BLUEMOMENT

Hi.
I'm currently at the process of choosing a boat.
Found one I like but there is an issue, which I think may be a bit serious.
There is no self-draining in the cockpit. whole cockpit floor can be popped up to get access to the propeller shaft, gearbox etc. All water from the cockpit goes directly there. Two manual bilge pumps are fitted and can be accessed from left cockpit locker. Never sailed/owned non self drain cockpit boat before, and I'm wondering how major this issue is in practice.
At more serious weather, a lot of water goes into the cockpit then to the bilge. With no elecric pumps fitted i find this being a serious problem. While on mooring, couple days of heavy rain will make her an u-boat I guess...
So would like to ask more experienced people, how do you deal with this, while weather is bad for a longer time, or when she stays moored for longer time (I live a bit from the coast and couldn't attend to pump the water out every day)
thanks

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You either need a bombproof bilge pump setup with twin float switch operated electric bilge pumps plus something to keep the batteries topped up, solar panel or windgen - or you need to fit cockpit drains.

A friend's small mobo sunk on its mooring here when the battery went flat and the bilge pump stopped working.

Dont think I'd be able to fit cockpit drains ... as the floor is on similar level as waterline...
It's Medusa 25... and Maurice Griffiths was supposed to be great designer
And how about larger waves? Usually cockpit drains can handle all the splashes, but in this case I'm wondering if while sailing through rough weather I may end up in funny situation...

How about a tube out of the transom with a bit of inner tube over it like a RIB has. It won't let any in but will let water out if it looks like filling. Lots of boats have cockpit hatches for access to the engine, but it should be moderately well sealed so that water goes out of the stern quicker than into the bilges.

Or, bring it right up to date by, removing the transom down to just above the waterline.

The boat on the mooring next to us is a wood one and it has a boom tent rigged when it's left, I assume it's 'coz the cockpit has no drains. The cockpit floor must be below the waterline as I can only see the chaps head when he is sat in the cockpit, gawd knows how much he can see forwards and the boom just about sweeps the cabin top so poking his head up could be painfull.

Many traditionally built boats had no self-draining cockpits as they were derived from open boats. When decking became more the norm many designers didn't like the idea of additional through-hulls for the cockpit drains.
I reckon much depends on the transom. My Hillyard has a canoe stern and I have never had any green stuff in the cockpit.
Rain is a bit of a worry and the boat has tonneau cover on when left on the mooring. An automatic bilge pump is fitted and so far there hasn't been a problem. The boat has been on a mooring for two years.
One bind with a cockpit draining into the bilges is I have nowhere to put a gas locker so I use an alcohol cooker.

I have a cockpit cover that keeps the rain out of my non-self draining cockpit. I was down at the boat this afternoon in the pouring rain and the amount of water that collects in the cockpit cover when one corner is released and it goes slack, is quite astonishing. I estimate 4 litres or so in a little over an hour of fairly heavy rain, that's a collection area of about 4 square metres. The electric bilge pump copes well if the cover's not on but I wouldn't want to leave her unattended for more than a day or three without it.

Silkie has one of these - when there are 12 people in the cockpit - perhaps he should advise.

Ah, no - I fear you are labouring under a miscombobulation.

Silkie does have a self-draining cockpit but it can only drain water from above the waterline.

Arghiro wrote:How about a tube out of the transom with a bit of inner tube over it like a RIB has. It won't let any in but will let water out if it looks like filling. Lots of boats have cockpit hatches for access to the engine, but it should be moderately well sealed so that water goes out of the stern quicker than into the bilges.

Why wouldn't it let any in? It would need to be lower that the cockpit sole to drain. I think they only work when the boat is under way as I've seen them tied up to keep the ends out of the water when the boat is not moving

That's right. I used to use an avon searider which is the first boat I saw with one on it. I think we called it the elephants trunk.

claymore wrote:That's right. I used to use an avon searider which is the first boat I saw with one on it. I think we called it the elephants trunk.

I think it has something to do with the moving water at the back of the boat being lower pressure than that inside so it gets sucked out. Or it might be when it's up on the plane the it's higher than sea level. Either way it works.

1) Stand in a powerboat
2)Get someone to open the throttle
3) Watch yourself go flying towards the back

Same principle with water

Seemples