Re-bedding Anchor Chain Locker

[Rob]

This weekend, I’m going to re-bed the anchor chain locker in my E26. I assume that the locker has a flange which is screwed into the recess in the deck. I’m pretty sure I have access to the back “wall” of the anchor chain locker through an access port that’s been installed in the teak bulkhead at the forward-most part of the V-berth.

I’m a little befuddled as to how I’m going to reinsert the drain tube that runs from the bottom of the locker to the bow of the boat when reinstalling (particularly as I’ll be contending with a fresh and gooey bead of sealant along the deck recess).

Is there an obvious way to do this?

Cheers

 

[lbertran]

Just Did This Myself

Rob-
I don't know if your anchor locker pan is the same as the one on my 35-3, but I'll give you a few details about mine that may help. The pan has a fiberglass lip that screws into a reciprocal lip around the deck opening that houses the pan. The through-hull drain on the bottom of the anchor locker pan, is not near the lip on the rim of the pan so it's not affected by the caulking process.
After removal, I cleaned the pan of all old caulk and other dirt. I reinforced the bottom of the pan with closed cell foam core and two layers of fiberglass. I rebedded the throughhull pan drain. When I was ready to rebed the pan, I applied Boatlife Life-Seal to the lip around the deck opening for the pan. I used a pair of those suction cup handles that allow you to hold on to the side of the boat when cleaning the hull from a dink. We stuck the suction cup handles in the floor of the pan, fore and aft. This allowed two of us to lower the pan straight down without making contact with the lip rim and caulk. It's important that you're able to lower the pan straight down without contacting the rim, it will not fit in the cavity otherwise, will get stuck, and will make an unholy mess of the caulk.
When screwing in the pan, start with the forward edge, then work your way back along the sides and finish with the aft edge. The sides of the pan are somewhat less than perfectly straight and rigid. By using the attachment sequence I described above, you'll be able to "stretch" the pan to pit the opening.
Once the pan is screwed into the opening, you can reach in through the opening in the v-berth bulkhead to re-attach the drain tube to the pan thruhull.
I plan to write up this whole project and post it along with pictures in the projects section. But it'll have to wait until after we splash next week. Hope this helps.

 

[Rob]

Laura,

Thanks! I'm glad I asked. Your description about the order in which to fasten the screws is very helpful, as is the tip about lowering the pan.

Cheers