e35-2 Drain Questions

This has been touched on in other threads, but I'm still not sure how to handle. Would appreciate advice.

The cockpit drains on the e35-2 drain to throughhulls p&s. (Not sure where the helmsman well drains - does it T in? )

When the throughulls are closed, rainwater backs up into the cockpit. To stbd water backs up into the sink that is T'd into the the cockpit drain line. The sink overflows to the icebox which then drains to the bilge. (the only reason this works is due to starb. list - if the boat sat on her lines, the sink would probably overflow onto the floor).

Bad enough. But now it's winter and the whole thing is frozen - which can't be good.

Help!

You are correct - the aft cockpit scuppers both drain into lines that "tee" into the forward cockpit drain lines, which in turn drain through the P/S throughulls.

steven said:

This has been touched on in other threads, but I'm

When the throughulls are closed, rainwater backs up into the cockpit.

Help!

Click to expand...

Solution: don't close the seacocks to the cockpit scuppers.

If the water can't drain out of the cockpit, the entire area becomes a water laden bathtub causing the hull to dip beneath her lines.

Been there; done that. Not worth it.

Capt Dan G>E35II "Kunu"

I open and close them every few months to see if they work. I never keep any of them closed. Like Capt Dan I don't need to find a bath tub, got one at home.

John

We always leave ours open (as discussed in another thread recently). We replaced all the hoses a couple of years ago and check the seacocks regularly as per John's regimen.

Normally, I too leave them open. But I'm wintering in the water this year. Is there a risk of the hoses freezing and splitting?

Hi Steve,

I'm in the water on the Severn this year, and like you think about this a bit. Our water temperature is in the mid->upper 30's right now, so I'm opting to leave the scupper seacocks open. Assuming your hardware including scupper lines is in good condition, I think you have more to fear by having them closed and freezing up the cockpit and causing other issues - you know how around here we seem to freeze it off, warm up to 34, rain hard for two days, and then drop to the low 20's and freeze it back off.... I would personnaly install a T with a ball valve on the galley sink side of the seacock so you can leave it closed off and the scupper open. This T should be right to the seacock with a "close nipple" so it makes the scupper line really the only thing open when the ball valve is closed.

Remember there is no one right answer to this question, and if you think about it too long/hard, you'll just make your head hurt

Steve

Like David says-you can think it to death.

With issues like this I usually drink a beer, sometimes two and choose to reflect upon it next time.

Try it.

John

I have my scupper hoses crisscrossed, which seems to keep the cockpit from swamping when I'm heeled way over. As far as whether to close them when the boat is at dock, that's a personal thing. I leave them open, because I don't want a swamp in the cockpit. Just hope they don't fail! I have a bronze flapper valve on the galley sink so that the water doesn't come up in the sink. Seems to work pretty well.

well, I tried John's two-beer recommendation. Worked just fine. Have closed off the port scuppers and seacock and filled the port hoses with antifreeze. Have left the starb. open to drain the cockpit. Put a small ceramic heater near the sink as extra insurance against freezing.

For next year, thinking of putting a drain at the back of the cockpit that would pipe through the aft lazarette and out the stern above the waterline. With an inline valve to close it off. At the dock, would use this for cockpit drainage and keep the through-hulls closed. Underway, would close it off and drain as now - through the bottom. Am I making any sense or do I need more (or less) beer.

--Steve

steven said:

Am I making any sense or do I need more (or less) beer.

--Steve

Click to expand...

despite making complete sense, more beer would not be a bad idea

On my boat there is an above waterline thru hull for the manual bilge pump. You likely have the same. What if you had a tee running from the scupper to this thru hull with a ball valve in it. Then when you close the below waterline thru hulls, at least one of the scuppers could be draining the cockpit out of the manual bilge pump thru hull.

BEER solves many problems on board

steven said:

For next year, thinking of putting a drain at the back of the cockpit that would pipe through the aft lazarette and out the stern above the waterline.

--Steve

Click to expand...

Ericsons were designed for California, so that is a good modification to make for a colder climate. Note that when the main drain through hulls are closed, you will need to make sure the rain water in the hoses does not do any damage by freezing; I have heard of pouring anti freeze into them, but am not sure about the environmental ramifications of that, a copious amount of salt should work in most climates.

When I was in your area this time of year, I thought Capitol City Prohibition porter nicely warmed the body.

Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972