Cockpit Water Drains

[multihullsailor6]

My cat has a "closed" cockpit, i.e. no transom walk throughs.

As I am planning to go offshore I am concerned about the cockpit being swamped and the puny cockpit drains I currently have and will be installing four ( maybe six ) large water scuppers with 5 cms diameter exit pipes draining 200 ( maybe 300 ) litres a minute.

My question is how often has it happened to you pre-dominantly offshore sailors that your cockpit got swamped by a breaking wave? What cockpit drains do you have?

[multihullsailor6]

No takers at all??!!
Am I over-cautious?

[dmmbruce]

No takers at all??!!
Am I over-cautious?

In my opinion - yes.

There was a thread recently where someone said they had had water over the side twice, so they had been glad that of strong doors to the saloon and that they were shut.

I don't remember anyone suggesting they had had water in from the stern. I have never heard of it, but my experience is limited.

Mike

[multihullsailor6]

In my opinion - yes.

There was a thread recently where someone said they had had water over the side twice, so they had been glad that of strong doors to the saloon and that they were shut.

I don't remember anyone suggesting they had had water in from the stern. I have never heard of it, but my experience is limited.

Mike

Yes I remember that comment but what about the water's exit? In a situation like that how fast should the cockpit be clear again without endangering the boat? I'm thinking of water coming over the side or the stern.

[Woods Designs]

I have occasionally had large waves break over the side and twice over the stern. But the cockpit drains always emptied the cockpit quickly. So I think you are probably being over anxious.

I agree that the wide sliding doors can cause problems. I recall that when beating to windward off Brazil on a Norseman 43 we had to keep the door shut as there was no real door sill.

It was hot and humid so, with the interior completely sealed (obviously the main hatches were also shut), it quickly became unpleasantly hot and smelly inside.

That is one reason why I like the "stable door" concept. The bottom half can be kept shut, keeping water out, but the top left open for ventilation.

I have sailed a Seawind 1000, which has a canvas door, and wondered how it coped with big breaking waves, so I'd be interested in hearing about owners experiences (I only sailed it in flat water)

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

[Whimsical]

i don't think it hurts to have too much. 6 of them is only about 50 square centimeters. I wil have more than that in each one of two that i am installing but mine are in the rear seat and not the floor and will dump straight throught the floor

Mike

[2hulls]

My question is how often has it happened to you pre-dominantly offshore sailors that your cockpit got swamped by a breaking wave? What cockpit drains do you have?

This has never happened to us - not even close. That said, I doubt we've seen the biggest following seas we'll ever see yet..... We have transom 4 steps up from the water line to the cockpit level, i.e., 3 levels in the transoms with the cockpit level another step up.

Any water getting into the cockpit can either drain back out to the transoms or drain from the sump right behind the salon door via 2 each approx. 3" diameter drains.

2 Hulls Dave