E29 cockpit drainage

[glen_dc]

Can you please elaborate on the E29 cockpit drainage system - how it works, how to maintain, which valve to open/close and when, what is standard and what's custom changes, experience ... In those E29 pdf manuals I downloaded there is not much about it.

A week ago I had a mechanic working on my A-4 and he accidentally noticed a leak in the cockpit drain hose on the port-side that is connected to the through hole right above the waterline (or it's below?). I was pumping out the bilge and he was installing fuel filter on the port side under the sit and noticed the leak. He told me that if the through-hole goes underwater (when somebody steps on the boat or heavy load in cockpit) the water starts leaking. He thinks that this explains why my E-29 was partially submerged. Earlier I posted that I bought my E-29 really cheap and sometime after I found out that the boat was partially submerged (that explains low price). The mechanic found a lot of water / rust in the starter and there was faded paint on the A-4 cover, head wall, some mud traces. E29 draws 4.5 and I have 6.3 in my slip and this is why the boat did not sink completely. He supposes that during the winter ice developed and under its weight the through-hole went under waterline and the boat got water because of leakage in the hose. Is he right?

But it is not all about sinking yet. While fixing the port-side hose (t-connection to be precise) he closed the port side valve that is in the battery compartment. He told me that the boat should be fine with the just starboard valve open. When I came on the boat in a few days on my lunch break for the cell phone my friend left on the boat I saw a lot of water in the bilge and the kitchen sink full of water. I pumped out the bilge with manual pump and the sink with bucket and only then I realized that water from cockpit goes to the sink because of the closed valve. I have two-section cockpit (captain and passengers) and it looks like the sections are independent.

As a total newbie I did not realize how important is this seemingly simple thing. It sank my boat the first time and almost sank the second time. I am going to do some serious homework about cockpit drainage. I plan to apply flour or chalk everywhere, close/open valves and pour water to cockpit and watch traces of leakage. I will launch dinghy and put the hose with running water to every single through-hull I can find.

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Frank Langer]

On our E30+, I also used to close the seacock to the galley sink thru hull, and was puzzled by the water accumulating in the sink while I was away. I discovered that the port side scupper drains through the same thru hull as the galley sink, so by closing the sink through hull, any rain going into the scupper gradually filled up the hose and the galley sink. Although I found the sink 3/4 full once, I don't know if it would overflow, depending on the water level and drainage through the other scupper on the starboard side. Either way, I now leave that seacock open--not happy about it, but haven't changed it yet.

I suspect your E29 is similar.

Frank.

 

[Glyn Judson]

Cockpit scupper through hulls.

Glen, Frank and all, For what it's worth, one of the first changes I made to our E31 was to get rid of the port scupper drain hose that T-d to the galley sink hose. Ultimately I enlarged the single starboard scupper through hull fitting from 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" and added a second same-size one on the port side. The E31 has three scuppers in the cockpit so the aft one is T-d to the starboard drain hose and leads to a beefy seacock while the port one now leads to its own seacock. I hated the added mess of that hose leading all the way forward to the galley sink. It contributed to the general mess and impossibility of my being able to climb over the engine should an emergency aft of there ever occur. Since then I've routed and dressed all wires, cables and supply lines out of the way and what used to be a rats nest is now clear enough to shoot a cannon ball through without touching anything before flying right through the transom. ; - ) Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA

 

[Randy Rutledge]

On the 29 the port side scupper throuh hull is shared with the gally sink. Never thought about it but if enough water goes down the scupper it will dill and overflow the sink even if the other scupper is draining just due to water finding a hole and when the hose is full it goes into and out of the sink.

 

[glen_dc]

anything weird about the starboard scupper?

just came from the boat - yes, the closed right scupper overflows the sink. Did not have much time to play with the starboard scupper.

 

[chuckshipp]

cockpit drainage

My cockpit drain was leakng, the sleeve that the flex hose goes on, is brass, and over time will come apart. found a picece of PVC and potted it in inside the brass tube with RTV, got a new piece of flex hose, everything is working good.Simple solution.
Chuck

 

[hankcope]

scupper valves?

Scuppers? hmmm, my 1979 E29 has the 4 cockpit drains and the sink drain running to two seacocks located below the waterline, roughly behind the motor. I never liked that arrangement, nor the necessity to leave the thru hulls open to allow rain water to drain. I've thought about replacing the thru hull seacocks with scupper valves on the transom above the water line, and eliminating those two holes under my hull. There's plenty of height from the cockpit floor to the water line. Bad idea?

Y'all have scuppers? Can someone point me to a part spec or diagram or photo? What years/models? Many thanks.

Hank