gadangit
Member III
I've been reading all the other posts of trying to solve anchor locker issues and thought I'd chime in as well. Our anchor locker looks like this right now:
All the mud (icky Galveston Bay muck, do I need to say more?) that doesn't go back out with the chain is going to end up in the boat somewhere. My current plan is to put a hose at the bottom of the locker and route to the shower sump. That will contain the muck and pump out overboard. I haven't actually done that yet, we just don't anchor out enough to push the issue yet. But I'm hoping to change that (more anchoring in my future.)
Below is the profile showing the waterline just below the anchor locker and my measurements approximately line up with that with 250+lbs of chain in there now.
I'd like to modernize this situation and drill a drain hole in the hull. Some questions for the gallery:
1. Does this need to be a completely watertight compartment? Full fiberglass on the backside of the bulkhead, hull to hull and up to the deck? If so, I'm thinking I could remove these nice cabinet doors and put a used lewmar hatch in place. Hatch would allow access for windlass and rode issues and be watertight.
2. Does a dogged down hatch seal in both directions? In other words, could it swing out?
3. How big of a drain hole? Both sides or one right on the front?
4. Is watertight up to a certain distance acceptable? Doesn't seem like it, but thought I'd ask.
5. Is the shower sump solution "good enough"? Save my time and money for something else
I'm mostly concerned about the mess coming in with the rode as I made a plug of thickened epoxy that fits pretty tightly (with butyl tape to finish the seal) that I stick into the hole that the chain goes through at the windlass. I'm not claiming completely sealed to green water over the bow, but pretty darn close. The plug spits back out with ease when letting chain out, so quickly deploying the anchor is not an issue.
All the mud (icky Galveston Bay muck, do I need to say more?) that doesn't go back out with the chain is going to end up in the boat somewhere. My current plan is to put a hose at the bottom of the locker and route to the shower sump. That will contain the muck and pump out overboard. I haven't actually done that yet, we just don't anchor out enough to push the issue yet. But I'm hoping to change that (more anchoring in my future.)
Below is the profile showing the waterline just below the anchor locker and my measurements approximately line up with that with 250+lbs of chain in there now.
I'd like to modernize this situation and drill a drain hole in the hull. Some questions for the gallery:
1. Does this need to be a completely watertight compartment? Full fiberglass on the backside of the bulkhead, hull to hull and up to the deck? If so, I'm thinking I could remove these nice cabinet doors and put a used lewmar hatch in place. Hatch would allow access for windlass and rode issues and be watertight.
2. Does a dogged down hatch seal in both directions? In other words, could it swing out?
3. How big of a drain hole? Both sides or one right on the front?
4. Is watertight up to a certain distance acceptable? Doesn't seem like it, but thought I'd ask.
5. Is the shower sump solution "good enough"? Save my time and money for something else
I'm mostly concerned about the mess coming in with the rode as I made a plug of thickened epoxy that fits pretty tightly (with butyl tape to finish the seal) that I stick into the hole that the chain goes through at the windlass. I'm not claiming completely sealed to green water over the bow, but pretty darn close. The plug spits back out with ease when letting chain out, so quickly deploying the anchor is not an issue.