Helia 44: Draining water from upper lounge area

[onthehook17]

Cheers to all you Helia owners from Let It Be.

When it is raining hard, water pours from the upper lounge area, down the steps and into the cockpit. FP seems to have designed a drain plan that allowed water to fall between the step pictured below and the lounge area floor and then down the step support tubing to empty onto the helm floor via 2 holes at the base of the step tubing. The drain is woefully inadequate.

My question: Has anyone taken up the step pictured below and enhanced the drainage capacity? I like to know what I face before I start taking stuff apart.

Second question: Has anyone attempted or been successful at pulling the cockpit beer fridge out of it's enclosure? I have tried and failed several times when pulling wire, hydraulic lines, etc in the space below this cockpit fridge. It seems to be glued in place.

Thanks again for your ideas.

[Lady Roslyn]

Hi there. We own a Saba 50 with the same design issue. We have solved it by 1. Removing the step (8 screws and loosening sikaflex). 2. Drilling bigger holes with a small hole saw at the top of s/'s downpipe. 3. Refitting step with plenty of sikaflex or silicone so the water is directed towards the holes and especially does not come out of Base 8 screws 4. Once step is fixed, making 2 small 'dam walls' at the top step sides so water cannot flow towards the front of the step but rather is directed and dammed to go towards the pipes. 5. Drilled bigger holes at base of pipes so water can flow out easily (we are Saba 50 hull #1 which had very small openings as base of pipes. I have seen subsequent boats with bigger holes so am not sure what your hole size is). Then... just before the step starts (about 40mm back and onto the sundeck area) we have mounted a strip of 40x20mm Flexiteek trim to act as a dam (i.e. The step drain is actually now the secondary drain) and just in front of the Flexiteek strip we drilled a hole in the vertical fibreglass and fitted a drain which has a white plastic flexible hose attached to it which is sikaflexed neatly along and under the side and base of the helm seat. On the outer side we have manufactured a s/'s tube which is the same diameter and is mounted at the same parallel angle as the stairs s/'s pole. Into that is plugged the white flexible hose and at its base is a s/'s tube which directs the water onto the outer deck area. It works very well and has eliminated almost completely any water into the cockpit area.
In addition, but which I have not yet installed, I have cut a piece of polycarbonate which is about 20cm high and is the same shape as the vertical sides next to the top step (not exactly parallel). It is 10mm thick and I am about to mount 2 aluminium 10mm vertical channels to the sides by the step so that the polycarbonate sheet slides down the channels and creates a big dam wall or washboard which will direct all water to the drain. At the moment if the boat is underway and it has been raining, the rocking back and forth can cause some of the water to flow over the Flexiteek strip. The washboard will keep all water from the step so that the area at the helmsmans feet stay dry by preventing any water from flowing down and out the step tubes.

I am not at the boat at present. I live in South Africa and our Saba is in Italy. I will be there in around 6 weeks and could send pictures if my above description does not assist you sufficiently.
Cheers
Nic
LADY ROSLYN

Sent from my SM-N920C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[cwjohm]

I agree. The holes are too small out of the factory. I had mine enlarged under warrantly. I have no problems at all now.

[onthehook17]

I started this thread and appreciate the feedback. My wife and I put our heads together and took a different twist on the lounge deck drainage which I will try to explain.

The primary component involved draining water from the area at the top of the lounge deck stairs. #1. We removed the top fiberglass step, moved it starboard as far as possible and enlarged the drain hole to 1 1/8". #2. We modified the stair unit going up to the lounge deck. Kato Marine in Annapolis cut off the bolt at the bottom of both ladder rails, closed the drain hole, and welded on an exterior support plate and a 4 inch long drain pipe that would accept a 1" ID flexible water hose. #3 We ran water hose from the bottom of the stair rails to 2 plastic fittings that drain into the well between the cockpit and salon. Access to the underside of the stairs is through the speaker hole; I have never been able to remove the cockpit fridge. Test if you can reach the back of the drain well before drilling; think skinny with long arms. Total cost about $600

Secondly, we added a shower threshold behind the helm station port side backrest to keep water from draining onto the helm seat. Threshold came from Home Depot online. Cost $47

Third, we custom built a 3/4 inch thick block of King Starboard to keep water from draining into the helm station where the main traveler and port side jib sheet traverse under the lounge deck. Cost $3

Not much rain lately to test our drainage; however, it handles a garden hose flow very well.

Let me know if you have questions. I hope this is a contribution and helps the next person doing the same project.

[overextendedfp]

Originally Posted by onthehook17

I started this thread and appreciate the feedback. My wife and I put our heads together and took a different twist on the lounge deck drainage which I will try to explain.

The primary component involved draining water from the area at the top of the lounge deck stairs. #1. We removed the top fiberglass step, moved it starboard as far as possible and enlarged the drain hole to 1 1/8". #2. We modified the stair unit going up to the lounge deck. Kato Marine in Annapolis cut off the bolt at the bottom of both ladder rails, closed the drain hole, and welded on an exterior support plate and a 4 inch long drain pipe that would accept a 1" ID flexible water hose. #3 We ran water hose from the bottom of the stair rails to 2 plastic fittings that drain into the well between the cockpit and salon. Access to the underside of the stairs is through the speaker hole; I have never been able to remove the cockpit fridge. Test if you can reach the back of the drain well before drilling; think skinny with long arms. Total cost about $600

Secondly, we added a shower threshold behind the helm station port side backrest to keep water from draining onto the helm seat. Threshold came from Home Depot online. Cost $47

Third, we custom built a 3/4 inch thick block of King Starboard to keep water from draining into the helm station where the main traveler and port side jib sheet traverse under the lounge deck. Cost $3

Not much rain lately to test our drainage; however, it handles a garden hose flow very well.

Let me know if you have questions. I hope this is a contribution and helps the next person doing the same project.

john here helia 44...Great idea... but let me ask you a question how did you get to the back of those through hull fittings where it drains out to secure them as well as put hose clamps on

[onthehook17]

In order to get to the back of the fitting, attach the hose, and tighten the hose clamps you have to clear everything out of the compartment under the helm station and the cockpit fridge. Then you have to physically crawl into this compartment head first and use every bit of arm length that you have. Woe to the person with really short arms that tackles this project.