Bow Hatch SUCKS, need drain mod

Mods and custom builds
Vossie
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Joined: Thu May 09, 2019 12:30 am
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Bow Hatch SUCKS, need drain mod

#1

Post by Vossie »

Bought my first aluminum boat 5 mo ago and am learning tons from this site. One item that is making me scratch my head is how the boat manufacturer designed the drain pipe in the bow hatch. The drain hole is about 1/2" above the bottom, so when it rains or sea spray comes over, eventually the hatch gutter fills up and water flows into the hold, soaking everything that is in there. Nice place to keep your galvanized anchor but was warned by other boat owners to watch out for corrosion.

So I'm looking for solutions. My thought; plug the drain hole, tilt the boat on trailer to ports side (non drain side), fill the hatch with some "goop" to the level of the drain hole. Let it dry and wallah the hatch will drain when the boat is level and water flows in. Question is what goop should I use and how to prepare the aluminum surface?

Next step, use a SS bolt, say 1/2", drill a hole through the bolt, sand the head down to 1/8 thick, drill a hole in the hatch gutter above the drain hole, insert the bolt (with tefgel or nylon washer) and nut from below; then clamp PVC line to bolt and drop it in drain hole. So when the gutter fills up it starts to drain before it overflows the rail on the inside of the hatch.

Comments, pros, cons, alternates?

thanks
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Hatch
Hatch
IMG_4002.JPG (110.83 KiB) Viewed 7845 times
Drain hole in bottom
Drain hole in bottom
IMG_4004.JPG (74.93 KiB) Viewed 7845 times
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gandrfab
Posts: 587
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:33 pm
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Location: Edgewater Fl

Re: Bow Hatch SUCKS, need drain mod

#2

Post by gandrfab »

Right off the top of my head, fortress aluminum anchor.
Vossie
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu May 09, 2019 12:30 am
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Re: Bow Hatch SUCKS, need drain mod

#3

Post by Vossie »

That could work but it just bothers me that everything in there gets soaking wet, sweats with the hatch closed and takes months to dry. Trying to reduce the amount coming in and if it is lots, at leas drain it. since the hatch bottom is narrow I calculated about 2 quarts of volume will taper fill it nice to the drain hole. Just need to identify the filler.
kmorin
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Location: Kenai, Alaska

Re: Bow Hatch SUCKS, need drain mod

#4

Post by kmorin »

Vos,
sorry to be obtuse and dense. I'm old. I didn't know if you were lamenting your builders' designs for the locker drainage or the coaming drainage?

Can't offer any experience in my current state of confusion. You talk/text about the hatch coaming filling then talk about the locker's drain..... color me lost.

As a note, I usually drain the coaming/trough/recess onto the deck (if the locker is on a raised deck) and leave the anchor locker drain to a fitting? So when you trailer its part of maintenance to rinse the locker/ground tackle and anchor rode with a hose?

Most Skippers put some from of rubber grating in the anchor locker to keep from having noise in a head sea, and to allow better air circulation....? If you live where climate isn't conducive to "drying out" you may want to add some forced ventilation like a bilge blower.

A recessed trough or U in the deck is part of a "coaming" of the "hatch cover". A recessed void in the deck with a cover is a "locker". Hatch covers don't close hatches!!! go figure marine terminology? A "raised coaming" is a bar above the deck surface that is covered by a hatch cover- yours look recessed? Confused by terms used and my past experience using these terms.

The images you show do indicate you have some corrosion beginning in the locker.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
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welder
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Re: Bow Hatch SUCKS, need drain mod

#5

Post by welder »

I would get a way better hatch
Lester,
PacificV2325, Honda BF225
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gandrfab
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Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:33 pm
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Location: Edgewater Fl

Re: Bow Hatch SUCKS, need drain mod

#6

Post by gandrfab »

Hi, welder
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