Never seen this before. Had a bunch of people on my Freedom 25. Mostly in the
cockpit.
Nobody further forward than the companionway. Total of about 850 pounds.
Suddenly
someone says, 'look at that". There’s water shooting up through the cockpit
drain holes. I
don’t mean seeping. I mean little geysers. I look back over the transom and see
my cockpit
drain holes are below waterline. So is the exhaust port. I move some people
forward, and
head back. Gotta say, 850 pounds to push a cockpit sole below waterline? Any
comments.
Oh, and there’s this constant seeping from under my fuel tank. Little rivulets
running foward
toward the engine area. Separate issue, but anyone have any leaks like this? Any
ideas?
The 21 does that too. Don’t go offshore with that big a load.
It seems to me to be a fairly serious design flaw. It means that basically,
carrying an extra
eight hundred to a thousand pounds could actually sink the boat, or cause
backflooding in
the engine. I know I’ve packed that many people on board my old folkboat, also a
25 footer,
and it didn’t force the cockpit sole below waterline. So, how much weight can
the F25 safely
carry?
Would the problem really be that serious? The exhaust has a lift
hose up to a point just under the deck (I hope) so only when the
boat is in the water up tp the deck there is a chance of flooding
the engine.
Also, I would think that an F21 or 25 will be able to carry an extra
1000 lbs when it’s stowed evenly.
When we had or naming ceremony on or F44 we had 15 people in the
cockpit. The nose was up and the exhaust hole was only just above
water.
The 21 does that too. Don’t go offshore with that big a load.
It seems to me to be a fairly serious design flaw. It means that
basically, carrying an extra
eight hundred to a thousand pounds could actually sink the boat,
or cause backflooding in
the engine. I know I’ve packed that many people on board my old
folkboat, also a 25 footer,
and it didn’t force the cockpit sole below waterline. So, how much
weight can the F25 safely
carry?
Posted by Herman and Gail Schiller (hschiller2@…>)
Folks,
Perko makes flaps that fit over the exit ports on the
transom. In addition, there is no danger posed by the little water
that floods in; no way will it get high enough to flow over the
bridge deck. Lastly, design (engineering) of a boat is always a
compromise. For a 25-footer, the Freedom 25 has one of the most
comfortable cockpits, featuring high seat backs, and a deep cockpit
sole with self-baling. Doing all this, and being a light-displacement
boat with excellent performance, means you have to aquiesce to making
the drain ports one-way with a retrofit. Lastly, do not load the
cockpit in the manner of NYC Subway cars at rush hour; put some of
those folks on the foredeck, some in the cabin, and some in the
cockpit. Doing this will minimize the back-flooding.
Going Offshore with a F-25 requires centering the load in the cabin,
and only if the weather’s perfect and the captain and crew are
knowledgeable sailors.
Comparing a Folkboat to a Freedom 25 is comparing oranges to bananas.
The 21 does that too. Don’t go offshore with that big a load.
It seems to me to be a fairly serious design flaw. It means that
basically, carrying an extra
eight hundred to a thousand pounds could actually sink the boat, or
cause backflooding in
the engine. I know I’ve packed that many people on board my old
folkboat, also a 25 footer,
and it didn’t force the cockpit sole below waterline. So, how much
weight can the F25 safely
carry?
1 thread a length of bungee cord through the drain holes
2 get an old tennis ball (or a slightly larger ball if necessary) and
cut it in half
3 punch a hole in the centre of each half of the ball
4 thread and knot the bungee cord through the hole ensuring that the
rounded section is pointing towards the drain hole
Once in situ the bungee cord can be tightened sufficiently to draw
the half balls onto the drain holes, effectively closing them off.
Never seen this before. Had a bunch of people on my Freedom 25.
Mostly in the cockpit.
Nobody further forward than the companionway. Total of about 850
pounds. Suddenly
someone says, 'look at that". There’s water shooting up through the
cockpit drain holes. I
don’t mean seeping. I mean little geysers. I look back over the
transom and see my cockpit
drain holes are below waterline. So is the exhaust port. I move
some people forward, and
head back. Gotta say, 850 pounds to push a cockpit sole below
waterline? Any comments.
Oh, and there’s this constant seeping from under my fuel tank.
Little rivulets running foward
toward the engine area. Separate issue, but anyone have any leaks
like this? Any ideas?
Hi
Really interested in your ‘tennis ball’ fix for the cockpit drains but can you clarify what you do with the other end of the bungee? Does the knot, tennis ball etc go on the outside of the boat and then the other end of the bungee get cleated off on the inside? Sorry to be dim…
I used a similar system in the past on sailing dinghies where a hook
cleat was fitted to the cockpit floor & the bungee loop under tension
just hooked over the cleat. However I have a simpler system on my
Freedom 21 for when I have a cockpit full of guests - I take two
champagne corks which conveniently swell to about the right diameter for
the F21 tapered drain tubes & pass a loop of 2mm diameter line through
the corks so that I can lean over the back of the transom & push a cork
up each drain tube from outboard so it wedges in place leaving the loop
of line protruding that can be used to remove the corks.
To fit the 2mm line loop just drill through the cork along its axis &
take a loop of thin stiff wire - pass the loop of thin wire through the
cork & pass the loop of line through the wire loop & just pull the line
loop through the cork, tying off the line loop in an overhand knot when
the required length of line loop is protruding. When you leave the boat
remember to take out the corks or you risk filling the base of the
cockpit with water & flooding the boat if you are blessed with the wet
climate like the UK. Be sure to match the taper of the cork to the
taper of the drain tube - that is to say the smaller diameter end of the
cork goes into the tube first & the line loop protrudes from the larger
diameter end of the cork.
Enjoy the champagne to get the corks or if teetotal pick them up from a
local bar or alcoholic friend. I have been sailing with this system for
about 2 years and I have never had a cork dislodge yet.
Not sure if this trick works with the Freedom 25 cockpit drains - maybe
they are larger diameter than the F21?
Hi
Really interested in your ‘tennis ball’ fix for the cockpit drains but
can
you clarify what you do with the other end of the bungee? Does the
knot,
tennis ball etc go on the outside of the boat and then the other end
of the
bungee get cleated off on the inside? Sorry to be dim…