FB Scuppers below waterline

[Boston_FB]

Admin Comment: I split off this group of posts from another topic because although somewhat similiar, the boat is a different model and might confuse the original topic. Boston FB you can edit this post by clicking the "Edit" button in the bottom right of the post.

I also purchased a Aquasport this winter and have been dealing with a similar problem.  She's a 1970 22-2.  Here's a pic (hoping pic is visible as this is my 1st post):



Looks like she's riding with normal displacement to me.  However, the drain holes that reside in the recessed drain area under the engine bracket (drain gutter) are below the water line.  Therefore, the previous owner had them plugged as do i unless I am planing during which I can unplug and drain any water.  

However, after the first few rainy days while she was on a mooring I realized that i need to keep the deck plate open so that water will run into the bilge and get pumped out by the float bilge pump.  Seemed to me that solution was not good because water would always be in the bilge with my 40 year old stringers that I'd rather keep in the best shape possible.

So I installed an above deck autopump and ran the discharge out the stern over the transom.



This works very well to keep the rain water out of deck and bilge and was a snap to install.  So I'm perfectly happy with this solution though i am still puzzled as to why the boat was designed this way and it surfaced one related question that I'm hoping one of you can answer for me.  If you look at the above pic there is another drain hole on the starboard side of this drain gutter (left side of the pic, just under the power leads from the pump).  I have no idea of the purpose of this hole.  I can reach under the deck an feel a fiberglass tube from the gutter heading directly towards the starboard side.  However, there is no through hole to the starboard side or to the hull.  Water occasionally drains into the gutter with some old leaf pieces that must be resident in the "source" for this drain.  Can anyone help me better understand more about this drain hole?

Thanks, Adam

[gran398]

Adam, welcome aboard!

Your boat has been redone in the past. Per the photos, new floor, new drain area at the stern. The drain area is larger(wider) than original, and of different configuration....which is actually good.  Where the pictured scupper was meant to lead to...don't know. But not original. Glass it up when you can.

Our 22-2's will hold water at the stern...with a stern load (i.e. two big boys). Designed to and will self-bail at rest, empty. Unless other weight issues are present.

Thanks for a great first post....and welcome!

[fitz73222]

These boats were designed for the engines of the day and time. For OMC a 115 was the biggest motor in the line up; Mercury was a 125 all around 275# +/-. With a V6 as you have with power trim, oil tank, stainless prop adds another 100+# which is enough to make the difference. These boats had this inherent problem with extra stern weight. The price you pay for being a pioneer of the self bailing skiff. These boats in 66' were advertised with twin Homelight/Bearcat 55 fourstrokes that were nothing more than 60 cu in jeep engines designed to run vertically so they must have had to deal with that weight; maybe the scuppers remained plugged on those early hulls or mounted higher to remain self bailing as advertised; we can only speculate now.