# tired of wet feet



## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

so i wouldnt call my cockpit self bailing. best i can come up with are drains/scuppers dumping into my bilge. any other ideas?


----------



## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

If you want a good answer you'll need to provide a lot more info. What boat, motor, why is it retaining water, post some pictures.....


----------



## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

firecat1981 said:


> If you want a good answer you'll need to provide a lot more info. What boat, motor, why is it retaining water, post some pictures.....


Pathfinder 17t. Occasional baitwell splash. Random spray from running. water left after throwimg nets, etc.Currently its set up with two plugs I can pull on each side that, but thats a pain and I'd like to remedy this issue.


----------



## anytide (Jul 30, 2009)

drain to bilge, removable rubber matting will help with anti-slip /water and cushion those little toes.


----------



## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Get a motorcycle. Haha. 
There are a bunch of trail running shoes and hiking boots out there that are gortex. That's what I wear in the winter. Summer time in just expect to have wet feet.


----------



## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

firecat1981 said:


> If you want a good answer you'll need to provide a lot more info. What boat, motor, why is it retaining water, post some pictures.....


Pathfinder 17t. Occasional baitwell splash. Random spray from running. water left after throwimg nets, etc.Currently its set up with two plugs I can pull on each side that, but thats a pain and I'd like to remedy this issue.


----------



## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

CurtisWright said:


> Get a motorcycle. Haha.
> There are a bunch of trail running shoes and hiking boots out there that are gortex. That's what I wear in the winter. Summer time in just expect to have wet feet.


trust me, its not a case of vaginitis. my toes arent getting cold, etc im just done accepting having wet feet in my boat. also tired of peoples dirty azz feet getting wet and tracking crap all over the decks


----------



## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

You might try a mat called Shiba you can buy at the Container Store that you can snap together and cut. Easy on the bare feet. Made in Japan. Nice colors. Or try a different skiff. (Best option)
http://images.containerstore.com/ca...t1_1200.jpg?width=560&height=560&align=center


----------



## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

I have the same problem in my 17t. I usually keep a sponge or a microfiber around to pickup the water. Its a PIA

Ive seen one that glassed in the scuppers and put a ss drain in the rear center of the floor. 

I would like a clean solution also but havnt come up with anything yet


----------



## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

does the boat have any water in the cockpit at rest without the scuppers?

Mine has about 1/2" and it drives me crazy.


----------



## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

fjmaverick said:


> I have the same problem in my 17t. I usually keep a sponge or a microfiber around to pickup the water. Its a PIA
> 
> Ive seen one that glassed in the scuppers and put a ss drain in the rear center of the floor.
> 
> I would like a clean solution also but havnt come up with anything yet


yeah, was just looking at the big yellow sponge and towel i carry and decided ive had enough. 
Just something i dont like about dumping water into bilge. im thinking about putting a drain in the rear center, connecting the hose with inline pump to the existing outflow of the 5 gal rear well. make sense?


----------



## zthomas (Jan 14, 2014)

fjmaverick said:


> Ive seen one that glassed in the scuppers and put a ss drain in the rear center of the floor.


The 17T I bought recently, a 1998, has no drains in the cockpit corners, just an open hole about the diameter of a ping pong ball on the center line.

Ironically, one of my next steps is going to be drilling holes and installing drains. Like blackmagic, I don't like water dumping into the bilge. Admittedly, I come from an offshore background, but to me it seems all kinds of unsafe, since it leaves you completely dependent on your pumps, wiring, and electrical supply to get water out of the boat. And none of those are exactly fail-proof.

Also, I can say from experience that washing down is a major PIA without corner drains. The fact is, water on deck doesn't collect on the centerline. So that means using a squeegee (or your hands) to "sweep" the water toward that little hole in the middle. Not fun or efficient. The same is true on the water. Water on deck collects in one corner or the other and has to be manually pushed to the centerline.

I've been thinking I'll just leave the hole to the bilge even after installing overboard drains but keep it, like the drains, plugged until it's needed.

I really like blackmagic's idea of connecting the drain via hose to the baitwell drain. The issue there is that at least on my boat, there's bulkhead of some kind extending all the way across the boat, directly underneath the front of the aft deck. There's at least one limber hole on each side, but if you ran a hose through it, you'd severely restrict bilge drainage.

The only way I can see to reasonably access that bulkhead would be to cut the plastic floor of the aft compartment.


----------



## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

yeah, i cut a hole in the bottom of that box a long time ago when i installed baitwell plumbing. these boats are extremely rigging unfriendly


----------



## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

Pulled the boat after work today. Mine is an 02 with the factory scuppers. As you see it is still wet and will be unless under way a little over idle speed (without scupper plugs). I cant think of a safe way to modify it as I leave my boat in a slip on the weekends. This is right after I left the dock and didnt bother with the rubber plugs since the ramp is just down the canal.

Heres my "wet feet"... Hope the cut on my foot doesnt get that nasty bacteria...


----------



## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

Those are some sweet looking jorts


----------



## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

yobata said:


> Those are some sweet looking jorts


not my usual boating attire but thats what you get at 5pm right after work


----------



## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

great illustration of where the problem is. as soon as i regain use of my other arm, im going to figure it out. my buddy with a tailfisher had 3 openings all dumping into the bilge.


----------



## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

I also forgot about the time my drunk neighbor called me after climbing all over my boat looking for a bilge pump switch because he thought the scuppers were a vent for the gas tank and looking at the waterline he thought it was sinking....

I was less than impressed


----------

