Firefly625
Well-known member
Rather easier than getting the boat lifted,
Rather easier than getting the boat lifted,
Indeed - and easier than getting a diver to unwrap a sleeping bag from the prop ��Rather easier than getting the boat lifted,![]()
Not a hatch but a whole block of grp that you lift out, fits the complete aperture to seal flush with hull.
Ah thanks. I understand now. Nice! Would be even better if you could drop in a sort of tray with a glass bottom, to give clearer view of prop. You could just make one.
Jeeze, they went the long way round with that red iron work in limiting the rudder angle. Lots of ways to skin a cat but that one is"heavy"! No worries!
Had one on our Newhaven Sea Warrior, very useful, used in anger once to clear a fouled rope.
I was wondering if the water comes slopping over the top of the box when there's a following sea?
I have nightmares thinking about 1 1\2" hull fittings breaking off and flooding the boat; how many seconds would a 2 ft square hole in the bottom of your boat take to swamp a hull?
30 seconds?
Maybe for use only in calm conditions?
RB, not sure you are quite right there, top of the box above waterline (unlike most through hull fittings) when plug in place totally watertight. Water will not come shooting out of it unless you unbolted the box lifted the plug out and then dropped off a 5m wave, or you ran the engine with box removed, both actions would get you signed up in for Darwin award. The box can be refitted in seconds.
Could you open up the weed hatch with big waves hitting off the hull; I'm guessing the wave pressure would be transfered into the open hatch even if it's well above the water line, and the water would come flooding in very quickly?
I'd definitely be opening that hatch very carefully, but I think it could be less of a problem than you imagine. The outboard well in some small sailing boats is quite similar, and the water in those always seems to stay reasonably calm despite waves outside the hull.
Pete
That's what I was surmising.
Its a bit bumpy, you get a lobster pot rope tangled around the prop, engine stops.....
Could you open up the weed hatch with big waves hitting off the hull; I'm guessing the wave pressure would be transfered into the open hatch even if it's well above the water line, and the water would come flooding in very quickly?
Of course I have no personal experience of this, only guessing....?
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My new to me steel dutch pedro style has something similar.
Job #27 remove seized and broken wing nuts, replace and see what happens when I remove the cover.
when I had it open a river taxi went past the boat producing quite a bit of wake as they do, I must say I was interested to see what occurred as the boat rocked around a little, and the water level did not change at all in the opening. I would be quite happy to open up out on the water if needs must. The amount of water that may come slopping over would be pretty minimal and bilges around the box are sealed from the rest of the bilges.