CD30 Add hatch in sole at base of stairs to access bilge?

[CD30C]

My CD 30 has two hatches in the lower sole, but none in the raised section just forward of the engine compartment. As a result, there is no way to see to the bottom of the bilge without using a mirror. This seems like an odd oversight.

I need to install a garboard plug, and I would prefer to through bolt it, but without direct access, this seems like an impossible task. It seems like a fairly easy job to carefully cut out a rectangle of the sole, add a reinforcing ring, and clean up and varnish the edges. I even have a few small pieces of holly I could use.

Your thoughts please. Is this a common problem?

Doug

[tjr818]

We have been contemplating this same thing on our 27. I was thinking of drilling the holes for the garboard plug and for the mounting screws and then epoxying to nuts into place I could use greased allthread to position the nuts and hold them in place until the epoxy cured. I am confident that that would work for the install, but if the garboard drain fitting ever had to be removed I don't think the epoxy would hold. I have thought of cutting some SS or bronze strips and tapping them to use as nuts. They would be easier to stop from turning while reaching through that little drain hole. The first problem I am having is trying to locate the bottom of the sump from outside. I need three hands and a level all crowded into a very cramped sump.

[Klem]

Hi Doug,

I was tempted to cut a third hatch as you suggest when we first bought our boat. I ended up putting pull strings on the electric bilge pump and the manual bilge pump strainer which works fine.

As far as locating where the garboard plug goes, I would think that you could get a right angle drill down there and drill from the inside out to really get the placement just right.

[M. R. Bober]

We have been contemplating this same thing on our 27. I was thinking of drilling the holes for the garboard plug and for the mounting screws and then epoxying to nuts into place I could use greased allthread to position the nuts and hold them in place until the epoxy cured. I am confident that that would work for the install, but if the garboard drain fitting ever had to be removed I don't think the epoxy would hold. I have thought of cutting some SS or bronze strips and tapping them to use as nuts. They would be easier to stop from turning while reaching through that little drain hole. The first problem I am having is trying to locate the bottom of the sump from outside. I need three hands and a level all crowded into a very cramped sump.

Tim,
Sometimes a magnet and a small piece of steel (think hex nut) can be helpful to determine the drilling location.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster, (The magnetic center of the Northern Neck) VA

[hilbert]

It seems like a fairly easy job to carefully cut out a rectangle of the sole, add a reinforcing ring, and clean up and varnish the edges.

I fabricated a "ring" of fiberglass and then glued and glassed it in place. The sole has a balsa core, so you will want to seal it.

[CD30C]

The PO has already drilled the hole.

[Adamhagan]

I recently did the same after the vent for the dripless shaft seal was placed too low and compromised the sole. The main cabin sole was spared and I was able to strip and will varnish once warmer weather arrives. These pictures are very rough and messy mid-project. I fabricated a template floor which will later be new teak and holly ply. I have glassed a support frame with frp (no photos yet). It is divided into two pieces which are locked in by the stairs and bulkwarks.

The access allowed me to fully clean the bilge and perfect placement of the smaller secondary bilge pump. I cannot understand why they did not allow access to the lowest part of the bilge? It is impossible to access the bottom of the bilge with the stock access hatches.

[psjanker]

Cape Dory 28 has a floor hatch just behind the engine compartment which provides adequate access to the bilge area.

I emplaced a Garboard drain last Spring and there is one trick I would recommend. Drill the drain hole so that it is ½ the diameter of the drain below the bottom of the bilge. One can then take a grinder to the bottom of the bilge when the hole comes in a grind a sump that is about ¾ of an inch deep next to the drain. I found that having the small sump (2X2 inches) leads to a dryer bilge and is useful when the boat is pulled and I am washing down the inside. It also permits much better draining of any water that enters the bilge.

I actually did this by mistake and as it turned out the mini sump was very easy to do (so long as one has a 4/5 inch grinder, I used a simple diamond cut off attachment) and its now considered a custom feature on CHASSEUR! I cut a line along the inside hull so that the flange nut would tighten so that the drain entry was flush with the bottom of the sump. Filled in and smoothed out the bottom with a bit of West and then put down a couple of coats of bilge paint.

I did not tie in the thru hull to the grounding system….open to comments as to if this was a mistake.

V/r

Pete

[Bob Ohler]

Doug,

While not the answer pertaining the hatch in the cabin sole, I have a link for you from another sailor showing his careful installation of a garboard drain. I knew I had seen it, I just had to find it for you.

http://www.earlylight160.net76.net/Inst ... Drain.html

I still need to come over and look at your boat. Now that the weather is breaking, I'll make of a point of doing it.

Fair winds,
Bob

[tjr818]

Doug,

While not the answer pertaining the hatch in the cabin sole, I have a link for you from another sailor showing his careful installation of a garboard drain. I knew I had seen it, I just had to find it for you.

http://www.earlylight160.net76.net/Inst ... Drain.html

I still need to come over and look at your boat. Now that the weather is breaking, I'll make of a point of doing it.

Fair winds,
Bob

This sight seems to be down. Anyone know what happened?