Cockpit Canvas Infill

[Roach1948]

I am thinking about Roach’s original non-self-draining cockpit set-up. This is her only really design major flaw.

It really would be very hard to make it self-draining and reluctant to raise the sole any higher than it is.
It has been mentioned to me that in the past canvas infills were used in the cockpit. I am not sure how these helped, was there some sort of drain in them plumbed directly to a pump or something?

Anybody had experience of using a canvas infill? Trying to work rule in or out alternative methods of making Roach withstand a pooping more effectively.

 

[Poignard]

This is explained in one of Eric Hiscock's books. The cockpit has a loose canvas lining with a handle at the bottom. If you get any water in you lift the botom of the canvas liner above the level of the deck and the water runs out over the lee side.

 

[Roach1948]

Gosh, read both his reference books and don't recall that tip.

At first glance, there seems to be two problems his technique.

The first is where does one place onself when you lifting the handle, as I resume one will be in the cockpit standing on the bottom?

Secondly, wont the thing have a tendency to trun inside-out? I suppose this could be solved by lashing the infill somehow.

 

[Poignard]

"Cruising Under Sail" page 51

 

[Peterduck]

This appears to me to be one of those great ideas which are better in prospect than in practice. A cockpit of 2ft width, 2ft depth and 5ft length is going to have volume of 20 cubic feet; with water at 64 lb/cu.ft that is more weight of water than I could lift!
Peter.

 

[Poignard]

He does say he had it fitted in a small yacht and never used it!

I guess it was one of those very old fashioned yachts where you sat on the deck and the the cockpit was simply a small box set into the deck, into which you put your legs.

I agree it doesn't seem a very practicable idea. Just when the crew are recovering from the shock of being swamped in bad weather they have to get out of the cockpit whilst some strong person [immune from sea-sickness] reaches down and gropes for the handle, then hauls up the heavy bag of water and tips it over the side.

 

[Sequoiah1]

This may be totally impractical for you but I do remember seeing a cockpit that converted from sea going to harbour. At sea it would be raised and drained outboard through the transom, in harbour it was lowered allowing comfort at rest. This only applied to the cockpit well which slid up and down on lignum vitae slides built in to the well sides. It looked like a great idea but I wander how often it really got used. You could make your cockpit well watertight and have a sump pump fitted so if you do get pooped then you pump your well dry. Better than draining water in to your bilge and over your engine.

 

[Poignard]

[ QUOTE ]
You could make your cockpit well watertight and have a sump pump fitted so if you do get pooped then you pump your well dry.

[/ QUOTE ]

You could do that, and also reduce its volume in some way when at sea so that it holds less water when full, e.g. stow your liferaft [if you carry one] in the cockpit. Or convert the seats into watertight boxes.

 

[Seanick]

Just putting two and five together.......that trysail that you have that has never done sqiddly..........so you think Roach really has a problem in the cockpit department??????

 

[Roach1948]

I'm not sure Nick. She is buoyant, that is for sure, but I seem to be nurturing some ambitious plans and prefer to have all bases covered (excuse the pun).

 

[mickshep]

On my 5 tonner I had a canvas 'bucket that fit the cockpit as described with a bilge pump that had a flexible hose that dropped into the 'bucket'. Another good idea I saw was a plywood cover that dropped on top of the seats in rough weather making a false deck. The idea was that any heavy water that came aboard went back over the side under it's own steam. Wouldn't be water tight but the idea is more a water deflector, than a replacement deck and would only work on a smallish cockpit. Mike.