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New E29 owner with bilge drain path question.

cityhix

Junior Member
Hello, fine Ericson stewards!

We have recently purchased s/v Spirit, a 1971 E29. The previous, previous owner was active on this site and it was a great help to be able to peruse his postings over the ten or so years that he owned it. I'm still benefitting from a number of diligent repairs and mods that he did. This is a great site!

I have a quick question.

This morning, as I was preparing to head out on out first short cruise in the San Juan Islands, I discovered a cup or two of foul standing water forward of the small bulkhead that presumably collects drainage from the chain locker and (unfortunately) a small bit of leakage from the head plumbing. I found a rusty old spark plug lodged in the drain hole, keeping water from draining aft. After clearing the drain hole, I did a half a** job of scrubbing the area and rinsed with fresh water. I was surprised to find that the drainage had collected behind a bulkhead forward of the v-berth door. I discovered this after lifting a cover on the port side that provides access to a wired through-hull device (depth transducer, knot meter sender?). I was unable to figure out why this water wouldn't have drained to the main bilge (just forward of the motor). I ended up bailing and sponging to clear the water.

Does anyone have an idea why I wouldn't be getting drainage to the main bilge? I couldn't see or feel a drain, plugged or otherwise, at the center line and there is no access at that point.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Dylan
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
There is a lengthy thread on this somewhere from about five years ago.. Sorry, must run off to a meeting just now. That forward-most bulkhead is a crash bulkhead. See how it raises above the water line? If you make an opening to drain it, be sure to plug it again when finished. The "middle bilge" will eventually drain back to the main through a couple of small limber holes, but only if you sail the boat both ways "rail down" for a while. Nasty water collects there when I am inefficient at changing out my speedo paddlewheel. Been thinking of making a shower pan with it's own bilge pump to sit down in the middle bilge.
 

alcodiesel

Bill McLean
Welcome to the forum, Dylan. It is so good it factored in my decision to buy an old gal last October. Congratulations on purchasing Spirit.
 

cityhix

Junior Member
Thank you, each and all.

I figured that there must have been previous discussion on this subject but I couldn't think of the appropriate search terms!

I'm still trying to make sense of what exactly is going on structurally in that area of the vessel. One thing I know for sure is that sleeping in the V-berth requires a certain "numbing" of the olfactory organs. I suspect that diligent cleaning and maybe replacement of the black water hose would be a good place to start. I've considered mixing up a strongish bleach solution and misting everything that I can access, as a temporary measure.

Dylan
 

Afrakes

Sustaining Member
Odor

Do the warm, wet rag test on the hoses. Had the same problem. Ripped out and replaced all of the sanitation hoses. Odor gone.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Do the warm, wet rag test on the hoses. Had the same problem. Ripped out and replaced all of the sanitation hoses. Odor gone.

Yup. The veritable "gold standard" of testing.
:rolleyes:
That's also how we verified that our original diesel fill hose was permeating. A section of it passes thru a hanging locker on the way from deck fitting to the settee tank. Like the prior changeover of new hoses for the head system, with a new fill hose, zero odor.

Loren
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Another fun feature of the boat is that since all the forward lockers are continuous, any of those bilge-ey odors - that you don't really notice until you open a locker - will permeate clothes in the hanging locker. I don't know if it's a step forward or a step backwards, but I hung a couple of those pine-tree automotive air fresheners in the lockers.

Probably what's really needed is some positive ventilation. Like ideally a duct from each bilge section leading to a solar fan dorade on deck. As if there was any extra room on deck. Maybe the raceways could be incorporated to draw air aft to near the engine vents. Just thinking out loud...
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Ventilation note

Another fun feature of the boat is that since all the forward lockers are continuous, any of those bilge-ey odors - that you don't really notice until you open a locker - will permeate clothes in the hanging locker. I don't know if it's a step forward or a step backwards, but I hung a couple of those pine-tree automotive air fresheners in the lockers.

Probably what's really needed is some positive ventilation. Like ideally a duct from each bilge section leading to a solar fan dorade on deck. As if there was any extra room on deck. Maybe the raceways could be incorporated to draw air aft to near the engine vents. Just thinking out loud...

"Proper" yacht interiors had wood panel doors on their lockers, and EY continued this woody look thru the 80's.

When they produced the Olson line, the spec. was for fabric zippered covers ("doors") on the interior lockers. This was true for the three hanging lockers and the small openings under the head and galley counters. When we acquired our boat there was mold/mildew inside these areas from much prior neglect.

My "big idea" was to have replacement covers sewn with the whole center zip-open sections being made from Phifertex (r), which comes in various mesh opening sizes. Full disclosure: our canvas shop guy was a long term boat owner and guided us in that direction.

If you shine a light on that mesh, you can - dimly - see through it. Air flows quite freely. No more stagnant air.
We clean up the interiors of those and adjacent hull areas with some bleach/soap on a wet rag about every other year. Anywhere there is any dust collecting, the mold will try to take root again; I hate mold and mildew.

So, whether you put louvers in your wood doors or imitate the Olson idea, ventilation IS the Key.

Regards,
Loren
 
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