Well deck drainage

[Balloon]

Hi

my well deck has a little slot at each side at the rear, to allow water to drain out. However, the water doesn’t drain out but puddles in the centre. I think it’s a combination of the fact that the trim of the boat means it doesn’t slope back enough, and that the centre of the well deck has, over time, slightly sagged to an imperceptible degree, but enough to create a puddle at the centre. 
 

What’s the easiest/best solution to this please?

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, Balloon said:

Hi

my well deck has a little slot at each side at the rear, to allow water to drain out. However, the water doesn’t drain out but puddles in the centre. I think it’s a combination of the fact that the trim of the boat means it doesn’t slope back enough, and that the centre of the well deck has, over time, slightly sagged to an imperceptible degree, but enough to create a puddle at the centre. 
 

What’s the easiest/best solution to this please?

 

Have a cratch cover - it'll stop the water getting in there.

[Balloon]

Thanks, but I would prefer not to have a cratch cover. I like the open well deck. Is there another solution? 

[David Mack]

Shift some ballast so the boat leans to one side - at least while you are not boating.

[nb Innisfree]

Jack centre of deck up, or, cut and weld in a recess for a skin fitting to drain outside via pipes and second SF. 

 

ETA: Or some sort of leveling compound 

Edited February 4, 2022 by nb Innisfree

[Balloon]

Interesting. I wonder if I could Jack it up? Hadn’t thought about trying that. 
 

I don’t really think listing to one side is an option I want to take as I live aboard. 
 

levelling compound…? What is that? 

Just looked up levelling compound. That looks really interesting. So if I got the boat to trim bow down, and put levelling compound. And then restored the usual trim. It’d be downhill in the well deck? Am I right here? And is it ok putting that directly on to painted steel?

[nb Innisfree]

14 minutes ago, Balloon said:

Interesting. I wonder if I could Jack it up? Hadn’t thought about trying that. 
 

I don’t really think listing to one side is an option I want to take as I live aboard. 
 

levelling compound…? What is that? 

Just looked up levelling compound. That looks really interesting. So if I got the boat to trim bow down, and put levelling compound. And then restored the usual trim. It’d be downhill in the well deck? Am I right here? And is it ok putting that directly on to painted steel?

Only experience I've had is using blacking to level up to the top of a basin plughole I fitted in the rear deck drain channels, worked ok but being in a channel it never got stepped on

[Tracy D'arth]

Seal up the scuppers and let the well deck flood. Then you have a free paddling pool!

[ditchcrawler]

6 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Seal up the scuppers and let the well deck flood. Then you have a free paddling pool!

 

[Slim]

The only self levelillg compound I'm aware of is for concrete floors prior to some form of flooring being laid. Not sure hoe it would stand up to being regularly wet. 

I have my doubts as to whether jacking up would have any lasting effect. What caused the deck to crater? Excessive load ? metal loss (rust?) 

I agree with an earlier post, a cratch cover would be the best ,lasting solution. I don't like them either but needs must. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

8 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Seal up the scuppers and let the well deck flood. Then you have a free paddling pool!

Let it fill to the gunwale and you have an infinity pool!

[Balloon]

I’m not sure why it sank either. There’s nothing underneath it to support it so I’m guessing just people treading on it over time. It’s not rusted and it’s not noticeably sunk but it’s obviously just enough to allow a small pool of water. Is this a common issue then? I note the recommendation for cratch cover…do others do this for this reason?

 

my 10yo daughter would bloody love the paddling pool idea but I fear rust would soon follow. 

[PaulJ]

3 minutes ago, Balloon said:

I’m not sure why it sank either. There’s nothing underneath it to support it so I’m guessing just people treading on it over time. It’s not rusted and it’s not noticeably sunk but it’s obviously just enough to allow a small pool of water. Is this a common issue then? I note the recommendation for cratch cover…do others do this for this reason?

 

my 10yo daughter would bloody love the paddling pool idea but I fear rust would soon follow. 

Could be a bit of bonginess caused by when it was welded. As others have said try jacking it up from underneath-you could always leave an upright bit of 2x2 wedged under if it pops back again.

