Twisted Sheets asked me question about his 12M that started me thinking. The original question was :
There is a small compartmented open bilge under the deck boards in the forward cabins. These two small compartments in each hull do not drain to the main bilge on my boat. I am curious that someone might have glassed in the drains, thinking that this would somehow keep the boat
safer in a collision or something. My thought on it is that there must be some kind of crash chamber build into the 12M under the fwd. hanging lockers. The two open bilges aft of that should drain into the main bilge, so that all water goes to the low point in the hull and gets pumped out. At least, that’s what I hope is the case. Do you happen to know anyone who would know if these boats were supposed to be like that?
This got me thinking about my 8m, where the engine lockers (aft) do not drain into the (lower) main hull bilge, but there also seems to be a small crash-box far forward in each hull. I therefore have two pumps on each side. An electric bilge in the main hull, that is rarely used. And then a large manual that is used much more often in each engine compartment aft. I think that the engine compartment is designed to be isolated from the main bilge. Or was this a modification? Certainly if the water level rises enough, (perhaps 8 inches or more) water can seep through various small wiring holes that have been added over time.
On a previous cat I had, the forward crash-boxes were notorious for getting soggy, and many had drain plugs fitted. Is that the case with Catalacs?
