cockpit lockers

[meldrum]

I am replacing the wooden cockpit panelling and framing, on my yacht, due to rot etc. I wasnt really happy with the old design of the water channels around the locker lids and want to change the design, as they were hopeless. anyone got any pointers on design, construction for wooden cockpit lockers

 

[Peterduck]

I know what constitutes a good design, but putting it into a few words here is out of the question. You really need to get hold of some good, comprehensive books on boatbuilding, the more the better. You'll never read too many because there is usually more than one valid way of doing anything.
Peter.

 

[Seagreen]

I'm in the very middle of this myself, rebuilding a cockpit.

All I can say is, I'm trying to increase the shedding efficiency of the locker tops to channel water into the bottom of the cockpit and thus the bilge drains, by making a sealed opening and making channels round the lids, in oak, and screwing using ss screws. Unlike the previous owner who used epoxy, I'm putting them all together with sikaflex, as this stays flexible when stood on, unlike epoxy which cracks, lets in water and rots. I'm also using (purists cover your eyes) pressure treated garden timber for the non-critical battening as this will all be treated and painted, yet id made stable already. And I have lots left over from a garden project.

I also have raised the sole to make the cockpit self draing with all he water side faces sealed with sika, adn goood draind into a seacock.

All typos courtesy of the bottle of wine I've drunk. However, Iwas at anchor, well ashore actually, at the time, so no harm done, mr ladyman. Honest. so there.

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[old_salt]

Heres some pics of my re-built cockpit.

I hope this helps. I have an air cooled engine so hence the extra bits and air ways.
Cheers David.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

Oooh that's luvly. I am thinking about the possibility of rebuilding my cockpit. I'm not really keen to have more holes in the transom but self-draining would be a possibility, at any rate it would benefit ergonomically from being shallower than at present. One dilemma is the question of air circulation; Border Maid has probably lasted 60 years partly beacause there are no enclosed under-bunk or cockpit lockers, so plenty of air circulation. A more enclosed cockpit could promote rot, don't you think? (Sorry for the thread drift.)

 

[cliffordpope]

What's that little slot O-S at the rear of the lowest side plank in your first picture? It looks from the picture as if the lockers are integral with the cockpit well - does something stop them filling with water from the cockpit?

I'm thinking about weight of water. Someone once pointed out when calculating for a self-draining cockpit, don't forget that the boat will sit appreciably deaper in the water when the cockpit is full.

 

[old_salt]

The slot is the outlet of the run down from the seat top, there is one froward and one aft on ether side, you can see the runaway that collects from the cockpit aft thwart and air way each side of the after seat end in the second photo, Just can be made out is the forward starboard cockpit sole drain in the third photo.
As I mentioned we have an air cooled engine an Enfield so the cut outs in the inner cockpit sides are air ways they have sliding closures and internally is a system of water way drains and drains to feed any water to the cockpit well, at the top of the double sided run down can be seen the run out from under the port aft seat back edge (the one without the seat-top it is just the hinge bit). there are two self draining cubby holes as well they are the forward ones of the cut-outs.
It's a bit complicated but seems to work quite well when we tested the set up, we chucked a couple of big buckets of water at the seats and cockpit sides and the drains and air way system drains worked fine.