Watertight Compartment

[2nd_apprentice]

My boat has a rather large watertight section aft with everything only being accessible from the cockpit. In theory that's fine but does leave me with a few problems. If I don't want to lead my wiring loom through the cockpit and who'd want to do that. I'll have to drill through the watertight bulkhead.
What would be a sensible approach here?

Edit: OK... forget it. "Somebody" already got an answer to the same question ahem.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

A selection of glands here for single and multiple cable penetrations: -

http://www.directindustry.com/industrial-manufacturer/cable-gland-70675.html

The design of bulk head penetration needs to consider how you mount the actual gland, in addition to distributing the stresses within the bulkhhead around the penetration.

Typically if there are serious structural concerns, the hole will be bigger, strengthened to redistribute stress but with an integral insert that the actual water tight gland penetrates.

For example. You require to penetrate a 20 mm loom. The size of the gland is 40 mm OD. A reinforcing ring (ID 100 mm x OD 150 mm tapered shape is good) is constructed inside the bulkead around the desired penetration point. Then drill through the bulkhead and fit the gland. This is why glands are not super thick, they fit the bulkhead, not the reinforcement. The reinforcement does not cover the penetration point. Of course if its a small hole and there are no issues with stress, just drill and fit the gland.

Aft water tight compartment and bulkhead: steering gear structural supports, possible back stay structural supports, light weight boat - all require due consideration.

If your boat is coded or certified by a certifying authority you should consider their rules for water tight compartment bulkhead penetrations. If not, hey ho.

All the best.

 

[2nd_apprentice]

Great advice, cheers! Since it's a non-structural bulkhead and not subject to stress etc there'll be no need for reinforcement I reckon. Rascal's unsinkability thread brought this back up, especially since I'm now about to fit both LED stern light and Rutland.

 

[Bobobolinsky]

My SA yacht is of steel construction. Originally it was built with three water tight compartments, in the form of anchor locker, engine room and the sugar scoop. Over a period of years of operation, these water tight compartments have been denigrated in one form or another, The water tight door has been removed from the anchor locker, the forrard bulkhead has perforated, the engine room has great big vents cut in it and the sugar scoop has suffered from perforation. It is a requirement of SAMSA, that I have to provide either drawings (Mid seventies, designer a technophobe, thus no drawings), a flotation test(Cost and do I want to sink my yacht?) or three water tight compartments. All the perforations have been made good and finally I am sealing off the engine room (Note there are air intakes to the engine room set in the sides of the coach roof) I am fabricating a penetration to take power and controls to the engine room using an angle frame, with stacks of square polyurethane, squeezed tight by a nut and bolt arrangement and drilled at the joints, for tubes, cables and electrical wiring. I saw this arrangement some years ago on a drill ship and considered it quite a simple elegant solution, not to mention cheap

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Bobobolinsky

http://www.summit.com/industries/ma...gs-Connectors-Boxes-and-Sealing-Solutions.php

I have specified these on projects (Rig).

Regards.