[TheBiscuits]

2 hours ago, Balloon said:

Thanks, but I would prefer not to have a cratch cover. I like the open well deck. Is there another solution? 

 

Good for you! I don't like them either.

 

More diesel and less water in the tanks trims me nose up so the well deck drains better.  Or just move some junk aft for similar effect.

 

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by TheBiscuits
spellink

[Balloon]

5 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

Could be a bit of bonginess caused by when it was welded. As others have said try jacking it up from underneath-you could always leave an upright bit of 2x2 wedged under if it pops back again.

Yeah, I was considering propping it up. This might be a project for tomorrow. Thanks

4 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Good for you! I don't like them either.

 

More diesel and less water in the tanks trims me nose up so the well deck drains better.  Or ust move some junk aft for similar effect.

Ah I can tell you don’t know me. Too skint for more diesel. Too anxious for less water. Too minimalist to own junk 🤣

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, Balloon said:

Yeah, I was considering propping it up. This might be a project for tomorrow. Thanks

Ah I can tell you don’t know me. Too skint for more diesel. Too anxious for less water. Too minimalist to own junk 🤣

 

Coal bags moved aft works well.  If you have water anxiety store the spare containers on the stern ...

 

The thing about diesel is you don't use any more of it if your tank is full, you just have more in reserve!  And a better trimmed boat, obviously.

[Balloon]

Do people consider a boat well trimmed if it slants aft, then? I always quite like mine level. 

Maybe I’ll have a rethink. The fuel boat comes next week. I’ll fill up and see how the deck looks

[blackrose]

4 hours ago, Balloon said:

 

What’s the easiest/best solution to this please?

 

Easiest, but maybe not the best. You can buy big ones (1m x 1m) from Homebase for about 17 quid out just cable tie some small ones together and cut to size to do the whole deck. It does tend to collect leaves and other detritus though so as long as you don't mind pulling them out to hose down the deck every so often. The puddle will still be there but at least it means you're not always stepping in it.

 

[Boatingbiker]

Why not overplate the area complete with a centre support to give a high point in the middle ! or have i missed something !

[Balloon]

2 minutes ago, Boatingbiker said:

Why not overplate the area complete with a centre support to give a high point in the middle ! or have i missed something !

This is more along the lines I thought I’d have to go down. I take it this is possible then? And I’d just need to ensure the existing well deck is completely dry beforehand to prevent moisture in between…?

[blackrose]

26 minutes ago, Boatingbiker said:

Why not overplate the area complete with a centre support to give a high point in the middle ! or have i missed something !

 

Yes, you missed the word "easiest".

[Balloon]

Ah. It seems as with anything, there’s a definite choice between easiest and best. 

[Tony Brooks]

Without a photo of the OP's well deck it is hard to know why the deck bowed and we also do not know if it is the water tank top. I suspect it is not. However when I bought JennyB the well deck had a nasty spring in it. This is with a separate stainless tank underneath. I found rust between the top angle iron reinforcement and the side locker fronts had rusted between the two and snapped a number of what looked like plug welds. I cleaned the rust and that involved snapping/cutting a few more welds and then drilled through the front and angle iron and bolted both together with a line of 6mm roofing bolts (head end outwards, nuts below the iron angle). This stiffened the floor up more that I could image so I wonder if there are any side lockers where similar has happened or has rusted through at the floor-locker side joint.

[Bee]

This all depends on being able to get at the underneath, if you can then wedges. props, or some such things will sort it, it also depends on not doing something horrible to the top of the water tank if that is what lies beneath. It might be important to spread the load so that you don't jack or wedge against something quite important - like the bottom of the boat!

[ditchcrawler]

14 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Easiest, but maybe not the best. You can buy big ones (1m x 1m) from Homebase for about 17 quid out just cable tie some small ones together and cut to size to do the whole deck. It does tend to collect leaves and other detritus though so as long as you don't mind pulling them out to hose down the deck every so often. The puddle will still be there but at least it means you're not always stepping in it.

 

And rust underneath it