Why are my cockpit drains run like this and can I change them ?

[clockwork orange]

How far from the transom from the back of the cockpit? If the cockpit sole is a foot above the water i would run a couple of fiberglass tubes straight through the transom and skip any hoses, valves, through hulls etc that are failure points. The very best cockpit drains are open transoms as even though water can come aboard in some conditions it also leaves quickly. Obviously, this would not be appropriate on an old Irwin but you may be able to install much larger drains than would ever be possible with through hulls. I have a Lindenberg 26 which has a pair of 1.5" pvc tubes running straight out the transom. I do not subscribe to the theory that the designer or builder had a good reason for what they did, i've seen too much stupidity. I had a C&C 24 once that had a cockpit sole over a foot above the w/l but they chose to slope the cockpit forward about 2/3rd and aft for the front third and had 2 x 1 1/4" drains at the junction that merged into a single 1 1/2" seacock. I have run tubes out the transom on a few boats over the years and put flaps on them like on powerboat exhausts if i feel it may need it. We did one boat where it pretty much never had any water come back in under sail but the boat tended to squat under power and some water came back in but only at the aft end, adding flaps prevented this.

[KP44]

Originally Posted by OldManMirage

Is there some dynamic here I am unaware of ? As long as the runs are "downhill" the water should drain, yes ? Or would a sailboats normal heeling affect this too much ?

My 45' center cockpit cutter had two 1 1/2 inch cockpit drains with hoses through my engine room with a seacock starboard and port. I thought the hoses were too vulnerable. In any engine fire, they could burn and sink the boat. If (somehow) a rat got onboard, it could easily gnaw through one of the hoses and sink the boat if unattended at the dock.
I removed the seacocks and throughhulls and glassed over the holes. I rerouted both drains to the port side above waterline. When the boat is heeled to starboard, I expect the cockpit will not drain. At anchor, it drains perfectly. We have a very dry cockpit. It only sees water when it rains or when I use the washdown.
I got rid a perceived hazard (real or not) and removed 2 big holes in my hull.
Think it through and do what works for you.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by KP44

My 45' center cockpit cutter had two 1 1/2 inch cockpit drains with hoses through my engine room with a seacock starboard and port. I thought the hoses were too vulnerable. In any engine fire, they could burn and sink the boat. If (somehow) a rat got onboard, it could easily gnaw through one of the hoses and sink the boat if unattended at the dock.
I removed the seacocks and throughhulls and glassed over the holes. I rerouted both drains to the port side above waterline. When the boat is heeled to starboard, I expect the cockpit will not drain. At anchor, it drains perfectly. We have a very dry cockpit. It only sees water when it rains or when I use the washdown.
I got rid a perceived hazard (real or not) and removed 2 big holes in my hull.
Think it through and do what works for you.

I'm not sure I like this solution. In fact it sounds very much like what the OP has now - and it sounds like it still involves hoses - which are still prone to fire or rats as noted.

Scorpius is steel so the cockpit drains are just two lengths of 1 1/2" stainless steel pipe welded straight down from the steel cockpit floor to, and through, the hull below (the cockpit floor is not high enough to cross them). They exit below the waterline which is fine with me since they are so solid and welded in. I get some growth in there but, because they are short and straight, they're easy to clean out and, when I do the bottom paint, I just swab some through the drains. Yes I sometimes get some water up through the drains onto the cockpit floor but it doesn't bother me.

[OldManMirage]

After studying the situation more, I have come to believe that the builders put the drains where they are mostly to be able to access the seacocks. Which is still not that great IMHO. In fact, getting to most anything around the rear of the engine requires emptying out the largest cockpit locker I have.

But as we all know most sailboats are a compromise somewhere, and apparently this is mine.