How watertight are scuppers?

[Noelm]

there is a compromise with internal freeboard and self draining, everyone would love a deck 2 foot above the water, but to make it so, would require sides about 8 feet high so, you need to compromise, the result in smaller Boats is wet feet, also those ball types only let the water out (most times) the ball floats up and blocks the drain when it gets low in the water, untill it buggers up of course, then it is just as bad as a flap type, I sort of think that a fully sealed flap type with an Occy strap sort of pull closer might be a better option in a small Boat, that wya it is kind of sealed, but with some weight behind it (like a couple of gallons of water) it will push open (maybe)

[Kendall249]

look on the bright side, it keeps the deck cool.

[freddofrog]

Seems like the general opinion is don’t bother. I recently checked the pods and hull so they are all relatively empty so it won’t be that and a wet deck in summer is great but in winter is a pain…and both slightly embarrassing and annoying when you what to have a day out andjust sit and drink beers/wine etc rather than just fish.

The BLA ones look a tad small, even the large one has a hole diameter of only 44mm. Stephen john ingle, are the ones you are considering any bigger? My other need though of less importance was to increase the size of the drain holes significantly in case a big wave made it on board. The current 1” x ½” drain holes don’t look like they’re up to the task of shedding 400L of water. Is anyone else concerned with this or do you just hope it never happens?

[finding_time]

Also, Why don't boat manufacturers build the boat so that the floor is 50 or even 75mm higher? Does this create other problems? I have often wondered as this seems a common problem with most boats that have self draining decks.

Cheers

Basically it's a safety issue, the lower the deck the more stable. If you had a boat that had a deck 100m above the water if it did cop a wave it woud turn turtle very quickly , just to much weight to far above the water. My old ub520 took 3 waves one day and was full to the gunnels but because the deck was at water level it didn't tip. Trawlers also have low decks to keep the weight low!

Ian

[STUIE63]

Stuie,

How do those scuppers go letting water out (off the deck)? Looks like they stop it going both ways.

Matt
these let water out well . as long as you don't have crap like leaves blocking it up it keeps my deck pretty dry
Stuie

[John Buoy]

I am bringing in a pair of South african made scuppers that operate on a rubber ball ,size of a tennis ball,that float up and block incomming water.I have been unable to find similar in Australia.They work well and will be fitted to my 17 ft cat that I am fitting out.Contact me if you want a pair and I will get them sent with mine.

If it's the same type i have seen them fitted to earlier model Edencrafts!

Regards frank

[ashleyhj74]

The ones on my Spearfish 21 leak. I got new seals from work, new springs, the works, still leaked a bit (nowhere near as bad though). I can live with it, its only when 3 blokes are standin down the back, or some numbnut (me more than likely) forgets to close them before backin off the trailer, that its a issue. I'd still mutch rather the self-drainin deck than relying on a bilge pump to do what gravity does personally.

[Dean1]

Ive been lead to believe that the new 5.2 kc's have a deck roughly 100mm higher than the older 1's like mine, ians and ff's etc. One of the reasons why the older 5.2 kc's are a better hull than the latest model ones . Deano.

[stephen john ingle]

Fred the S-African ball scuppers are bigger and operate by floating directly up.The scupper has a 90 degree bend and the ball sits in a cage underneath.

[termi]

Shane i've modified the flap on my kc and it doesn't let any water in and is easy to open when required. If you have the plastic flap, go to whitworths and buy 2 clamcleats (to suit 6mm bungee chord) and 1m of 6mm bungee chord. Try get hold of some soft foam type rubber like the one used around copper pipe on hot water/air conditioners. Silicone the rubber to the flap(you will need to pack out the hinges 10mm where they screw to the transom). Drill 1 hole at each end of the flap(approw 80mm from ends) and push ends of bungee chord through and tie a big knot on the end of each. Secure the cleats to the insides of the verticle members of the transom and run the chord through the cleats. To close the flap you pull the chord and the cleat grips it in it's jaws holding the flap shut. Just remember to put a blob of silicone around the out side of the holes in the flap so that when you close the flap for the first time it will seal against the knots. If your model has also got the 25mm drain holes in the corners of the transom, just buy some tapered rubber plugs that push in.
I would post some photo's but i won't see the boat for about 3 weeks.

[sjp2]

heres mine ,so simple so cheap and in the years ive had the boat have kept the floor dry ,(except when the killtank bung was left off)

[sjp2]

heres a pic,just a 400 ml length of vinyl hot sealed on both sides

[freddofrog]

Cheers guys. I 've tried some DIY scuppers without much success but sjp2 one looks very effective, if a strange.