Chain locker drains

While I had all the chain out of our new (to us) boat recently I noticed water pooled in the bottom of the locker. Ok, drains are plugged I figured. Opened up an access panel (for the first time since it was built for sure) and groped around in a bunch of crud for a while until I realized there were no drain holes. WT*?

The pic shows the locker low point and no line or chain ever reached there. Aft behind the bulkhead is another compartment with the bow thruster. Initially I thought cool, they put in a water tight compartment for safety. Not!! The billge goes all the way forward under the thruster tunnel and the little piece of floor you see.

Oversight? Got closed in when the thruster was installed at God knows what date? Who knows?

The bottom of the locker is below the water line so an overboard drain is not an option. After cursing the builder and all his descendants I drilled drain holes to the bilge. I hate doing that because now I have to deal with exposed wood in the holes.

Before you ask, yes it's a Taiwan trawler so I'm not really surprised but still, a chain locker with no place to drain? Really?

What methods are out there for draining your lockers. I'm interested in knowing if the standard drain is into the bilge or overboard.

Post some pictures.

Greetings,
Mr. k. What are the three "spots"? Are they not drain holes or are they the holes YOU drilled? I doubt very much you will experience any perceptible rot with the small amount of water which may accumulate...

Those are the newly drilled drain holes and you're probably right. Not much should accumulate now if anything.

Mine use to drain into the forward bilge compartment. Results were water, mess, and smell. Was able to plumb mine to the sump for the shower and sinks. Dry bilge and no more mess. Now I periodically rinse the chain locker with a hose and nothing ends up in the bilge.

Ted

My bilge drain was plugged and I never liked it anyhow.

So I drilled a1/2 inch hole though to the outside and covered it with a small clamshell.

Lots of production boats had it done this way through the years.

O C Diver said:

Mine use to drain into the forward bilge compartment. Results were water, mess, and smell. Was able to plumb mine to the sump for the shower and sinks. Dry bilge and no more mess. Now I periodically rinse the chain locker with a hose and nothing ends up in the bilge.

Ted

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Hmm. I could consider cutting a place for a Groco style bronze drain there and run line to a sump. That would work.

My anchor drain was very close to the waterline, so had a basin made from fiberglass higher up in the locker.



The odd shape is to conform with the locker-door's contour.

I had a previous boat that the rope locker bottom was below the waterline. I glassed a false bottom in above the waterline and then drilled a 1/2" hole through the hull and put a clamshell over the hole. I would not want the water and mud from the anchor rode going into the bilge. It will cause smells and the mud could clog up your bilge pump.

would the overboard drain/clamshell let more water in than out ?? I would think every time you take a wave on the bow your clamshell is underwater and water is coming in, no ?

Comodave said:

I had a previous boat that the rope locker bottom was below the waterline. I glassed a false bottom in above the waterline and then drilled a 1/2" hole through the hull and put a clamshell over the hole. I would not want the water and mud from the anchor rode going into the bilge. It will cause smells and the mud could clog up your bilge pump.

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Yeah the more I think about this the less I like my solution. I could glass in a floor higher up with a flapper style drain as well. Hmmm.

I don't think you even need a flapper on the drain as long as you have the locker glassed up above the waterline any water that might come in will just run back out. I never had a problem with water coming in though.

No, or dribbles will come in...then drain back out...

Don't overthink it.

I also put a grid in the bottom of the chain locker so that water will easily run out instead of being trapped by the anchor line and drain more slowly. It just helps things dry out quicker.

If you are going to put an overboard drain use a 1 1/2 or 2 inch thru hull.

With luck you will be able to reach it from the out side so yoy can plug it at the end of a cruise.

This will allow you to fill and flush the chain locker a few times , carrying off all the mud that gets brought aboard by chain.

The low tide stench is not a boating requirement.

Greetings,
It appears Mr. k is boating in cold, northern fresh water. I would suggest odor problems due to mud/weed accumulation may be less of a problem than in salt water. IF a wash down system is available at the bow, detritus build-up in the rode locker should be minimal and smell could easily be a non issue.

Indeed we are in fresh water so I'm not overly concerned with eau d' lowtide however keeping the mud out of the bilge is a consideration.

We put this bulkhead in about 18" aft if the anchor locker . I put it up on pads and left it open on the sides so we could wash down the rode , let it dry , then store it in the anchor locker. It's kind of a pain to hand feed it in the locker but a decent trade off . Most if the time it lays right here in the open .

FF said:

If you are going to put an overboard drain use a 1 1/2 or 2 inch thru hull.

With luck you will be able to reach it from the out side so yoy can plug it at the end of a cruise.

This will allow you to fill and flush the chain locker a few times , carrying off all the mud that gets brought aboard by chain.

The low tide stench is not a boating requirement.

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I like to use a big drain too, but make sure that there is a grating to keep the rode or chain from exiting the hole!