Deck drain question!

[Lwarden]

I have 2 drains on my boat deck, one in the step down to the cuddy and the other in a utility hold between the seats both just have a drain cover and empty right into the bottom of the boat. I was wondering if it would be better to put some kind of through hull drains in the floor with an elbow or 45 on it and attatch hoses to them and run them back to the bilge? Pro's??? con's???

 

[zool]

Re: Deck drain question!

As long as you're gonna run hoses, it would be better to drain them overboard thru bulkheads on the side just above the water line....I have about a half dozen like that....I try to keep water out of the bilge if possible. If your stepdown drain is below the water line, then you may have to...

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Deck drain question!

Do you have any pics of these drains? How big are they?

I'm thinking a hose would seriously restrict the flow on these drains should a lot of water enter the boat and you'll end up with a flooded cabin and deck which could cause capsizing.

 

[Lwarden]

Re: Deck drain question!

Do you have any pics of these drains? How big are they?

I'm thinking a hose would seriously restrict the flow on these drains should a lot of water enter the boat and you'll end up with a flooded cabin and deck which could cause capsizing.

The drains are nothing more than 2" holes cut in the deck with a strainer cover, they both drain right into the bottom of the boat and follow the keel to the bilge area. My concern is that with the exposed edge from the cut out on the plywood it might leech water? where as if you had an enclosed drain with an elbow and hose no water would touch the wood or the bottom of the boat till it reached the bilge where the bilge pump would pump it out.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Deck drain question!

First, you should seal all exposed edges on your decking... especially around those drains.

If the drain holes are 2" dia you should use 2" dia. PVC pipe to run the water where you want it to drain, just like plumbing a sink drain in your house.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Deck drain question!

I looked at your resto thread this morning and see that your deck drains aren't as big of a problem as your bilge drainage problem beneath your fuel tank.

You need to get rid of that little pee hole drain under your fuel tank and make a tunnel as big as you can under there.

I'll comment to your resto thread when I get off of work this evening as I see you have a couple of no-no's with your fuel tank installation and a big safety hazard too.

 

[Lwarden]

Re: Deck drain question!

I looked at your resto thread this morning and see that your deck drains aren't as big of a problem as your bilge drainage problem beneath your fuel tank.

You need to get rid of that little pee hole drain under your fuel tank and make a tunnel as big as you can under there.

I'll comment to your resto thread when I get off of work this evening as I see you have a couple of no-no's with your fuel tank installation and a big safety hazard too.

Please do! any help is very appreciated! and if Im going to do this I wanna do it right! Hence all my simple stupid question, I tend to over think things, but hey thats my OCD!

 

[Lwarden]

Re: Deck drain question!

I looked at your resto thread this morning and see that your deck drains aren't as big of a problem as your bilge drainage problem beneath your fuel tank.

You need to get rid of that little pee hole drain under your fuel tank and make a tunnel as big as you can under there.

I'll comment to your resto thread when I get off of work this evening as I see you have a couple of no-no's with your fuel tank installation and a big safety hazard too.

The fuel tank sits about 4"-5" off the keel already, I can slip my whole arm under it.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Deck drain question!

Since you are basically redoing this entire boat I would think seriously about plumbing all drains to the exterior of the boat via thru hull fittings and hose to drain. the freeboard on this boat should allow you to drain overboard instead of into the bilge. I think ski lockers are way over rated and only cause issues down the road, but properly built it should be fine. You should seal all raw edges including the underside of your decking. I commend you, you have taken on a very large project, don't envy you though.

 

[Lwarden]

Re: Deck drain question!

I think the deck/floor is right about at the water line, so any drains (2-one in the storage between the seats and the other in the step down into the cuddy) that are below floor grade will have to be pumped up and out right? I have concidered putting a scupper drain in each corner of the deck if I decide to gel coat the deck, those would both be above the water line

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Deck drain question!

The one in the step down is probably to low but not sure about the others, you would have to figure that out yourself. My cabin drain connects to a pvc drain that leads all the way back to the stern to be pumped out via the bilge pump. That drain won't hurt to drain to the bilge because it never is that much water. Putting to deck drains in the stern would be a good idea, if you do, make them no smaller than 1 1/4 drains. The 3/4 drains to slowly. I changed all mine to larger drains. The more water you can expell overboard the better. thru hulls can be located right above the water line if need be, as long as it is located deeper than what your draining, gravity.