Leaking Anchor Locker / 26X

[sailfish02]

My anchor locker is leaking down onto the V-berth. The rubber that goes between the locker downspout and the nipple that goes outboard is all tore up on top. It's weird, like it got eatin' by something or was installed poorly (probably). Anyway, it's tighter than a son of gun trying to get my paws up in that little area to even feel for it, let alone put in a new piece of hose.

Anyone ever tackled this problem ?

[Highlander]

Sounds like a hose job to me !!!

I cut out two holes in that floatation "tank" under the anchor hatch to give me access to both sides of the bow when installing my double anchor roller/ bowsprit I almost cut through that hose this allowed me to remove the floatation for access to that area & also that hose, then covered the holes with matching deck plates
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 010005.jpg

after removing the floataion here you can see the end of the hose that attaches to the anchor locker drain spout
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 010007.jpg
On the M you can remove the front cover at the bow to access the bow drain spout
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 010011.jpg

after replacing your hose re-install the foatation & cover the holes with 4" or 6" deck plates or you can buy cover plates which are cheaper are made by Tempress they also come in the same colour as the M interior here is a 6" or 8" can't remember would have to go out to the boat & measure but this gives you some Idea
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 0044-1.jpg
Their is also a slot on both sides of the floatation tank about 4" x 12" for ventalion so that the moisture does not colect in their but you cannot access their because of the floation I plan on gluing on some window screening to cover these slots so as the bees & the like cannot access them from inside the cabin once they get inside the boat also in the aft berth rear corners hope this helps

J

[Rick Westlake]

Not exactly - but I did have to get my paws up in there when I installed my heavy-duty bow cleats.

Someone had cut a large access hole in the V-berth headliner under the anchor locker - I thought it was factory work, but inspection of other 26X boats has proven that it wasn't. It was covered by a screwed-and-glued white fiberglass plate. I unscrewed and pried it off, then pulled out and stacked aside the flotation foam (there is a lot, and it can get crumbly and messy around the edges). This gave me enough room to get my hands and my tools up into the bows of the boat.

The big advantage of working from inside, as I did, is that you won't have any worries of compromising the strength or the watertight integrity of the anchor locker.

As long as you've got the underside of the bow open, I'd recommend that you can (1) install a U-bolt to secure the bitter end of the anchor rode, (2) install some serious bow cleats, and maybe (3) install an anchor roller if you'd like one.

[DaveB]

Rick, on the earlier Xmodels there was a access plate under the Anchor well, approx. 2ft x 18 inches. Think they stoped doing that in 1999.
Dave

Not exactly - but I did have to get my paws up in there when I installed my heavy-duty bow cleats.

Someone had cut a large access hole in the V-berth headliner under the anchor locker - I thought it was factory work, but inspection of other 26X boats has proven that it wasn't. It was covered by a screwed-and-glued white fiberglass plate. I unscrewed and pried it off, then pulled out and stacked aside the flotation foam (there is a lot, and it can get crumbly and messy around the edges). This gave me enough room to get my hands and my tools up into the bows of the boat.

The big advantage of working from inside, as I did, is that you won't have any worries of compromising the strength or the watertight integrity of the anchor locker.

As long as you've got the underside of the bow open, I'd recommend that you can (1) install a U-bolt to secure the bitter end of the anchor rode, (2) install some serious bow cleats, and maybe (3) install an anchor roller if you'd like one.

[sailfish02]

Thanks you guys....great advise. I guess I'll just cut out a bigger piece of the liner because it doesn't go all the way forward anyway. Patch it with what, I wonder ?

I think I will put another cleat on, but you don't put the u-bold inside the locker do you ? Doesn't seem sturdy enough

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

The early X's did have a factory installed access plate, it is made of the same black plexi used elsewhere.

http://macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=277

[Captain Steve]

my 98X has a white plexi access plate like Duane's black one

[Rick Westlake]

Thanks you guys....great advise. I guess I'll just cut out a bigger piece of the liner because it doesn't go all the way forward anyway. Patch it with what, I wonder ?

I would imagine you could find a suitable 1/8" panel of some structural/architectural plastic at a lumber yard or a building-supply store - maybe even at Home Depot or Lowe's? Please pardon me, this is just speculation, but that's where I'd look for something suitable.

I think I will put another cleat on, but you don't put the u-bold inside the locker do you ? Doesn't seem sturdy enough

Yes, I did put the u-bolt inside the locker - all the way up in the bow end, about an inch below the top of the locker. It's a fancy Wichard u-bolt, self-sealing with a heavy elastomer base on the "U" side and a stout backing plate behind it. I didn't mount this bolt to take the stress of anchoring - just to secure the bitter end of the anchor rode, so I don't lose the whole thing overboard in an anchoring goof. (One mistake - I should have put it in vertically, rather than horizontally. Then any stresses on it would be lengthwise rather than crosswise.)

You can just see it (or the tag for it) in the photos of my anchor locker, in the "Tool Time!" section of Bossa Nova's website. That page also shows the underside of one of my heavy-duty bow cleats, so you can see how I backed them.

Hope this helps - Rick