If I drill a hole....

[NYCSAILOR]

....in the head floor on a '77 fixed keel C-26..will it drain right into the bilge under the companionway ?

OR ...

..do I have to install plumbing to control it and get the water properly there ? I ahve a window or chainplate or deack joint link inthe head area that is getting water into the head...I have been trying to find the source of the leak ( any suggestions .. if my boat has this others had it tooo...) so rather than fight this leak I though I would drill a small drain hole, OR I might put in a proper 2" Perko drain screen with plumbing to the bilge and use it for a shower drain or something...

help trouble shooting this leak might help.... I do see white water marks on the forward inside of the head bulkhead near the portlight... leads me to think chainplates... but the tow rail in the are is bent up and would allow water but the design is such that any water under the toe rail should drain underneath and over the side of the hull ..right ?

[boaty]

Hi, I also have a 77, but mine has the swing keel. My boat had lots of leaks when I first got it. First I resealed all of the port lights then I resealed and reinforced all of the life line stanchion posts. I have one leak left on the starboard side just aft of the main saloon. I know the water is leaking in from the toe rail but I don't know how to fix it.
As far as installing a drain into the bilge. If you look forward, in the port side storage compartment, you should be able to see forward all the way to the space below the stock cooler location, and you might be able to determine weather or not the deck in the head drains into the bilge compartment that you want. I'm not sure that you would want to use it for a shower drain though as there is exposed wood on the under side of the main saloon deck and it seems to me, better to keep the bilge as dry as possible.
boaty

[EmergencyExit]

Am taking EE's head out tomorrow to look into that very area, will let you know. I think Boaty is correct tho, directly under the the head would drain into the area along and in front of the port banquette first, then into the area just under the area between the head door and cabinet which is in front of the cabin sole.

There is a small gap between the cabin sole and the top of the ballast pour that connects to the rear bilge pocket, but I think it sits too high for drainage from under the head unless it was deeper in water than you'd like !

[CaptainScott]

Don't drill to deep!





Scott

[EmergencyExit]

I've wanted to explore a hand shower option in that area between head door and cabinet (which I modified to have a place for a sink a while back) and also need to see about adding a holding tank under our head. EE's isn't legally usuable as its direct discharge and needs a rebuild kit anyway.

So I'm digging in to that area tomorrow..will try and get pics.

[EmergencyExit]

No pics yet - but I did have a look in that area by removing the wood panel to the left of the head door and cutting a vertical section out of the pan behind it. Looks like (at least on a 79 swing keel) that area only connects to the area under the port banquettes, and is much lower.