Could Cockpit Drains Discharge Above Waterline?

triton318 · Post by **triton318** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:17 am

I'm going to be permanently reducing the volume of my Triton's cockpit by constructing a storage area that will extend from the bridge deck aft to the front edge of the cockpit lockers. In the process, I'm going to plug the existing cockpit scuppers and add two new ones where the cockpit sole and the vertical bulkhead of the new storage area meet.

I was looking at drawings I have of the Triton, and the cockpit sole is above the waterline. Is there any reason why one couldn't have the cockpit drain through fittings on the sides of the hull, above the waterline?

There must be...otherwise they would have done that. Right?

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:06 pm

Jay,

Granted I'm loaded down with cruising gear, but the water in my cockpit drains is about 2 inches below the cockpit floor. Based on my old waterline I am about 2 inches lower so it would look like you might have 4 inches to spare. Even when she was relatively stock, six people in the cockpit would let water come up through the drains into the cockpit, so I would suspect you couldn't do it.

If memory serves, James Baldwin did a similar storage compartment on Atom for storage for stuff in watertight containers, but left the drains in place with drainage through the floor of the storage compartment to the original drain location.

EDIT: Yep, here 's the picture on Atom's website. Note the drainage hole visible on the lower left of the forward cockpit bulkhead. You could probably make the compartment watertight by glassing in a the lower corner of the cockpit floor to allow water to the existing drain hole on each side.

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:15 pm

Edited to say: I see that Allen linked to a photo of James' cockpit while I was typing about the same thing :)

A few thoughts:

1) Parts of the cockpit may not be above the dynamic (heeling) waterline.

2) Parts of the cockpit may not be above the static waterline when there are a few people in the cockpit.

3) If you do run them out above the static waterline, the counter would probably be better than the topsides since the center of the boat is less subject to heeling.

4) Have you seen James Baldwin's site at www.atomvoyages.com? If you look at one of his project pages for his own boat, he shows where he added a locker for water jugs in the same place you're speaking of. If I interpreted the photos correctly, he left the drains where they were in the forward-most corners of the cockpit and simply didn't run the box all the way down in the corners (I guess that could present a clog risk if they weren't big enough; on the other hand, he's certainly put his to the test).

5) Don't mistake my potentially-skeptical-sounding comments above for a negative attitude toward questioning the way things are done in light of new ways. I'm all for that :) (ahem... in fact, I was lambasted on another forum for bringing up a similar idea on my boat. Luckily this form is not that way)

Rachel

triton318 · Post by **triton318** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:54 am

Allen and Rachel,

Thanks for your replies. I got the idea for the cockpit storage from James' Atom. I liked the idea of reducing the cockpit volume in case of taking a wave over the stern or a capsize. (I don't plan on doing much entertaining in the cockpit!) I originally thought of doing it just as James did. Then I thought that maybe I'd like to have a watertight locker (in which case I'd need to move the scuppers).

I don't know. One nice thing about allowing myself a lot of time for these projects is that I don't have to make any quick decisions--I can think about things for a long time.

I think you're right--an above the waterline discharge of the cockpit scuppers might not be above the waterline when heeled over and/or when heavily loaded with cruising gear, stores, and water. So, if I do decide to move the scuppers, I'll probably discharge them below, as they're done now.

Thanks again!

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:41 am

Not to say you shouldn't move the scuppers back, but you could have a watertight locker either way, I think. That is, if you made the "gaps" leading to the scuppers so that they were sealed off from the box.

If you took it one step further and made the box "self-contained," you could have it removable - if you wanted it to be.

Rachel

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 3:20 pm

Jay,

This is the first page of KAHOLEE's restoration which deals with the through hulls. The next 5 or 6 pages show more of the process. As you can see, there isn't a lot of room and things get tighter as you move aft.

http://www.lackeysailing.com/kaholee/ma ... /30607.htm

If you are not going to install a new fuel tank or some other item under the cockpit, you might be able to use a location similar to the one Tim selected along with the same right angle fittings and run the hose farther aft. Tim would be a good source on this too. I seem to remember him saying how tight things were.

keelbolts · Post by **keelbolts** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:08 am

I don't know if this will be of any use to you, but Favona's cockpit drain hoses cross. The port drain empties out of the starboard thru-hull & vice versa. That way water doesn't come up into the cockpit when she's sailing on her ear.

Post by **Tim** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 11:40 am

keelbolts wrote:I don't know if this will be of any use to you, but Favona's cockpit drain hoses cross. The port drain empties out of the starboard thru-hull & vice versa. That way water doesn't come up into the cockpit when she's sailing on her ear.

This doesn't work on most Tritons. It's been tried and rejected by several people, me included.

A fine idea for other boats, perhaps, but then this is the "Pearson Triton Specifics" section... :>)

David F · Post by **David F** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:00 am

I must be missing something.
If the cockpit floor ends up lower than the waterline for any reason, weather it be because of an overloaded boat or a healing hull in a following sea, wouldn't water still back up thru the drians regardless of weather they exit the hull above or below the static waterline.
Is there some reason why the Triton hull will not allow the drains to simply drain overboard just above the waterline like so many other boats do. Has anyone tried this?

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:12 pm

I must be missing something.
If the cockpit floor ends up lower than the waterline for any reason, weather it be because of an overloaded boat or a healing hull in a following sea, wouldn't water still back up thru the drians regardless of weather they exit the hull above or below the static waterline.

You are not missing anything. When the sea is higher than the cockpit sole, the sole gets flooded.

The Triton cockpit sole averages only 2-4 inches above the waterline. With four people in the cockpit, (or three heavies I suppose) the Triton is often out of trim enough for the sole to be lower than the sea level. When this happens there is no way to drain a cockpit short of pumping it up and out.

That's one reason to put seacocks in there. During wine and cheese parties in the cockpit, the seacocks can be closed so everyone's feet stay dry.

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:37 pm

I was pondering that earlier today...

I wonder about the standard tritoneer seating/standing position at the tiller... and if flattening out the forward end of the cockpit, raising it up an inch or so would do great wonders for keeping things dry.

Or at the very least, allow another 200lb person to hang off the stern pulpit... (Grin)

Zach