Cockpit Drains

[Russell and Janet Puryear]

What size do they need to be?  Bottom or sides.  I seem to remember having a tendency to drop one of a kind screws and nuts through the drains on my last boat.  Looks like the cockpit will hold about 3/4 ton of salt water and I'm guessing it might be a good idea to let it out.

[paul anderson]

Russ i too have been considering this and would make them large enought to dump the water pdq,a mesh cover of some sort may be the way to go or fitting those soft one way valves you get on r.i.bs

cheers paul.

[Andrés]

This is a picture of the cockpit of my boat.  There  are only two drain holes on the aft of the cockpit. It works very well.

[Duncan Clausen]

Hi Russel, I would cut the drain slots (30 X 100 mm) on the cockpit sides near the back and above the fillet between the side and the floor (say 10 mm above the floor). This way you are less lightly to lose your car keys etc. but you may need to swab up the last of the water. If you are planning on mounting your outboard in a well in the cockpit, you will have a big cockpit drain (/ screw disposal hole).

[kim whitmyre]

This is how my cockpit came when I got the boat: IMG]http://i929.photobucket.com/albums/ad131/kgwoo/Vaea/IMG_0011.jpg[/IMG]
The cockpit has 9 1"/22mm holes in the floor, but when the cockpit hatches are in, not much water can get in. Plus the seats drain and have a 2" + space on the cabin side. I had to learn not to place anything small near the seats! But it does let water out... Wharrams used to have slatted decks, remember?

[kim whitmyre]

I was posting the previous message from my son's iPad, which I don't know how to use yet! Let's try the picture once more:

[Gorby]

Hello there Russel and Janet,

 

Ever though of a sink-seive in a fitting hole?

That's the way I am thinking of doing it.

About 6 of them I gues.

4 in the corners and two more halfway along the cockpit seats.

You can take them out and wash away the last bit af sand and dirt.

 

Greetings from the Netherlands...

Gorby

[Scott Williams]

I'm adding additional drains in my cockpit after discussing this while on board a Tiki 26 with James Wharram last weekend at the rendezvous in Islamorada, FL.  He said for serious offshore work, a slatted floor would even be a good idea, as this large cockpit could fill like a "bathtub" with the right sea sweeping the deck.  As he said, you may sail for years and never take a sea like that, but if it does happen it needs to be able to drain quickly. 

[paul anderson]

My thoughts exactly Scott,I am tempted to have a completely slatted deck for the offshore stuff,I already have drains in the forward corners,plus I will make more in the rear.Another idea I have had is to have larger drainage holes that are covered and only get used when the swell gets serious.

[Russell and Janet Puryear]

I used the 3/8 plywood option for the cockpit with stiffer strips underneath, so I guess when i venture into serious offshore sailing, I'll run a dado blade lengthwise the cockpit and turn it into a slatted deck.