-
Ahoy and Welcome to the New SSS Forums!!
As you can see, we have migrated our old forums to new software. All your old posts, threads, attachments, and messages should be here. If you see anything out of place or have any questions, please scroll to the very bottom of the page and click "Contact Us" and leave a note with as much detail as possible.
You should be able to login with your old credentials. If you have any issues, try resetting your password before clicking the Contact Us link.
Cheers - Bryan
cockpit drain rule question
- Thread starter fullkeel
- Start date
BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
It depends - Fill the cockpit with water and see how long it takes to drain out. Does it drain "quickly?"
Unless you have a small footwell, your boat's seaworthiness could be compromised with a cockpit full of water. The second wave is the one you need to worry about, especially if your boat is down by the stern due to the weight of all that water.
The second sentence below should also make you think about your drop board strength and arrangement, especially if you don't have a bridge deck.
"Cockpits shall be structurally strong, self-draining quickly by gravity at all angles of heel and permanently incorporated as an integral part of the hull. They must be essentially watertight, that is, all openings to the hull must be capable of being strongly and rigidly secured."
Unless you have a small footwell, your boat's seaworthiness could be compromised with a cockpit full of water. The second wave is the one you need to worry about, especially if your boat is down by the stern due to the weight of all that water.
The second sentence below should also make you think about your drop board strength and arrangement, especially if you don't have a bridge deck.
"Cockpits shall be structurally strong, self-draining quickly by gravity at all angles of heel and permanently incorporated as an integral part of the hull. They must be essentially watertight, that is, all openings to the hull must be capable of being strongly and rigidly secured."
Seems to me, as long as you've got drains in both port and starboard corners, I don't see that it makes a difference whether they are in the forward part of the cockpit or the aft part. They are still going to drain at all angles of heel. My boat only has them in the aft corners. I would think the size is much more of an important factor.
- Mark
- Mark
Cockpit scuppers
Along with size is inspection for "scupper scum" (sort of like "toe jam" or "belly button fuzz") that accumulates and clogs them up. Try filling the cockpit with hose to see if the scuppers drain as they should. A good cleaning can help the flow along - like removing the covers (if there are any) and squirting a hose into the opening. After doing this you might check inside the boat under the cockpit for water to make sure there aren't any leaks from cracked hoses or broken fittings. You have replaced those corroded old gate valves with proper sea cocks, haven't you? The ones half closed and frozen? Been there, Pat Broderick
Along with size is inspection for "scupper scum" (sort of like "toe jam" or "belly button fuzz") that accumulates and clogs them up. Try filling the cockpit with hose to see if the scuppers drain as they should. A good cleaning can help the flow along - like removing the covers (if there are any) and squirting a hose into the opening. After doing this you might check inside the boat under the cockpit for water to make sure there aren't any leaks from cracked hoses or broken fittings. You have replaced those corroded old gate valves with proper sea cocks, haven't you? The ones half closed and frozen? Been there, Pat Broderick
BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
In his diplomatic way, Tiger Beetle suggested that I didn't *exactly* answer fullkeel's question. Of course he's right (as usual). But since I rather liked my first reply I'll leave it and write another one . . . because I can.
If the drains in the front corners of the cockpit do not allow the cockpit to drain at all angles of heel but drains in the back of the cockpit would, then it seems you should install them to comply with the rule. However, unless the angle of the cockpit walls is different at the aft end, or the hoses descend from the cockpit floor to the hull at a diffferent angle back there, or the cockpit is deeper at its aft end, it wouldn't seem to make any difference.
I wouldn't want to add two more through-hulls, seacocks, etc. unless I was sure it would improve the drainage.
My boat has an open transom so what do I know anyway?
If the drains in the front corners of the cockpit do not allow the cockpit to drain at all angles of heel but drains in the back of the cockpit would, then it seems you should install them to comply with the rule. However, unless the angle of the cockpit walls is different at the aft end, or the hoses descend from the cockpit floor to the hull at a diffferent angle back there, or the cockpit is deeper at its aft end, it wouldn't seem to make any difference.
I wouldn't want to add two more through-hulls, seacocks, etc. unless I was sure it would improve the drainage.
My boat has an open transom so what do I know anyway?