How watertight are scuppers?

[freddofrog]

Hi all

The rear end of my 5.2m KC sits quite low. I assume this is because I have heavier motors than normal (90hp yammie 2st). Problem is in anything other than a flat sea, water comes in through the rear drain holes and you end up standing in water all day long.

Short of getting lighter motors or to somehow increase the rear end buoyancy I’m thinking of enlarging the drain holes and installing some scuppers to keep the water out, eg these Whitworths ones http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?cat=156&item=32799&intAbsolutePage=1

What do you guys think?

Ta
Shane

[mirage]

Don't bother. Even with "normal" weight engines you still get wet feet at the back of the boat occasionally. That's just how they are.

[Alchemy]

Shane,

Don't bother. I've got that type on my Fisher and they do not seal well enough to keep all water out.

Regards,
Dave.

[finding_time]

Dont bother!!!;D Seriously there fine, they all do it even with 60's wait till you start backing down on a fish in any sea it get shin deep down there!;) :P

Ian

[leezor]

yep, mine is exactly the same so wouldn't bother!

[Dean1]

Make sure both your pods and rear bulkheads at the back of your deck are bone dry. I check mine regularly ( spin out the spinouts with a pair of multigrips handles in the slots) coz if you have any water in either of those areas it will cause the rear end to sit lower than normal. My plastic spinouts in the rear of the deck got broken while fishing and ended up with a half a foot of water in there all day a while back. Ally ones fixed that drama! :o Lucky they have bulkheads!!! ;) ;D

[stephen john ingle]

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.

[CB77]

Hi, You mentioned it sits low in the water?

I have heard of Cats with foam flotatation in the sponsons can get water logged over the years, which adds a lot of weight.

I had a mate with a shark cat a few years ago, the cat leaned slightly at rest to one side in the water, turned out to be water logged foam in the right sponson.

[finding_time]

It wont be foam,(there will be no foam in it) It's just the floor is low ( as it should be!!!) all get water in them when a few fishermen move down the back, freddofrog has bigger motors than most so it will sit lower! Kittycat had honda 75's on the back of his and they weighed close to a 1000kg each;D everytime he left the helm he had to stop and don a mask a snorkle!;) 8-) ::)

Ian

[hinchy]

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.
Hi

You can source these or a slightly smaller version of these from BLA.Have got to tell you though that they will still let a bit of water in as at times small particles of grit etc lodge in the seal area and allow water in.

Kind regards
Hinchy

[Mindi]

My UB580 Yamaha only had a single 90HP 2 stroke and you were always paddling at the back of the boat...after a while I saw it as a design feature to keep your feet cool but the flatties swimming around on the floor were a worry with the bare feet..!

[STUIE63]

I tried a few different scuppers and the one I found that worked best was http://www.bla.com.au/index.php?fn=productGroupView&dId=1&id=938&eId=10&sId=745f7e6de9dd1e6c8f672b967ad41a2b
but I didn't try the one suggested earlier
Stuie

[Noelm]

you would be pretty hard pressed to find a Motor lighter than a Yamaha 90HP, to answer your question about how water tight scuppers are, the simple answer is "not very" they don't have to be, they should not be in the water (I know, but lots of times they are) as mentioned make sure everything is dry in the pods, and the Boat hull itself, other than that, buy some Gumboots and put up with it. OH and be very careful saying negative things about a 5.2KC on here, you may incite a lynch mob!

[Matt_F]

Stuie,

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

[Matt_F]

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

[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. :)