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I have just bought a Tartan 3500. The anchor locker is deep. The drains are at the level of the water line. There is a gap between the bottom pan of the locker and the inside of the hull. This gap leads to the bilge. In a rough sea, sea water goes up the drains and into the bilge. In addition, there are gaps high in the aft port and starboard aspects of the locker that lead to the V berth, which allow a tiny trickle to wet the forward V berth board.
These seem to be design flaws. I plan to fiberglass the anchor locker so that it is water-tight. And I may raise the level of the anchor locker and install new drains.
This issue is a common one. The leak apparently stems from the two drain apertures just above the waterline in the anchor locker. These are not sealed and allow water to enter between the hull and the inner fiberglass locker. This space is open to the interior of the forward cabin at the aft end of the locker.
The solution is to remove the chrome trim that decorates these drains on the outside of the hull and fill the surfaces of the holes thoroughly with epoxy, including any adjacent cracks on the inside surfaces.
I'm dealing with this on my tartan 3500. I have only one anchor locker drain, on Port side. It appears the drain is simply a drain hole from anchor locker tO outside hole with chrome drim on exterior of hull. I'm thinking of sealing the locker drain that goes thru hull. When I use anchor, any water will simply drain into bilge. Has anyone tried this? Concerns?
Doug, why wouldn't you want to install a new drain? I don't know that I'd want the seawater draining into the cabin/bilge. I try to avoid any water getting in there, regardless of the source. I'd think a higher floor on the locker and a drain that leads outside would be a better bet.
Jimgo. Thanks for suggestion. I could create a higher floor for anchor locker but then I need a hose connection to drain opening. Once installed there is no way to access the hose and coNnect to the hull drain. And there is no fitting on the hull drain so I would be gooping up the connection- not a good idea for one term Maintenance.
Problem today is sea water comes in thru the hull drain and then runs to bottom of hull and ends up in bilge. I'm thinking I should seal off the thru hull drain .
Doug,
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was suggesting sealing off the lower drain, then putting in a new one higher up.
Are there any check-valves or the like that you could put in line with the drain? It probably wouldn't take much, just a "flapper" that would close off the hole. You might wind up with a bit of water pooling in the anchor locker, but it sounds like that might be better than having the seawater come in and swamp the boat.
The leak from most people's anchor lockers on the T3500 and T3800 is because there is a gap in the skin of the hull within the drain passage itself, leading back to the bilge. Sealing this with epoxy is very easy.
There should not be any leak back at the aft end of the anchor locker to the bilge at all - an anchor locker is meant to be wet, draining out ONLY to the ocean/lake.
I have not heard that anyone who has sealed these drain passage walls with epoxy has experienced further leaks.
When you drop the chrome clamshell drain cover in the water you can get a replacement at West Marine.
My anchor locker has a hole right at the base. The hole goes thru hull to the exterior where the opening is covered by the chrome clamshell. I discovered a 1/2 inch tube that looks like it used to connect by a 90 degree elbow to the anchor locker side of the drain hole. I think I dislodged the 1/2 tube when I pulled out the anchor rode for my annual inspection. Next time we sailed, on starboard tack I had a nice stream of sea water entering thru the drain hole and running to the bilge. The 1/2 inch tube ascends up the side of anchor locker about 3 feet and then turns 180 degrees and descends down the inside of the locker and connects to a second nipple on the v berth water tank. I suspect the purpose of the tube is to relieve a vacuum I water tank that could occur wheeling water from the sealed tank.
I would appreciate any ideas on connecting the 1/2 tube to the locker drain. If I seal the elbow into the drainhole, then the locker will no longer have a drain. Is there a check valve device for 1/2 inch tube that would allow one way flow out of the locker?
What hull number (or year) is your Tartan? It sounds as if the forward V berth water tank is vented via the anchor locker?!?
No clamshell drain cover or drain on the other side of the bow?
How would the anchor locker drain if the port (I'm assuming) side was sealed to the water dank vent and there was no drain on the other side?
You say "right at the base". Above the waterline by an inch or two, right?
You have a stream of water running into the bilge on a starboard tack from the anchor locker. Where are the openings between the anchor locker and the bilge (besides the water tank vent)? Any visible?
If there are not, then the leak is between the layers of the hull...
We have tartan 3500, hull no. 105 built in2000.
We have one locker drain. Port side, covered by chrome clamshell, clamshell is approx 6" above water line, but is submerged when on starboard tack and when motoring.
Drain hole from locker is about 1" above floor of locker. I can see daylight coming into port side of locker from drain hole. Would estimate drain is 1/2 " ID.
Fresh water fill line (white hose) comes from deck fill port, Hose comes into anchor locker and descends 2 feet, goes thru bulkhead and enters v berth water tank. 1/2 " vent hose is open to bottom of locker, runs up to top of locker, turns 180 degrees And runs parallel to white fill hose, penetrates bulkhead and attaches to v berth water tank adjacent to fresh water inlet fitting.
I have wash down pump on back side of locker bulkhead. Wash down line penetrates locker bulkhead about 12" from bottom of locker and then ascends to the spray hose and nozzle. Wash down penetration of bulkhead is failing. If that is the case, seawater is coming in thru locker drain and then leaking thru wash down penetration and flowing into bottom of hull in v berth.
All ideas appreciated
I will attach a sketch (in my next post) of what you have described - hopefully I have followed your careful description well enough. Shortly after your hull the fill and vent hoses did not penetrate the anchor locker bulkhead but went aft, port side, almost to amidships, so I don’t have the same configuration on my hull #131.
You believe that the fresh water tank vent/overflow connected to the port drain, fair enough, but you would have to have an anchor locker drain too. My boat has two anchor locker drains, symmetrically placed port and starboard. If you connect your one to that hose, the anchor locker would fill with water.
Your penetration for the washdown hose is quite a ways above water level, but that certainly could be the water ingress point to the bilge if the anchor locker filled that high.
The easiest thing to fix though is the drain hole wall in the hull. Smear it thoroughly with epoxy, using a pencil, then you have eliminated the most well-documented of the leaks in this area. Second I would see if the water comes as high as the washdown hose bulkhead penetration by duct taping a small plastic cup to the bulkhead under it and check for water in the cup when you return from sailing.
Thanks for your excellent drawing. Looks to be accurate.
On further study I have found the bulkhead material is very mushy at the point the wash down discharge hose penetrates the bulkhead and passes thru into the anchor locker. As a result, the hole is much larger than the original penetration. The net effect is the opening to the v berth is now 3-4 inches lower and closer to the bottom of the anchor locker, making it a lot easier for seawater in locker to pass thru to the hull floor under v berth and flowing to bilge.
Question now - how to best apply at least 1/2 of new bulkhead to v berth side and how to best seal on locker side. I also plan to relocate the wash water pump discharge to a point 3 " higher on the bulkhead.
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