1974 Sceptre 20' OB Self Bailing Capabilities

[ssscotty]

A little nervous as my boat will be stored on the water for a week at a buddys house. This is my first classic SeaCraft and I am not sure of its self bailing capabilities sitting at the dock during a rain storm which is like everyday here. I always run with the plugs in. I thought maybe adding ping pong scuppers but the bottom line is with both my batteries in the back compartment along with a Johnson 150 which I believe is 380 lbs, it sits a bit low for my liking. Any thoughts on how I can improve its bailing capabilities for now until I move the batteries and maybe eventually down size the motor weight?

[Bushwacker]

If your scuppers were modified to run out thru the transom, you can use the Raybud ping pong ball check valves, but the scupper exits and check valves have to be above the water enough that they aren't closed when boat is sitting at dock, or it'll be just like leaving the plugs in!

If you still have the original vertical scuppers, not only can't you use the ping pong ball check valves, the flare on the brass tubes tends to corrode over time and they start leaking! I've replaced mine twice in the 40 years I've had my boat, so I'd first make sure yours are not leaking. When you pull the bilge plug after a day of boating, if bilge isn't almost completely dry, you may have a leak around the scupper tubes. I've seen 'em leak as much as 2-3 gallons in about 15 minutes! Don't remember if the Sceptre 20 has a fish box up front with a through hull drain in it, but those fish box drains in CC models have the same disease as the scupper tubes so can also leak. Also make sure your splashwell is absolutely water tight! I've seen many that aren't, but I was always real fussy about that when I had the transom cutout!

If the scupper tubes aren't leaking, you can use the "Vortex"/duckbill type checkvalve invented by forum member Fellowship years ago (PVC version pictured below), or the copper pipe version used by BigEasy1 and mentioned in a recent post. I like the copper pipe version because of the larger flow area, and they're evidently retained simply by gravity. The PVC version, which is simply a PVC slip/threaded adapter with most of one end cut off and whittled away with a dremel tool, is retained by a 7/8" OD/3/4" ID "O" ring you can buy at HD or any hardware store. It works pretty well and I use them when I'm diving when the deck is gonna be wet anyway, since they will automatically drain water off the deck as soon as you start moving. However if you're anchored up and folks are sitting in the back seat, they will slowly seep water. However my '72 with the 427 lb motor sitting 30" back on a Hermco bracket is just barely self bailing at the dock, with the waterline about 1" or less below the deck, and wash down water will drain off with no one in the boat. The decks were raised at least an inch in about '73 when Potter changed from the original Moesly 4-stringer design to 2 large box stringers. The recess around my scuppers is about 1" deep; if that recess on your boat is 2-3" deep, your deck is a bit higher than mine.

As to whether to use the plugs or check valves, I'm very familiar with the Florida 2-4+"/hr rainfall rates in these summer thunderstorms, so guess I'd probably use the vortex check valves IF someone can immediately check on the boat after the daily deluge AND if only leaving in the water for a week. Don't know how your boat sits in the water, but the bow of my Seafari sits deeper in the water than the stern, so any water leaking into bilge runs forward and it would collect a lot of water before the stern mounted pump came on. Some day I'm gonna install a second pump and float up under the bunks, but currently the only way to tell there's any water in the bilge is to step in the back to see if any runs to the back to activate the pump. If boat was to be left in water where I couldn't check on it often, I'd probably leave the plugs in, AND install a second pump, and depend on the bilge pump and a good battery.

[ssscotty]

Thanks for the response. She does has the fish box with through hull drain. Seems like all the scupper tubes are good so far. Had her in the water for over 24 hours island camping a couple weeks ago. Seems like the only water getting to the bilge is when it runs down the inside of the gunnel walls into the side compartments from rain or me washing her. I believe those side compartments were originally carpeted and racked for pole storage. Not sure exactly how the water was meant flow but I am assuming just out the through hole to the deck. For now I will most likely add a 2nd pump and charge up the batteries. Thanks again!