Lazerette floors & leaking hatches . .

[tattoo]

I sealed off the lazarettes on Tattoo from the space under the footwell. I enclosed the space under the foot well to be water tight after installing the floatation. At the lowpoint of each lazerette I installed a plug (like the one for the forepeak) that can be removed from the cockpit (as opposed to the cabin side). Water can be drained to the bilges by removing the plug and then pumped overboard with an electric bilge pump, or pumped overboard (by hand) from the cockpit. Although the Bomar hatch covers are supposed to be water proof, mine leak even though they were well sealed at installation. The water comes from the rain. After an all-day heavy rain there is an inch or so of water in each lazerette.

So, to keep stuff out of the water, I made a floor for each lazerette. You can see how simple they are. Just a piece of 1/4" plywood with just one "leg." Works just fine. The volume under the floor is almost trivial.

I'm trying to understand why my hatches leak. I think it may be that the gaskets were not made to ward off "standing water" that accummulates at the aft end of the cockpit before it bleeds outboard through the weep holes in the combing. My plan is to raise the hatchs by installing a "bezzel" of about 3/8" thickness between the hatch and the cockpit deck. If standing water doesn't exceed 3/8" it will be ok.

Suggested solutions would be appreciated.

[Bflat]

Hi,
Your posts are very helpful and thought provoking. I admire your creativity. I'm very strongly considering building a pocketship.

About the lazerettes leaking. I'm wondering if putting the trailers front wheel up on blocks, thus inclining the boat stern down would alleviate leaking at least when it's sitting on the trailer between adventures. What do you think? Since that's where the boat spend most of its time (realistically) would that help? Would a cockpit tent or boat cover be practical for when the boat is sitting on its trailer in order to protect from leaks? I'm trying to anticipate potential problems before I commit to a build.

Do you feel that the bilge pump is pretty necessary? I've even been wondering about going without a battery altogether and just using self contained running lights, boom box and flashlights and candle and/or oil lanterns , hand held radio and navigation to keep things simple. Am I being realistic in your opinion?

Thanks,
Bob

[tattoo]

Tilting bow down would work, but water would collect at fwd end of foot well and cockpit deck. Bow up should work because the drain holes (foot well, cockpit deck and transom corners) should do the job. But at the deck level they don't. The weep holes at the deck level are only about 5/16th and so may not drain fast enough in more than a slight rain. My Tattoo sits slightly starboard side down when on her trailer. That makes the water collect at the aft starboard corner of the cockpit deck. That's were most of the leakage occurs. On the port side the leakage is less than half that of the starboard side. I have a Gaff Tent, and that works well, but I hesitate to expose (even) the sunberella fabrick to sun light day after day. A cockpit cover works well in the driveway. I'll probably fabricate a replacement for the one that I converted to a ground cover to go under my tent. Some marina's won't allow tents and covers -- apparently because some owners don't tie them down sufficiently and they "sail" in strong winds. Over the winter I store Tattoo inside.

By-the-way, if I were building again, I would definitely install weepholes at the forward end of the cockpit. That would be very easy to do at the right stage of construction. Just at the junction of the cockpit deck with the cabin bulkhead, I would install a copper tube that would pass through the combing and overboard on each side. Just regular plumbing copper tubing about 3/8" OD trimmed fulsh with the outside plank and inside combing plank. The combing could still be made "air-tight" for floatation purposes. That would prevent standing water at any corner of the cockpit deck no matter which way she was sitting. I wouldn't do that for the foot well. But you don't have cushions, etc. in the foot well, so a little standing water at the forward end doesn't matter much.

I don't think the bilge pump is necessary. I haven't needed it at all. But I haven't forgotten to close the hatch before several days or weeks of rain. If you don't seal off the lazerettes and there is leakage from there to the bildges, if you had to regularly empty the bilge -- you'd welcome the electric pump.

You could do quite well without a battery. But I can't do without an engine (where I sail). And my engine has an alternator that supplies a 5 amp 12 v charging source. Andl I like to use a GPS and the convenience of instant electric lights.

[Pascal]

I am not sure what I did with your email address.... I am looking forward for our Pocketship fleet in May. I remember meeting you and Tattoo on the Potomac in Alexandria. I also had the pleasure to see you in the wooden boat show on the bay.What other location do you go sailing ?