gamayun]

You know, I woke up this morning at 4 AM thinking "how brilliant to use a chamois" and then completely forgot about it and only had thoughts on option 2 for scuppers draining to cockpit outlets. There's always a lot of water that builds up along those decks, which leaves a nice , large outline when it finally dries. At least (unfortunately) we don't get rain that often here in California. I am going to figure out the chamois solution for the short term and then recess the scuppers into the glass while I'm in the process of prepping for the non-skid.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by gamayun

I am going to figure out the chamois solution for the short term and then recess the scuppers into the glass while I'm in the process of prepping for the non-skid.

Pardon the thread drift but what are you going to use for nonskid? I'm trying to decide if or when to redo my decks and have not yet found what sounds like the perfect solution.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Pardon the thread drift but what are you going to use for nonskid? I'm trying to decide if or when to redo my decks and have not yet found what sounds like the perfect solution.

No worries on the thread drift. I think we beat the scuppers issue death. For non-skid, I am so enamored with Alexseal and SoftSand. I used the course grit on the top decks and it is VERY aggressive but that's what I wanted. I used the the smallest grit on the benches but that hardly has any texture at all. I will probably redo them with the medium grit, which should be juuuust right. I did it by shaking the SoftSand on the wet paint, then letting it dry before sweeping it up. It's important to go over it again with a vacuum to get any loose stuff up because that'll clog the roller when you put the second layer down. I found that out the hard way. Prepping was a total PITA and I primed everything with 3 coats, but IMO it came out great. Ill try to post a better pic.

[gamayun]

I've also replaced the handrails and eyebrows (not installed yet) with PlasTEAK. Still waiting on some hardware in the pic which is taking forever.