Anchor locker cavity

[JeffMendenhall]

Today my wife and I were replacing the fabric on the walls around the V berth. The area in the forward V was damp. As I scrapped away the old fabric, I found this black silicon plug in the wall between the birth and the anchor cabinet. I pulled the silicone out and it was some sort of passage. So next I go up and pull the rope out of the cabinet and notice there is a fiberglass passage built in there that is about a foot and a half long. However, I cannot tell where it goes.

Anyone have any idea what this passage is and where it goes? It was not full of water or anything, but damp. And yes we had rain yesterday. Trying to figure out where this dampness is coming from.

Thanks for any help.
Jeff

 

[Dasch Boat]

I never noticed a cavity between the anchor locker and the front of the v berth on my 88 WE. I did have the fabric get wet though. What I found was that water would overflow into the locker from around the hatch and would actually run across the underside of the deck back towards the cabin (yes defies gravity). Simple fix is to make a drip edge by running a heavy bead of caulk from port to starboard on the underside of the deck. This will cause the water to drop down into the locker where it can drain out. Worked on mine.

 

[JeffMendenhall]

That makes a lot of sense, I noticed that when I was upside down in the anchor locker or cabinet yesterday.

The cavity I am referring to actually looks like a tube that was built into the wall, but the hump or tube is inside the anchor locker and the hole that was sealed with a large glob of RTV is in the wall entering the cabin. The fabric was original that I was removing, so it had to be put in there by the factory. Bought ready to fiberglass over the stupid thing.

Thanks much

Jeff

 

[twomad]

I'm my 88 we,the wires for my windlass goes thru that tube into the locker

 

[JeffMendenhall]

Now that makes sense. but I think my windlass is an after market so it does not go through there. Thanks, now I know I can plug it off.

Jeff

 

[tacconelli7]

I am going to plug mine as well. It is draining right down the nose onto my fabric.

 

[JeffMendenhall]

I tell you, the entire anchor locker is a stupid design, drain into the berth, tiny drain hole to go outside that is easily plugged,and the worst part is there is a gap on the roof, so if any moisture is collected on the roof, it trickles down behind the mirror.

Anyway, to fix my rant items, I filled the cavity with foam, the fiberglassed over the hole, and ran a bead of calk along the roof to act as a diverter. So far my leaks have stopped. Oh yeah, and got to keep the deck hardware tight and sealed as that is where the roof moisture was coming from.

 

[SCORPIO]

Where is that plug you found? Is it inside the compartment with the mirror? I'd like to check mine to see if its sealed since I have no windlass.

 

[JeffMendenhall]

The plug is behind the fabric down below the mirror. If you look in the locker and see where it stops, that is where it penetrates the wall into the locker. Mine was filled with rubber silicon or something but after 20+ years was leaking.