95/96 CD25 Self Bailing Deck

[TyBoo]

First off - Stevej - Have you ever had any trouble with the deck drain arrangement on Shearwater? The screens over the drains are easily plugged, and it doesn't take long at all for the hatches to collect water when the deck cannot drain. I am thinking about having deck-level drain fittings with scuppers installed, similar to the newer 25's. It seems to me the first time you were showing Shearwater to Kay and me, you referred to those hatches as "semi-dry" storage. I think I semi-figured out what you meant.

Here's what I'm talking about. In the first production run of the CD25, the deck drain consists of two strainer plates inset into the deck at the aft stern corners. The water drains into hoses which are connected to thru-hull fittings in the transom. The fittings are a few inches below the water line, and the water exits just above the trim tabs. It works well unless the strainers get blocked, although it drains rather slowly when hosing the deck or otherwise getting a lot of water in the cockpit quickly. When trolling or anchored in choppy water, a swell coming against the stern can push a fair amount of water up through the drains, but it is quickly sucked back out when the swell recedes. It is kinda weird to be sitting in the deck chair sturgeon fishing and watch seawater gurgle up through the deck.

There are four below deck hatches back there, and the design of the lids makes them difficult to completely seal. As long as the drains are clear, it is not a problem because the deck has trenches (for lack of a better word) to channel the water around the hatch covers. But if two or so gallons of water that cannot drain is present, into the hatches it goes. I have bilge pumps in three of the four hatches, but it seems rather dumb to have pumps to remove water from somewhere it should not be able to get.

The drains work really well when the boat is on the trailer. Unless it is in the yard when the leaves are falling. And it rains a whole bunch overnight. And I skip one day of checking it. And it rains again. And the water level in the hatch where the breaker for the house battery is gets deep enough to cover the breaker. And the battery goes dead so the bilge pumps don't work. That's OK - I got it all fixed a month ago. And now the boat is somewhat under cover.

It won't be this year (because I'm broke), but one of these days I am planning to take the TyBoo up to C-Dory and have them do some gelcoat repairs and check out some other stuff. That would be a good time to have the scuppered drains installed at deck level. Unless someone talks me out of it, that is. For the time being, I will work on getting a better seal around the hatch covers.

[My IRA]

Mike,

How about removing the drain screens and installing scuppers on the outside drain openings (to stop the backflush from waves)?

I'm not sure that the newer design is better. What the newer 25 really needs are drains on the port and starboard side at the bulkhead to keep the water from puddling at the cabin door (like the 22).

I guess no design is perfect but your boat comes close. None of the below deck storage areas are dry.

[TyBoo]

I think there needs to be a strainer of some sort in the floor drain, to keep the round fishing weights we use for springers from rolling into the hole and plugging it good. I have thought about making a raised SS wire fence to replace it, though. But the flat strainers are real easy to clean off. My problem is I forget to do it because they are so far out of sight.

The water backflushing in is never a problem. It just looks funny. I would be scared to put scupper flaps under the water.

I have never had any water standing on the deck in front of the door when floating. Maybe she sits lower in the stern, or maybe the deck is sloped. I don't know. I have had a couple folks comment that they like the design of the older deck better than the new. The hatches are very slick and useful. I think I can figure out a way to keep the water from getting past the lid seals if I set my mind to it, but I still don't care for the drain setup.

What I would really prefer is to jerk the raised deck out completely and have a floor like the CD22. Absolutely ideal for fishing. But, I got kids, dogs and a wife who all like dry feet, so I don't stand a chance. I wouldn't seriously consider removing the floor, anyhow. I think it is needed for hull strength and rigidity. Besides, there are no more than six of the older CD25s in the world, and I would not want to have the only dorky one.

The drains on the aft side corners might be something to think about. There is no balsa core there with its associated potential for trouble. But I still think the back is the best spot for them.

As for the water standing at the bulkhead of the 22, a 1/2" rubber self-draining floormat eliminates any notice of it. In the TyBoo22, I had some 3/4" industrial floor matting with holes thru it and drain lugs on the bottom that I covered just the front half of the cockpit floor with. Excellent for standing on, and I still had the easy to wash down floor behind it for slapping the bloody fish on. An aft bilge pump is all that boat ever had, and it always worked great.

Thanks for your comments.