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So after 2 years of building and finishing my GP14 I finally get to see another GP14 x 3 on the Association stand Sunday last. It was also good to put faces to the names of some of the enthusiastic association organisers. While inspecting the 3 GP14’s on the stand I became aware of a number of hatches that are cut into the floor etc. Mmmm my new build has none!!! I’ve since checked my plans and they say to cut 6 in total, 1 just forward and either side of the centre-board case. 1 either side in the rear floor just behind the side seats and 1 in each rear side buoyancy tank. Question, is this still the norm? Seems strange to me to cut holes in airtight areas so please put me right if really necessary.
Windy
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Yes, it is normal. It always used to be regarded as good practice to periodically ventilate the buoyancy tanks, although I am not totally sure that it is so necessary when all interior surfaces are coated with epoxy, and when there are absolutely no leaks from any cause. I confess to having become lazy about doing it; I must remind my godson, the present custodian of the boat, to do it … …
The jury may perhaps be out on whether they are indeed strictly necessary, but if there is any doubt at all about the integrity and continuity of the internal epoxy coating they are certainly then necessary. And if you get any water into the tanks via the drain bungs, or via damage, ventilation then becomes important.
I suppose also that it is difficult to be certain that your buoyancy remains totally dry if you are unable to inspect it.
Certainly hatches are normal.
I did find with mine that in the early days the hatches tended to leak, but I solved this problem by sealing the threads before screwing them tight. On some occasions I used heavy outboard grease to seal them, and one other occasions I used PTFE tape; both methods appeared to work, and to produce a watertight seal.
Oliver
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Hello
I’m sure someone on the technical side will comment. My understanding is that the earliest series 2 wooden boats were considered to have too much buoyancy low down, leading them to invert very quickly. I think it was the builder was Derek Jolly who considered this to be a dangerous situation so the holes were cut to allow the spaces to flood.
Regards,
Norman Day
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Thank you gentlemen for you reply. As the Dinghy stands at the moment I am fully confident with it’s integrity as all surfaced are double epoxied. Water getting in via bungs is a small worry so will look into getting extra ring seals for periodic replacement. It looks to be a relatively easy job retrospectively to cut the hole for an inspection hatch with a trimmer ( small router ) and a top bearing cutter if used with a template.
Looking at your pic. Oliver I see 4No. hatches, I take it you have 2 more forward. Is that a self bailer down in a cut out alongside the plate case, if so is this something just on the earlier dinghies?
Thanks Windy
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Yes, and yes.
Two more hatches forward; but I have no photos that show them clearly, and I no longer have that boat.
Self-bailers in the two pockets beside the centreboard case. My understanding that that this is normal in Series 2 boats except for certain ones pioneered by Alistair Duffin (sometimes referred to – unofficially – as Series 2A) which instead of self-bailers have permanent drain slots direct into the centreboard case. The latter modification is reputedly fine for racing, but can be a problem if sailing with three adults aboard, or with two adults plus cruising kit such as camping gear, when the boat sits a bit lower in the water; it has been reported that the permanent drain slots can sometimes then flood the cockpit floor.
If you don’t have self-bailers fitted I would recommend that you consider fitting them. They do a different job from the transom scuppers, and in ten years of extensively cruising A Capella (and very occasionally racing her) I found that I used both. The self-bailers were routinely used, almost every time I sailed, provided there was enough wind, for getting rid of small quantities of water (spray, waves breaking aboard, water brought aboard on the feet, etc); the transom scuppers were used just three times in ten years, to get rid of serious quantities of water following capsize (two of the capsizes were my own, and one was by a friend who had borrowed the boat).
Oliver
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Hmmmmm
these things I think fall into the catergory of being far easier to while in build than after! I don’t mean to assist you in kicking your own backside for not putting them in but I would certainly be inclined to leave out any that access to cut is excessively difficult. I have found a large holesaw to be a far better tool for cutting these than the old fashioned lots of holes and a jigsaw method and this will help access, as well as make it easier to get them symmetrical. The hatch in the bow tank and two side tanks should be pretty easy to do, the floor may be more of a challenge. That said does it really *need* 4 in the floor? the two at the front allow access to the bow tank bunghole that should be under the false floor to allow drainage (If you didn’t put one in you aren’t the first and wont be the last!). The two at the back serve no real purpose at all besides ventillation. The rear two are probably the hardest to get the holesaw into and on that basis i’d leave them as built. Those need to be under the stern deck, else they’ll get trodden on and broken.
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So, no self bailers on my self build as I have what Oliver calls an unofficial (Series 2A) with the plate case slots.
Norman, I think you are talking about the cut-outs in the side tanks to allow flooding when capsized. In Olivers photo they do seem small in area compared with my own build which has much larger cut-outs, all within the rules though.
Chris, thanks for comment. The bow tank hatchway was cut on the bench pre-build and it’s in through this that the 2 front bungs are accessed. Re the large hole saw, having experience with such like animals over my working life I have at time regretted using them although still a much better option than a jigsaw which would be difficult to turn anyway. So my weapon of choice in this case would be still be a small trimmer in side a circular template as depth could be set exactly. But for now will leave all alone.
Thanks Windy
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