Chain locker drain

[Gypsymagic]

Has anyone figured out how to channel the chain locker water and mud so as it not go into the bilge?

Although I wash the chain as it comes up, sometimes, you don’t have the time (strong current or wind) and the mud ends up draining into the chain locker and the the bilge.

 

[AnsleyS]

The easiest way to handle this is to vacuum out the bottom of the chain locker once a year. Let is all dry, scrape it and clean it out. This will give you an opportunity to survey your chain and rode when you take it all out for the annual cleaning and remarking the chain.

 

[psneeld]

I drilled a 3/8 hole at the lowest point of the chain locker and lined the chain locker with dry tiles.

On the outside I put a small stainless clamshell over the hole.

I saw may boats with the same setup and just mimicked.

Yes in plunging conditions, a tiny bit of water can get in, but some drains out and any that does make it to the bilge is so tiny, a packing gland is a bigger threat to flooding.

Whenever I docked for more than a few days after days of anchoring...I would just stick a hose dount into the chain locker and wash the chain and mud out.

 

[Comodave]

I drilled a 3/8 hole at the lowest point of the chain locker and lined the chain locker with dry tiles.

On the outside I put a small stainless clamshell over the hole.

I saw may boats with the same setup and just mimicked.

Yes in plunging conditions, a tiny bit of water can get in, but some drains out and any that does make it to the bilge is so tiny, a packing gland is a bigger threat to flooding.

Whenever I docked for more than a few days after days of anchoring...I would just stick a hose dount into the chain locker and wash the chain and mud out.

That is what I have done. As long as the drain hole you drill is above the waterline and you glass the old drain hole to the bilge shut it should work fine.

 

[O C Diver]

Mine used to drain into the bilge. I did some level measurements and was able to route a hose from the bottom of the chain locker to the shower sump. Pretty now to rinse the chain pile and locker and have it pumped overboard.

Ted

 

[rslifkin]

I built a new floor for the chain locker on my boat as the original setup was very poorly done. I built a drain into the new floor and ran it through a 1" hose to a nearby thru hull I added. Drainage capacity is sufficient to wash out the locker with a hose and not overwhelm the drain, plus the large drain will be less likely to clog with debris.

 

[Roustabout]

I saw a YouTube today (Living For Sail) where the poster was re-doing the bulkhead of chain locker on sailboat. The new bulkhead had a plastic through-hull type fitting through the bulkhead with a hose connected on the aft side leading to a sump (instead of into the bilge), thereby isolating chain locker's muddy water discharge. He did a beautiful job using WEST epoxy, foam, fbg. cloth, etc. to fill gap below thru-hull flange so as not to collect mud at bottom of V shaped chain locker.

 

[Pascall]

With us, the drain from the chain box runs into the tube of the bow thruster.

Mvg,

Pascal.

 

[O C Diver]

With us, the drain from the chain box runs into the tube of the bow thruster.

Mvg,

Pascal.

Do you ever get cavitation from air being sucked down in the tunnel from the venturi created by the drain hose?

Ted

 

[Pascall]

No, never bothered and it's a 10 hp bow thruster.
The drain is a 1-inch tube.

Mvg,

Pascal.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

...and lined the chain locker with dry tiles.

Good idea! Dry tiles? You mean those interlocking flexible plastic squares you can walk on?

 

[psneeld]

Good idea! Dry tiles? You mean those interlocking flexible plastic squares you can walk on?

Guess the originals were Dri-dek... but Amazon has knockoffs for a lot less expensive.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

That's what I thought. Great idea. I'll get some into our chain locker at this Spring's annual chain maintenance.

 

[rslifkin]

I'll second the recommendation for the tiles. I lined the floor of my locker with them as well. I've debated gluing some to the walls for better airflow around the rode, but I haven't felt enough reason to actually do it.

 

[Capt Ray]

Our Mainship 390 simply has a plastic thru-hull fitting in the bottom of the anchor locker with a [heavy duty] hose going to a thru-hull fitting about 18" above the waterline at the bow. SO, when hosing down the decks we can stick the hose into the locker and just let 'er rip, to flush things out. ((We use a rechargeable battery pressure-washer to clean the rode on the way up. It has a 1/2" hose over the side to use sea water instead of drawing from our fresh water supply tanks.))

The MS 390 has a "twin" thru-hull fitting on the opposite side of the bow for the A/C seawater discharge.

PLASTIC thru-hull fittings, even above the waterline can fail / crack. In the Mainship 390 that means a wet floor in the main stateroom. It took us MONTHS to find the source of this water making the carpet wet at the foot of our main berth... which only was a problem after being underway where the bow wave wetted one of the fittings cracked 18" above the waterline. ((Unfortunately, this defect was not picked up by our surveyor during sea trial.))

FYI, in the MS390, there is a "loop" where the hose from the anchor locker goes down a bit then comes back UP to the thru-hull 18" above the waterline. THEORETICALLY, mud could collect in the bottom of that loop, possibly providing a clog. (A simple snake would fix). That has never actually happened. If you are starting from scratch, avoid a loop like this if you can... so it is a constant downhill pitch with your tubing to go overboard. I imagine smooth sanitary hose is better than corrugated / ribbed hose that can also contribute to clogs.

Some pics:
https://shellerina.com/2021/06/25/at-her-berth-in-erie-pa/