Non Boat Specific Cockpit drains

K

Kelvin Hartnall

I'm inspecting a 1999 Moody 40 with some issues with water in the bilge. We'd plan to replace all the seacocks with new TruDesign composite seacocks, but I have a question about the design of the cockpit drains. The drains have glassed in stand pipes that go above the water line and then have flexi pipes that go up to the drains in the cockpit. But there is no seacock on the drain so if we ever accidentally broke the fibreglass standpipe, there is no easy way to close off the drain, other than with a large cork bung. So I'm wondering if we should change this too and remove the stand pipe and add a large seacock to the bottom of the drain. My questions are:

Does anyone know why it was designed this way? I've found a manual and it seems like Moody designed it this way?
Has anyone had issues with the cockpit drain standpipes cracking or leaking?
Do you think we should remove these and add seacocks?

Many thanks!
 
My 2000 M36 has the same. I have never heard of any problems. They seem to be very stoutly constructed, as one would hope.
 
Hi Kelvin,

I guess the answer really depends on how robust and well supported the grp standpipes are. Certainly on our earlier M425 the cockpit drains are flexible from the cockpit down to 1.5" seacocks at the aft end of the engine space. I'm not sure I could readily class one approach better than the other, but would say that with the standpipe approach it's important for the top end of the standpipes to be well secured so that it isnot possible to apply significant bending loads to the root. If the standpipes are robust and well installed, that approach has the benefit of being entirely passive and ensures that the cockpit will always drain properly, rather than being dependant on opening the drain valves.

Peter.l
 
Hi Kelvin,

With respect, it probably one issue you don't need to bother with. The pipes are well constructed and the system allows for gallons in the cockpit to just drain away, so a big wave won't cause issues. We have the same system and I really have no issues with it. If you had seacocks, that would mean doing away with the standpipes, fitting through hulls, having large plastic pipes in the foot of the engine room making the whole thing susceptible to fire. I suspect the fire risk is the reason Moodys did it that way.
 
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