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Anchor Locker Drain

  • April 13, 2015 9:59 AM
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    Message # 3296612
    Anonymous member

    WOA,

    I'm inquiring as to how other Westsailors drain their anchor lockers.  Is there any trouble from water backflowing into the locker on either tack?  How high above the waterline are the drains?  Anyone with check-valves?  How about draining forward (through the stem) with possibly a larger hole?

    Best,

    T.
  • April 13, 2015 11:21 AM
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    Reply # 3296699 on 3296612
    Deleted user

    T, Do you have a W32?  If so, the forward anchor locker floor/shelf should have holes in it to allow airflow and drainage into the bilges.  Mine was a kit boat and during my rebuild I just drilled a staggered pattern of 1" diameter holes in the plywood floor, then epoxied the entire unit top and bottom.  What does yours look like?  -Tom K.
  • April 13, 2015 1:15 PM
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    Reply # 3296993 on 3296612
    Anonymous member

    I have a W32, but it is a project boat and hence there exists not a floor. 

    Are there problems with draining to the bilge like standing water, growth, smell from the bilge?  I guess I'm as curious about not drilling more holes into the hull, but what are the drawbacks of draining into the bilge?

    Thanks,

    T. 
  • April 14, 2015 12:29 PM
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    Reply # 3298570 on 3296612
    Kevin Donahue

    The chain locker on our W28 used to drain directly into the bilges via the bottom of the chain locker and down the center of the area under the Vberth into the bilges.  I glassed a small epoxy coated piece of plywood with a thru hull fitting in it into the bottom of our anchor locker. A piece of 3/4" tubing attached to the thru hull fitting runs thru the bilges all the way aft to our bilge sump.  This allows any water in the chain locker to drain out and keeps the area under the V berth and the forward bilges dry.  The only water we normally get in the chain locker is minimal when we pull up the rode. 

    Kevin 
  • April 16, 2015 11:02 AM
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    Reply # 3304125 on 3296612
    Anonymous member

    That's good news about not having a floor. I consider the chain locker a poor design since it actually loads the front-end of the boat enough to cause considerable balance issues. If you can relocate the chain down into the bilge, that would make it much more stable than keeping it just below the deck at the very front of the boat. Even with counter weight; fuel, batteries, etc in the stern it still seems to be forward heavy. I suspect not everyone experiences this because they may not be loading the bow both 300' of chain and 300' of nylon rode. I know of several Westsail owners who have figured out a better plan. Some people have cut the shower pan and now keep the chain there with a way to lock the sole board down. 
  • April 20, 2015 6:56 AM
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    Reply # 3308741 on 3296612
    Anonymous member

    Tony,

    I've thought about leaving it open and using the small access hatch in the v-berth floor to pull the chain back towards the mast support and under the shower pan.  However, to get the chain to do this automatically is a challenge because the run into that area gets flat quickly, and will stop and bunch up.  I would need another hand below to assist the chain aft.

    Has anyone thought of an intelligent and robust manner to do this unassisted?

    Thanks,

    T.
  • April 21, 2015 6:31 AM
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    Reply # 3310740 on 3296612
    Deleted user

    Tyler 

    Tony is right we ran our chain, all 275' in the Vbirth last summer and quickly realized it had to be relocated and that was under the shower pan. 

    To do this I installed a flange'ed coupling and a small run of 4"" PVC pipe (or 3" I can recall) down to the "V" in the hull. This sort of guides the chain and keeps the other 300' line rode separate. 

    Then its a matter of allowing the chain to follow the PVC run. And true sometimes you have to open the hatch to pull some chain through but with a little practice it works out.

    In tight anchorages with swift currents or emergency's, just pull the chain in like normal where later you can arrange it under the shower pan with a few nudges.   

    Last modified: April 21, 2015 6:32 AM | Deleted user