Hatch in splaswell?

[Yardman]

I have been tinkering with my Sportsman project again (finally). I'm thinking I would like to install some kind of waterproof hatch in the bottom of the splash well. With the way the molded seat is it is about 4 feet to reach under it to where the bilge is. No way to access bilge pump or clean up bilge area.
The transom is for a short shaft so there will be water in the splash well. I thought I might cut the opening then build a raised lip to mount the hatch cover on. Or if I can buy a hatch that is waterproof I would prefer to mount it directly on the splash well floor.
When I was just starting work on this thing I could see that this lack of access to clean out this area was a good start on the demise of transom and floor. Any thoughts? - Ross

[Tim_Mattson]

Magic Wand and a loose pump plate

Ross ,
I used to mt those on Swimstep/Motor mt boxes at Wooldridge and they never, ever sealed fully when dunked repeatedly.
They are even rated them in their literature at 3 psi for water resistance (in perfect world test of course...).A few inches of water will do that easily,usually getting the O-ring soiled after enough trips.If a tighter model is chosen ,then they fight you when removing.
They ended up welding plates over old holes(I regretedly cut in) and later put on the inner transom face.Then they figured out the swimstep was only leaking thru the darn hatch.
Since drain tubes usually never fully drain all or sometimes just not quick enough ,I`d say to put the pump/Float assy on a small heavy chunk of Starboard or teak,and use a small wand to swab the bilge as needed.
I did this in a recent Pac Mariner resto since the 12`` deep sump made access bad for owners ,but easy for grime and leaves to accumulate.
A Nylon clamp(or two) can secure the Flex hose on the way to the bilge outlet,with wires secured to that as needed.
Let me see if I can add a picture if not found right away.Maybe you can decipher what I`m describing....it`s sorta like an Imbilical cord.
TimM

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Holes in Splashwell !

I'm not a fan of putting holes of any kind in splash wells. Some years back there was a 18 foot Bell Boy moored next to me. Semi-restored, looked good from a distance, but needed a few things. Had a newer V-4 OMC outboard installed. SOmeone had cut a hole low in the splashwell so that the oil tank could be serviced from above. I saw that and thought...not a good idea!

Two weeks later had a heavy rain and the boat sunk at the dock. I helped raise it. Two weeks later it sunk again. Lost track of it after that.

Tim

[Yardman]

Tim, Thanks for your insight. After mulling this over for a long time, I bought a hatch cover Sat. I looked at it till last night... I ended up cutting the hole and epoxying the edges up tight. I had installed new ply under it when I had the well out and re did it. Gave me all the access I wanted, and enough room to put the starting battery as well. Kind of like I know what I want to do, but I probably shouldn't. So I guess I'll install it, add water, and see what happens... I had to laugh last night my Dad came in the shop just as I was cutting the hole. I told him my concern about it leaking. He said they put hatches in submarines and sink um to the bottom! Not sure what my wife will say if I drag a sub home to remove a few parts off it. Onward! - Ross

[Tim_Mattson]

Ross,
I think I said this earlier this year, "This wouldn`t matter 99.9 % of the time......"
It`s that .01 % of what you don`t expect that will get you.
And parking the wrong way.....
Making it easy to rig should be trumped by making it easy to stay afloat.
Try the 5 gallon dump test and proceed with caution.
Tim M
aka Capt. Nemo ,the Yellow Submarine pilot......

[Yardman]

Thanks!

You guys are absolutely right! When I posted this question a while ago I thought I might get this reply. What I hoped I might hear is... I used this kind of cover and had great results. When I left for work this morning I thought since I had cut the hole and have a cover I'll give it a try and test it in the shop like you said with a 5 gallon bucket of water. I see the error in my plan and truly held little faith the cover would work. I'll defer to your advice, patch up the hole and continue to prep for paint. Some times I over think stuff like this and it's great to have someone to bounce ideas (good or bad) off of. Thanks. - Ross

[TheBronze]

And parking the wrong way.....

Ouch...