Fish Box Channels don't drain . . .

[boscoj]

Fish Box Channels don't drain . . . does this piss off anyone else?

I was thinking about trying to run a hose down into the box so the channel would drain but this seems like it would be pretty difficult.

picking nits but it's just pissing me off . . .

[thataway]

You need to go back and read the various posts about the Tom Cat. This has been a problem, plus the boxes are not "water tight"==never have been. Some people have drilled holes in the channel to allow the water to drain into the bilge. Then you no longer have a really self bailing cockpit--and more water in the bilge.

Also some macerators on the fish boxes have failed. Some fuses have blown on the macerators.

We consider the "fish boxes" almost worthless. We had asked that they be insulated (factory forgot), plus the idea of using them for "ice boxes" would not have really worked out. We put a few items which don't suffer if they get wet--but the fish boxes are a bad design.

[boscoj]

I just couldn't find the right posts in search with "fish box".

Yeah, dumping to bilge is not a great idea . . .

I guess with a dremel/die grinder, some time and some resin one could cut a drain into the fish box . . .

So there isn't a Tom Cat specific category?

[Dreamer]

Boscoj,

I have drilled the gutters to drain to the bilge. This is a compromise for sure, but I would rather have the water in the bilge than in the fish box where I store stuff. I also drilled a big, 2", hole in the side of the fish box to let it breathe a little. Otherwise, it's a sealed steamy hot box that breeds mildew.

They are a bad idea, but they can be managed somewhat.

[matt_unique]

I carry enough things aboard that I don't mind getting wet that store perfectly down there including fenders, my diving lead, catch bag, and if doing deco dives - deco bottles, etc. It's actually great to have a spot where I can completely store the fenders out of the way.

My boat stays on a mooring uncovered. Although they are not watertight as we all know, I've never arrived to have them filled to the brim. As a matter of procedure as I'm firing her up for the day I open the boxes and drain them in just a few seconds.

By the way, although they are not watertight, if you run the macerators there is sufficient pressure to vacuum seal the doors. You will not be able to open them for several minutes.

[boscoj]

You know you bring up another good point. This boat is 3 months old and has mold on the fishbox lids.

I'm thinking take out the seals and put in some rubber bumpers. Why does a fishbox need to be sealed?

[Mike...]

[Captains Cat]

[thataway]

The reason you cannot put drains in the fish boxes, is that the bottom of the fish box is below the waterline. You could put a sump and pump in, like the shower, or even a sealed system with a diaphragm pump--but the macerators do about the same thing.

[Doryman]

We cleaned out the fishboxes today -- a downpour without the side curtains in place resulted in more water there than we'd like. While trying to get the water out of the channels for the lip of the hatch, this fix occurred to me:

Drill a small hole at the lowest point in the channel and then use a small stopper to plug it until next cleaning time. I believe Roger the Dreamer applied the same idea to the fishbox itself -- a largish hole with a stopper?

Warren

[Alli Cat]

Boscoj,

I plan to drill a hole in mine when I find the suitable "lipped"plug for the hole. This way I can keep them draining to the bilge, but plug after use. I wonder how many times I will forget to put the plugs back in???????

Fred

[Discovery]

I have drilled holes in two of the corners ( the outboard corners ) on both of the fishbox lid lips. About 1/4" holes. The holes have not created any problems, but really need to be enlarged to work effectively. Maybe enlarge to 3/8" as they plug up with debris easily. I put plugs into the scupper deck drains. I can easily remove them if necessary. They are placed from the inside ( cockpit ) side. If I control the water backwashing from the scuppers, then the fishboxes stay much drier.

Brent

[thataway]

We have not had a problem with water coming through the scuppers. This may be due to our putting extra batteries forward in the cabin, as well as keeping other increased weight in the center of the boat, rather than aft.

[Sea Wolf]

I noticed they talked about fish boxes and the drainage thereof in the videos about the ArrowCat 30 we were discussing yesterday. (If I remember correctly.)

Did anyone else notice?

Were there any good ideas or solutions that could be adapted to the
TomCat?

I'm too unfamiliar with the TomCat to be able to make detailed comparisons.

Joe.

[matt_unique]

I too have never had water come in through the scuppers.