Deck scuppers

This is really a question for my other boat, but it's a generic problem, so here goes. I looked below on the other boat yesterday while putting away a power cord, and yikes! There was a foot of water in the bilge. It's normally dry. There was a distinct scum line and growth, so it was evident that the water had been sitting there a while. I checked all the through-hulls and associated plumbing, and none were leaking. It's a deck leak problem. We had a BIG rain deluge a couple weeks ago, and pretty good one a week ago. The boat has toe rails/bulwarks about 2" high. The deck is drained entirely via 2 drains of 3/4" diameter, plumbed to similar-sized through-hull nipples (molded into the hull). That's not much drainage, so where there's a big downpour, the deck turns into puddles until the scuppers catch up. Meanwhile, water works its way into the joint between the wood and fiberglass portions of the toe rail, then below via the genoa track bolts. That point of entry is not readily fixable. So I'm looking at adding drains to handle to volume of water better. _Question one._ What to use for an on-deck drain. I have a recollection that Charlie Husar had recommended brass bar-sink drain fittings from the plumbing shop for this service. Correct? Other good options? _Question 2_. Where to put the through-hull outlet? My inclination is to put it in or slightly above the boottop stripe, which is to say, just above the waterline. That means it would be submerged when heeling, but the original outlets are under water all the time anyway. Placing it low avoid the "black stripe" issue of discoloration on the topsides. _Question 3_. To seacock or not to seacock. The boat has four un-valved underwater through hull outlets already--two for deck drains, two for cockpit drains. All four are molded in to the hull, with vinyl hoses clamped on. I would be inclined not to use seacocks on the new ones, because (a) they would be above the waterline at rest, (2) a seacock fitting would be one more thing to break, and (3) they are expensive. I know that best practice usually calls for seacocks. Thoughts? As an aside, my heart jumped when I saw the water in the bilge. Then I went to use the boat's OEM brass piston pump, which did not work at all until I had primed it--it just never gets used. But that was not a big problem because a number of years ago I had bought an emergency Whale diaphragm pump, mounted it on a board, and added hoses to reach the bilge from the cockpit. I did not use it yesterday (I had time to prime the original pump) but it was reassuring to know it was there. Chris Campbell

Well, for reference, our 29 had only one aft cockpit drain from a lower box like dip (original mold) that went through the transom(no gap between, only the transom thickness). we added a one way flapper from WM, hinge at top so water from following seas wouldn't enter, as we were on another 29 which upon acceleration of motor would backfill the cockpit about 1 or two inches. under sail and at dock, it rapidly empties rainwater. However, our 36 has only two medium cockpit drains, and two tiny bridgedeck drains, the inner diameter about 1/2 inch. So in a heavy rain you get a bathtub. The real problem here is the cockpit instrument panel with sliding glass door is only a few inches off the floor, and the companionway by the bridgedeck drains is only about 3 or 4 inches above, but well below the top of the potential. I have planned to add a goodsized drain at the aft end of the cockpit to run plumbed about a foot to the transom, or below the transom in the stern. And a flapper. On last haulout, we replaced the valves for both sides of the lower drains,which were about 6 inches above the throughhull. They were frozen open. We will be putting mini bulkheads to block anything from sliding down and damage. (though it's been this way for 46 + years, I fear an anchor getting wild). our 36 has the galley sink drain running into the starboard drainpipe, as original. When the galley sink/engine cabinet is pulled, it is supposed to be turned off. so there is another valve involved. If this galley sink to drain isn't turned off, and it rains, the cockpit fills, the hull sits lower in the water and the boat can fill. (she was sunk twice in her life for this reason only). So, I recommend valves on the below water drains. (ball valves), and turn them once a month. Frankly, I think home depots brass ball valves are not much worse in quality than wm's, IMHO, and way more affordable. Some times there is a smooth edge to your cockpit floor to the side, where one of those drain fittings shaped like a bent circle may fit without touching the nonskid(if you have to attach a hose to the hull end). Helen On Monday, September 8, 2014 7:14 AM, "ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats]" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: This is really a question for my other boat, but it's a generic problem, so here goes. I looked below on the other boat yesterday while putting away a power cord, and yikes! There was a foot of water in the bilge. It's normally dry. There was a distinct scum line and growth, so it was evident that the water had been sitting there a while. I checked all the through-hulls and associated plumbing, and none were leaking. It's a deck leak problem. We had a BIG rain deluge a couple weeks ago, and pretty good one a week ago. The boat has toe rails/bulwarks about 2" high. The deck is drained entirely via 2 drains of 3/4" diameter, plumbed to similar-sized through-hull nipples (molded into the hull). That's not much drainage, so where there's a big downpour, the deck turns into puddles until the scuppers catch up. Meanwhile, water works its way into the joint between the wood and fiberglass portions of the toe rail, then below via the genoa track bolts. That point of entry is not readily fixable. So I'm looking at adding drains to handle to volume of water better. Question one. What to use for an on-deck drain. I have a recollection that Charlie Husar had recommended brass bar-sink drain fittings from the plumbing shop for this service. Correct? Other good options? Question 2. Where to put the through-hull outlet? My inclination is to put it in or slightly above the boottop stripe, which is to say, just above the waterline. That means it would be submerged when heeling, but the original outlets are under water all the time anyway. Placing it low avoid the "black stripe" issue of discoloration on the topsides. Question 3. To seacock or not to seacock. The boat has four un-valved underwater through hull outlets already--two for deck drains, two for cockpit drains. All four are molded in to the hull, with vinyl hoses clamped on. I would be inclined not to use seacocks on the new ones, because (a) they would be above the waterline at rest, (2) a seacock fitting would be one more thing to break, and (3) they are expensive. I know that best practice usually calls for seacocks. Thoughts? As an aside, my heart jumped when I saw the water in the bilge. Then I went to use the boat's OEM brass piston pump, which did not work at all until I had primed it--it just never gets used. But that was not a big problem because a number of years ago I had bought an emergency Whale diaphragm pump, mounted it on a board, and added hoses to reach the bilge from the cockpit. I did not use it yesterday (I had time to prime the original pump) but it was reassuring to know it was there. Chris Campbell