An automatic bailer for deck puddles
Issue 65 : Mar/Apr 2009
This is not an original idea. We copied it from fellow sailor and Good Old Boat publisher Michael Facius. After all, we figured, if it works for Michael and Patty on their C&C 30, shouldn’t it also work on our C&C 30 and many other sailboats with similar toerails? After three seasons with excellent results, we are able to give the chamois drip cloth idea two satisfied thumbs up.
On any boat with a toerail that stands somewhat proud of the deck, standing water will form a puddle at the lowest point on the deck. This puddle will be as deep as the bottom of the lowest hole in the toerail unless a drain is there specifically to remove it. This is not rocket science. But it is annoying nonetheless. The C&C 30’s toerail has perforations from bow to stern. Although miraculously handy for attaching docklines and headsail-sheet leads, they do trap a puddle near the lifeline gate, where the sheerline dips to its lowest point. If these boats have been anchoring, as ours does frequently, make that a puddle of muddy water. This puddle evaporates slowly and leaves behind caked mud, rust rings, mildew, and perhaps even moss in some climates.
Maybe he didn’t invent this idea either, but we noticed that when Michael left his boat unattended, he installed a square of chamois through one of the toerail perforations at the low spot on each side of his boat. With the help of a faux chamois, available from the auto section of the local big-box store, the puddle magically drains away.
Now, whenever we leave Mystic at the dock for any length of time, we do likewise. The chamois cloths last about a season before they’re so battered and worn that we have to replace them. Since we can cut several squares from the material contained in one package, we consider it to be a very inexpensive way to remove the rainwater that would otherwise stand on the deck in our absence.
Karen Larson and her husband, Jerry Powlas, founded Good Old Boat magazine in 1998. They sail a C&C 30 named Mystic on Lake Superior.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
