262 Deck Drains

[CobaltChris]

Hello, I have never seen this on my other boats, So it took me longer than I would like to admit to even notice, I have a 262 and the two deck drains go into the bilge.
My two part question is:
-Has anyone ever done modifications to send thes deck drains out a thru hull and right off the boat? Would this be the worst Idea ever? If the bilge pump died there would be no way to get water off the boat. What if there was a crazy rainstorm while I was away, or maybe there was some random event where I took water over the bow?

-At the very least, these 2 drains go into compartments on either side of the bilge under the flooring that is under the rear seats. There is no easy access to these. Water drains very slowly between the deck and the engine compartment. I assume there is 20 years of crap washed from the deck into these compartments blocking the drainage holes. Has anyone done anything to deal with this?

Thanks!

[jhnmdahl]

It's not a terrible idea, but does involve carving a hole in the side of your hull, below the deck but well above the waterline, which is not a trivial modification. I've always wondered if having dual batteries but a single bilge pump is really optimal for safety too.

[AsLan7]

There may have been one poster here from Norway who might have a modified drain system.
Honestly we have never had any issues with that system on our 262 & 263 and it would be overkill IMHO. Just make sure they are not clogged. Run a hangar thru them and follow up with garden hose water.

Replace your bilge pump if concerned but for the most part they are very reliable. Make sure the float switch moves freely and no debris is near it

[jhnmdahl]

The R6 coastal edition and above now have self-bailing decks, so it's something on Cobalt's radar, but deemed not necessary for a typical lake boat. I generally like the idea, but the manufacturer's in a good position to make sure weight distribution keeps the bow up at all times, drains are appropriately above the waterline, fittings include one-way valves if possible, etc. that may be a challenge to know you got right before drilling into your hull.

Looks like it's pretty doable, though, with parts like https://gemlux.com/collections/boat-dec ... oducts/889 and https://www.hodgesmarine.com/att66551-3 ... strai.html, for example.

[Kate]

"Water drains very slowly between the deck and the engine compartment."

You can snake and back-flush those drains.

[CobaltChris]

Thanks!,
I guess Im paranoid/overthingking it
I dont think I can snake/ backflush. as near as I can tell, the drains go to a pipe a couple of feet long then just dump into compartments on either side of the engine then there is basically come out weep holes into the bilge.

[smokymance]

I’m thinking of connecting the two drains together and adding a scupper on the side of my 263 so I can simply wash my deck down with no worries of crap heading into the bilge. W the kids and sand etc always getting the deck dirty, rather have all that come straight out the side. Just have to make sure I do some measurements that the floor height under the rear seat area is higher than the water line or we looking for trouble.

[stifflkd]

I think the effort far outweighs the benefit. I boat on the coast and if you have that much water coming over the bow. you probably have more important concerns. Self draining cockpits make sense on center consoles and open decks where they are exposed to the environment. But with BR's that are fully covered, although you will get some water, is easily handled with the bilge pump. But yes if you are away from the boat over long periods you could run into an issue where your battery goes dead.

[jhnmdahl]

I think the effort far outweighs the benefit. I boat on the coast and if you have that much water coming over the bow. you probably have more important concerns. Self draining cockpits make sense on center consoles and open decks where they are exposed to the environment. But with BR's that are fully covered, although you will get some water, is easily handled with the bilge pump. But yes if you are away from the boat over long periods you could run into an issue where your battery goes dead.

I think self-bailing is only a part of it - hosing down the interior without it all ending up in the bilge seems to be another motivation (e.g., cleaing dirt and sand out of the cockpit without simply relocating it to another part of the boat).