NO DRAIN!!!!

[SystemF]

My 1972 VIP Tri-hull has no drain back to the bilege?!?!?!?! It just has a sump in the rear of the boat that the drain goes out to, but no where for the rest of the hull to drain. Is this normal?

 

[ob1jeeper]

Re: NO DRAIN!!!!

If there are separate sump areas, they SHOULD be equipped with either drains, OR MORE PREFerrably, Drains, AND bilge pumps...<br /><br />I have NO idea how this 1972 boat was originally equipped, but I'd be VERY surprised that it did not have some provision for hull draining. Perhaps over the years, some of the bilge pumps have quit working and simply not replaced?<br /><br />In any event, it should not be all that hard to add a bilge pump to those areas, and adding drains is not a HUGE deal either... Just be sure to plug ALL drain holes, prior to putting it back in the water !!<br /><br />Good Luck, Obiwan

 

[SystemF]

Re: NO DRAIN!!!!

Oh.. I meant there is no drain from the front of the Hull to the rear sump of the hull. The boat has a good working drainplug in the rear that is in the transom sump. There is NO drain from the keel to the sump and water pools there (adding a bilege to the keel). I can't see anything cloged, it looks like it was built this way.

 

[chris in va]

Re: NO DRAIN!!!!

Oh, I see what you're saying (I think). My boat is like that too, and water collects in the storage locker between the seats. Very aggrivating.

 

[ob1jeeper]

Re: NO DRAIN!!!!

System... So how deep is this pool of water? If you're talking more than a trace (say anything more than an inch), I'd find a way to either gravity feed it... (IE: put some sort of connecting tube to the rear sump... Which is most likely going to be VERY difficult to do now that it is built...) Or simply add a small bilge pump to the front keep area, that will either pump the water out of the boat, or pump it back to the rear sump, where the rear bilge will pump it out...<br /><br />Good Luck, Obiwan

 

[JasonJ]

Re: NO DRAIN!!!!

Just take a 1 inch spade bit and run a hole through the offending bulkhead, and seal the exposed wood with epoxy. My tri-hull had 1 inch holes all over the place. Unfortunatly they were all clogged with the rotted remains of my floor and stringers. I ran new holes in my rebuild bulkheads and stringers and sealed everything well...

 

[SystemF]

Re: NO DRAIN!!!!

I have already got a place setup for a front bilege...right by the main center stringer. I am going to put a 1" hole through it to connect both sides. Pictures