www.iFourWinns.com

I have a 2002 Sundowner, I cleaned out the anchor locker, and was wondering if this is why I got water in the front compartment of my cuddy cabin under the cushion or am I getting this from some place else?

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2002 245 Sundowner
2002 Polaris XC600SP
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500HD

My anchor locker always contains water as the drains are too high, but I don't get water ito the cuddy. I've never checked whether the rear "wall" of the anchor locker on the 245 Sundowner is glassed in, or is a seperate piece with sealant. There shouldn't be any connection between the anchor locker and the cabin, but that doesnt mean there isn't. Maybe if there is sealant in there it is damaged and is letting water through into the storage space. Or, if you cleaned out your anchor locker with a hose pipe, that water sprayed over the top of the "wall" and into the boat. I am not sure it is sealed at the top ( a bit like the open topped compartments in the Titanic that were supposed to make it unsinkable!)

The other possibility towards the front of the boat is that one of the forward cleats or bowrail feet is letting water through, which would run down the inside of the hull beneath the vinyl.

Graham

Thanks, Graham, I'll probably start with Cleaning the anchor locker out again, then emptying the storage compartent of water. Next, I'll pour water back into the anchor locker and see what happens. If no water, it's off to the cleats I go!

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2002 245 Sundowner
2002 Polaris XC600SP
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500HD

I also had this problem because the anchor locker drains are mounted far too high and that the compartment was not sealed correctly to be water tight. I used 3M 5200 to recaulk the back and bottom of the anchor locker to the side of the boat hull. I then re tourqued the bow eye nuts after applying lock-tite sealant. Then I added jam nuts with lock-tite over the existing bow eye nuts.

That was the easy part. To get the compartment to drain I raised the anchor locker floor to the level of the existing drains by spraying in closed cell foam weather sealant and then covering this with a sheet fitted of neoprene while the foam was still soft and could be pushed around. The neoprene was also sealed to the side of the hull and the back of the compartment. I lost some storage space, but now my anchor line is dry and there is no more leakage into the cuddy. If needed (the bow eye ever gets loose) I can cut the neoprene out and scrape out the foam. The biggest challenge was to cut and fit the neoprene just right to have a slope from the back of the anchor locker toward the drains. I used a cardboard cut out and put in lots of time and effort hanging head down into the locker to get it to fit correctly.

The engineer that decided to place the drains so high (because they look good?) deserves a swift kick in the pants. It cheapened and otherwise good boat.

By the way, my boat was delivered with the bow eye nuts only hand tight. So check yours and put some lock-tite on them because the polished stainless steel bolts and nuts have a low coefficient of friction.

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2006 Sundowner 255, 5.7 GXi, 320 hp
"Simply Irresistible"

Wouldn't it have been easier just to install a third drain mounted lower?

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Brett DiMichele

That probably wouldn't be that hard to do. Just drill a hole, cover it in epoxy, and put the same type of cover over it?

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Yeah drill a hole, coat it with gelcoat (might as well, it's not that expensive in small batches) put a stainless Clamshell on it and woolah!

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Brett DiMichele

Due to the design of the anchor locker, a drain is needed each side. Any new drain would have to be within 2-3" of the old one, I think it would look a little strange.

Graham