Sealed Compartments

Posted by Kurt Maurer on Apr 9, 2005

Shoot, Mac... ain't nuthin' lazy about it. If you don't want hatches, then don't make hatches. (BTW, I changed the header for future archive-searchers.)

There's a thread on this very subject going on over at the Guillemot KBB, but here's the crux, other'n the usual drill-a-1/16"-vent-hole...

Will N. wrote: "To dry out a dead space with only one opening - without using an electric fan - simply split the opening. A piece of cardboard? This will create a convection flow. (Physics Prof would burn a candle at the bottom of a long bottle, it would quickly snuff itself, but when he split just the top inch of the long neck an efficient convection would keep the air moving.)"

Dan G. Wrote: "Whether you realze it or not, you do want hatches, or you don't want bulkheads. The issue is larger than just condensation. Sooner or later, you're going to want to reach into that space, even if it is with nothing more than a tool of some sort taped to a stick. Even if condensation and perssure equalization weren't issues, you'd leave yourself with no way to make repairs or to make a whole host of topside hardware additions.

But like you, I didn't want to have hatches in my deck, and I didn't need them for stowage of camping gear. So I put hatches in the bulkhead itself before installation. Easy job, and since it's neither seen or exposed to all that much water, many of the usual drawbacks of hatches are simply gone. And it turns out that I do actually use them for gear now and then, after all."

Kurt Hisself takes a stab at it: Make your bulkheads from minicel foam, cram-fit them, and then they can be removed. Or use inflatable float bags and forget bulkheads altogether, and save weight.

You're Welcome. Kurt

ps: I got in a ton of rolling practice yesterday... the water's finally getting warm enough to just play in! Next year, I'm getting a wetsuit. Just thought you'd like to know...

In Response to: Being Just TOO Lazy by Mac on Apr 9, 2005

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