# WATERPROOF DECK PENETRATION



## epanzella (Apr 27, 2022)

While installing the bilge pump the previous owner of my boat just drilled a hole in the weatherdeck and ran a hose thru it. The deck being a glass/wood/glass laminate the wood core was exposed to water. I turned a tapered wood bung and glassed it into the hole after removing the hose. Nearby was an 8 inch deck plate so I made a waterproof fitting to allow connecting a hose on the bottom from the pump and another one on top to exit the hull. I sized the fitting so that the SS hex nuts below the deck would be trapped against the PVC pipe acting like a lock nut. This made it impossible to get a socket on the topside bolt heads so I turned them round and made them slotted screws with my recently completed slitting saw. This was my first real job with the slitting saw and I'm a happy camper.


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## DavidR8 (Apr 27, 2022)

Nice work. I had to fix a number of deck penetrations on the sailboat I used to own. 
I ended up using a length of bent wire to scoop out the punky balsa and then filled the void with West epoxy.


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## benmychree (Apr 27, 2022)

Hard to imagine why someone would discharge bilge water on deck, much better to discharge it over the side of the hull.


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## mickri (Apr 27, 2022)

One train of thought is to have the bilge pump outlet directed into a cockpit scupper.  The noise from a bilge pump is easily drowned out by other noises when underway and you might not notice the typical red warning light.  Especially during the day.  Bilge water flowing into the cockpit will get your attention in a heartbeat.


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## epanzella (Apr 27, 2022)

benmychree said:


> Hard to imagine why someone would discharge bilge water on deck, much better to discharge it over the side of the hull.


It wasn't discharged on deck. The hose came thru the deck and then went to a thru hull fitting to discharge overboard.


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## matthewsx (Apr 27, 2022)

Sailboats are always a labor of love....


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## cross thread (Apr 29, 2022)

What kind of sailboat ?
Mark .


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## woodchucker (Apr 29, 2022)

matthewsx said:


> Sailboats are always a labor of love....


and a hole in the ocean where your money goes..
All boats are like that unless you are making money from it.

Sailboat fittings are so expensive, even simple catches for the lines.


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## Bi11Hudson (May 1, 2022)

Then there is the tale about the electronics _expert_ installing a new depth guage. He drilled a hole in the hull for the transducer while the boat was in the water. I have heard this tale to varying degrees from the Atlantic side of Florida to Palau.(near Phillipines) Don't know if there is any truth, although the tale had to come from somewhere. But a landlubber working on a boat is a hazardous thing.

.


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## matthewsx (May 1, 2022)

Bi11Hudson said:


> Then there is the tale about the electronics _expert_ installing a new depth guage. He drilled a hole in the hull for the transducer while the boat was in the water. I have heard this tale to varying degrees from the Atlantic side of Florida to Palau.(near Phillipines) Don't know if there is any truth, although the tale had to come from somewhere. But a landlubber working on a boat is a hazardous thing.
> 
> .


My San Juan 7.7 was hit by lightning before I got it and sank to the bottom of the bay because a through hull fitting of some sort blew out from the surge.

Then the next owner (first owner who was a fellow club member upgraded) rewired the whole boat with extension cords and glassed over any through hulls. I heard he was a medically discharged coastie with a head injury 

When I bought her I fixed a lot of stuff including the wiring, I was ABYC Marine Electrical certified so hopefully I did it right. I did eventually install a speed sensor since I was racing and knowing how fast you're going is kinda important. That I did on the hard though, Michigan does have that advantage that you're hauling out every year whether or not you like it....

John


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