Anchor Locker Drain

[ciswindell]

The wood in the anchor locker area of my newly acquired 1980 CP23 is rotten.  I am going to tear out and replace the wood under the locker and V berth area.  Also I plan on resealing everything in this area to minimize the amount of water that gets in there.  However, it is inevitable that water will get in there from the anchor rode and rain/spray coming through the hawse pipe.  This area NEEDS a way to drain to the bilges or overboard.....has anyone modified this with a proper drain?  I am dreaming about making a fiberglass pan that is built up in such a way that the water is funneled to a thru hull type fitting.  Then from this fitting, a hose is run under the berths to the bilge area.

Also I have read that when installing a bulkhead that is tabbed to the hull, foam should be used between the bulkhead and hull.  Would this be necessary when replacing the horizontal plywood that makes up the top of the V berth and chain locker?  It seems to me that this would have less stress than a bulkhead that is vertical and therefore might not need the foam. 

Any recommendations on removing this plywood.  I was thinking I would try a sharp chisel, but if that fails, I might use a grinder.  Hoping that some sort of hand tool would work as I do not yet own a grinder.  Also hope to use the old wood as template, so would like to keep the wood in good shape.

Thanks,
Chris

[skip1930]

Don't do any more hull holes. The leak is mostly likely between the hull and deck. Not through the rope pipe.
Just my first thought. As the water evaporates, that moist air needs to be fanned outside. IMHO.

skip.

[maynard]

Some messy demo in your future.  By leaving a gap between the new plywood and hull you won't
get any hard spots showing on your exterior hull.  I haven't seen foam used in that gap.  By using peel ply
fabric and a flexible squeegee your new tabbing will look great.

[ciswindell]

Maynard:
Thanks for the tip on the peel ply!  This will be my first time using fiberglass and after researching the peel ply I think it is the perfect thing for my application.  Anyone else have tips for a first time fiberglasser?

Skip:
The last thing I want is more holes in the boat.  In fact, I plan to fill in a bilge pump thru hull that is near the waterline on the starboard side and replace it higher up on the transom.  Maybe I wasn't clear on the plan, but I want to run a hose from the anchor locker to the bilge so that the bilge pump can get rid of the water.  The idea is that the water won't sit there causing damage while it evaporates but is rather quickly moved to the bilge where there is no wood to rot and is easier to remove.

My anchor locker is separated from the V berth by a small bulk head that you can just reach over to access the locker.  Does anyone know if this is a required structural piece?  If not, I might come up with a different anchor locker setup.

Thanks, Chris

[skip1930]

"The wood in the anchor locker area of my newly acquired 1980 CP23 is rotten.  I am going to tear out and replace the wood under the locker and V berth area."
That's the complaint.  
The wood is 31 years old.
For what ever reason the wood rotted.
Must have been sitting in moisture for years.
OK well, this is horizontal plywood.
So saber saw or use a Milwaukee SawsAll to cut the wood out of the way, and grind the 3"wide nub off where the original wood sets against the fiberglass hull. Take some pattern ply and cut a pattern and saw out a new piece.
Forget any and all foam.
Use some 3" wide strips of 2 ounce fiberglass woven cloth impregnated with resin and tab it back onto the supports already fiberglassed onto the hull.
If the supports are bad make new ones. Glass cloth them to the hull. Just like the factory.
Bare in mind that this is usually done in the factory before the deck and doghouse are mated for the hull. So you'll not have any room to work. It WILL be necessary to cut the new Vee into pieces to get them past the companionway. Factory deviation #1.
Once all the wood work is done, roll on some resin to seal the wood and call it quits. [This is the the second deviation from factory.]
Keep the inside of the boat ventilated so condensation will not occur again.
I re-paint my Vee every couple of years with Rustoleum gloss gray.

skip.



The two 50 fathoms of chain in each aluminum locker have false bottoms and one bilge pump discharging over the side. The photo is before the AllGrip bondo is slurried on to make the hull 'fair'. Sometimes as thick as 4 inches. Then 2~part painted at a cost of $1,300,000 per hull to paint on a $44,000,000 finished product. Boats are beyond perfection when we are done.

[Bob23]

Chris:
   I always assumed that the locker drained to the bilge via under the cabin sole. Mine never appears wet and the anchor line always dries out well. Although I do try to lay the line on the foredeck to dry out somewhat before I lower it away.
   A few years ago I devised an ingenious (even if I do say so myself) way to divide the area into 2 separate anchor line storage areas. It is made of common 1/2" ac plywood and is completely removable without tools. If I get over to the boat today, I'll get some photos for you.
   I carry 2 anchors up front. The primary has 100' of 1/2" line and the larger anchor has 156' of 5/8" line. I did put a second hawsepipe in the foredeck. We sail in a shallow bay to even 100' of line is way too much but we get high winds...I like to set 2 anchors...cheap insurance. Being Mr. Overkill, I also carry a stern anchor, too.
Bob23