New DQOTD - Scuppers

[Leroy - Gulf 29]

As I sit pondering the 15" of fluffy rain on the ground, and now the weather weasels are forcasting 40-50 degrees and a bit of a breeze, my thought turn to wholly indequate scuppers on the Gulf.  They drain (not now because they are plugged up) from the corners of the cockpit (It's "T" shaped) to close to the center line.  I'd say about 24" of hose between the scupper and the drain.  The hose besides being full of leaves etc, freeze because the hoses have a belly in them to the drain.  I can't snake it completely through the drain nor can I get by the plastic gate valves.  Even when they were working properly, I can pee faster than the cockpit drains.  There must be a reason why the drains are where they're at, but I'm having trouble figuring it out.  If the boat is heeled over adequatly to put the corner of the cockpit below the waterline, the drains are still below the water line, and would in theory allow water to flow into the cockpit through the scupper.  Given that assumption, why couldn't the scuppers be a direct drop from the cockpit to the through-hull?  I'd really like to route them out the stern and above the water line.  2 less of the 9 below the water line holes in the hull would be nice.  What's wrong with my thinking?  Thanks -- Leroy

[Seafarer]

Nothing wrong with your thinking as long as the cockpit sole angles back enough that the water will run that way, or did you mean just run the hoses to the stern, under the cockpit?

My cockpit drains this way. The two drains in the sole are connected to metal piping that goes to a fitting at the stern. I also have drains in the corners of the cockpit seats, but these are plumbed to through-hulls (one shares a through-hull with the sink drain) and both of them are fouled up.

When keeping the boat where the cockpit can fill with leaves, put scotch brite scouring pads over the drains and set about half a brick on them to hold them in place. Water will go through them but the leaves and such will not.

[Seafarer]

My IP26 kit boat's cockpit slopes forwards and has two drains with through-hulls below the waterline. One of these through-hulls appears to be leaking slightly! One more reason in favor of ripping the cockpit out of this boat and building a new one that is more comfortable, has more seating, and drains out the transom. I'd love to pull those through-hulls and glass the holes shut!

[Snapdragon]

Glassing up the through hulls on "Puff" and rerouting the cockpit drains through the transom has worked out very well for me, thanks to a lot of expert advice from several sailfarers.  Search "too many holes in my boat" in the Boat Bits thread to see how it was done.  I rest a lot easier now knowing that my boat will not leak! 

[Captain Smollett]

As I sit pondering the 15" of fluffy rain on the ground, and now the weather weasels are forcasting 40-50 degrees and a bit of a breeze, my thought turn to wholly indequate scuppers on the Gulf.  They drain (not now because they are plugged up) from the corners of the cockpit (It's "T" shaped) to close to the center line.  I'd say about 24" of hose between the scupper and the drain.  The hose besides being full of leaves etc, freeze because the hoses have a belly in them to the drain.  I can't snake it completely through the drain nor can I get by the plastic gate valves.  Even when they were working properly, I can pee faster than the cockpit drains.  There must be a reason why the drains are where they're at, but I'm having trouble figuring it out.  If the boat is heeled over adequatly to put the corner of the cockpit below the waterline, the drains are still below the water line, and would in theory allow water to flow into the cockpit through the scupper.  Given that assumption, why couldn't the scuppers be a direct drop from the cockpit to the through-hull?  I'd really like to route them out the stern and above the water line.  2 less of the 9 below the water line holes in the hull would be nice.  What's wrong with my thinking?  Thanks -- Leroy

Can you post a picture?

The cockpit drains on the A-30 go down and cross ... port drain to stbd through-hull and vice versa.  I don't like this arrangement and I'm changing it so that they drop straight down.  Due to the depth of the cockpit, I cannot re-route them completely.  Or won't, anyway.

Some say dropping them straight down is a bad idea...on a heel, water will come up the lee drain.

So what?  On a tack (or just lessening the heel), it will just drain out.  Anyway, it's a trade-off I think I can live with.  If not, I can simply recross the hoses.   

I know one A-30 owner who has done his this way, and he's quite happy with the result.  He also went up a size or two in the drains, hoses and through-hulls.  I'm increasing the size of mine as well.

I think getting the cockpit to drain rapidly is a priority.  There's also the 'scared sailor with a bucket' method to help out,though.