flooded buoyancy tank

Hi,

Rain water has managed to flood the sealed front buoyancy tank in my old wooden mirror. Any suggestions on how to drain this please??

curlew's picture

I think you must mean the bow compartment. I suggest making a hole low down in the bulkhead so it can drain into a stowage compartment and into the boat. You can put a proper drain plug here. Alternatively put a hatch into the bow deck and then pump out the water. How did it get in? Tapes around the deck peeling off maybe, and the centre strip is not very well sealed.

Many thanks for your comment. Yes bow compartment is what I should have said. The boat got tipped forward in the boat park, so when it rained I guess all the water ran forward through into the stowage compartment and beyond. She's pretty old and shabby so I'll check all the tapes although I couldn't see an obvious leak.

PuffinInTegel's picture

There should normally be one drain hole at the bottom of the front bulkhead of each of the storage compartments. If they were not plugged and your boat was stored bow-down, that would be how water got in the bow compartment.
It pays to store the boat bow-up (I have mine on the launching trolley so that I launch bow-first, then that means the bow is up in the air when on the dry - see photo) because it's easier to dry out the sternsheet buoyancy tank (it's also easier to fit an inspection hatch there).

bow up

curlew's picture

I store my boat nose down. I have made a small hole in the bow transom at deck level to allow any rain water to get out.

PuffinInTegel's picture

David, have you got an inspection hatch anywhere in the bow compartment?
If not, you are relying blindly on the interior to be dry at all times.
I'm still debating about installing a hatch but don't want it on the front deck. Putting one in the front bulkhead is not easy, though.