505: Water Tight Bulkheads

On my 588, the forward and aft both are water tight with glands where pipes and cable pass through. Two things though, the aft bulkhead has an opening above the water line for steering drag links to pass so not a big safety margin there. Also underway or healed over it will probably pass water. But more to the point, my rudder shaft enters the hull FORWARD of that bulkhead between the aft cabins. It’s inside its own compartment, but not water tight! I’m aware of the sinking yacht episode and I’m  in the process of devising a solution. BTW for any 575 owners, the same is true.

Arcadia wrote: On my 588, the forward and aft both are water tight with glands where pipes and cable pass through. Two things though, the aft bulkhead has an opening above the water line for steering drag links to pass so not a big safety margin there. Also underway or healed over it will probably pass water. But more to the point, my rudder shaft enters the hull FORWARD of that bulkhead between the aft cabins. It’s inside its own compartment, but not water tight! I’m aware of the sinking yacht episode and I’m  in the process of devising a solution. BTW for any 575 owners, the same is true.

Edited by SVZara - 14 July 2024 at 04:29

kipwrite wrote: The aft lazarette on my 505 is not water tight. There are openings down low, where things like the engine fan exhaust, engine controls, wet exhaust, and genset wiring pass through the bulkhead, and these are not fully sealed. I recently installed a new genset and a starlink - so I'm familiar with these opening. I believe the autopilot wiring is up at deck level and sealed - not that the sealing would make any difference.

kipwrite wrote: Be very difficult to make all this watertight. Have a look and let us know what you think.

jdderijke wrote: SVZara wrote: kipwrite wrote: Be very difficult to make all this watertight. Have a look and let us know what you think.  Yup.  I crawled all around the lazarette today.  It seems the center channel is the only opening leading to the bilge.  I didn't see anything on the sides at all.  Its really too bad that channel wasn't run just under the deck.  That would at least give some leeway and time before the aft bulkhead would have been breeched.  Relocating them would be tricky.  The only other option I can think of would be to fill the area with expanding foam to at least slow any egress.  Time is of the essence in these situations.  Maybe put in some glands, and glass the hole closed. The rudder tube that the post is in seems VERY strong but what do I know.  Very thick solid fiberglass.  If the rudder post was sheered, could that tube withstand the lose end churning around against the sides? All these sinking's from the Orcas taking out the rudder post has kinda freaked me out.  While me sailing to the Med some day is part of my long term dream, its not within the next five years.   I tested the rudderpost and the tube you mentioned. I hired a group of 6 orca's and they had some some fun with it. Rudder was severely damaged, part of the internal (in the rudder) aluminum reinforcement was even sheered of and the top bearing was damaged, steering cables snapped etc.... but..... rudderpost was not bend, bottom bearing survived and the tube was fine... No water ingress whatsoever. Having said that.. i would definitely like a watertight bulkhead in the aft lazarette. (on a side note: Who came up with the idea to design the emergency steering for reversed use... you basically have to lower the bathing platform and stand on it to use the emergency steering. And this is not something you want to do with orca's swimming around the boat or in heavy weather)