Flybridge bench and deck drains

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

I really hate the way Hatteras drained the port side L bench and port side flybridge deck. I've read and posted on this issue with other 55C owners in the past. Basically, the port side of the flybridge and the L bench drain under the bench. Water then backs up in front of the helm. The drains are also easily clogged. In the past, I've passed copper from the back bench corner through the helm and off the aft port side of the FB. But, washdowns or rain with the glass up just makes a mess. There's no way, with all that dampness, to take advantage of that huge space.

So....I've dealt with it. I opened up and beveled the single drain hole on top of the L bench. There, I installed a short stub of heavily flared 1/2" copper pipe.

Of course, the area is inaccessible, so a 7" deck plate was enough to fix that. If you've ever wondered about the stoutness of the flybridge seating on a Hatt is, wonder no more.

From there I ran 1/2" copper and hose against the back of the bench as shown.

Now, a 1/2" thru hull carries the water out on the starboard side of the helm where gravity finishes the job.

Back under the L bench, I closed off the unneeded holes in the deck drain pipe. Those holes allowed deck water to spill out under the bench until it eventually drained out. Since the holes were just slightly above the deck, any boat out of level left some casual water. Now, port side deck water drains directly overboard thru the OEM pipe. The huge storage space under the L bench (seats unto seven) is now useful clean stowage.

 

[brettportzer]

This makes me wonder, so, on our 43DC the whole topside of the boat essentially has no drains, except off the back corners... So this means that when it rains, etc, that all of the water has to run the whole length off the boat and out the back.

I have seen where people talked about diverting the water off the side, etc, but that involves digging into the cap rail.

I wonder if you could do a suitable drain on each side at the back of the pilot house and plumb it to a through hull...

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

This makes me wonder, so, on our 43DC the whole topside of the boat essentially has no drains, except off the back corners... So this means that when it rains, etc, that all of the water has to run the whole length off the boat and out the back.I have seen where people talked about diverting the water off the side, etc, but that involves digging into the cap rail.I wonder if you could do a suitable drain on each side at the back of the pilot house and plumb it to a through hull...

On Aslan, the port FB deck drain is plumbed out. The rest of the FB drains as you described.

 

[Jammin']

This makes me wonder, so, on our 43DC the whole topside of the boat essentially has no drains, except off the back corners... So this means that when it rains, etc, that all of the water has to run the whole length off the boat and out the back.

I have seen where people talked about diverting the water off the side, etc, but that involves digging into the cap rail.

I wonder if you could do a suitable drain on each side at the back of the pilot house and plumb it to a through hull...

I think it's way too much water for that. I've got notches in the rail, but I still need to make Starboard diverters. It still won't get all of it, but I'll settle for most of it. When waves are breaking over the bow, forget it.