Commander 104

[ericmacv]

Just had second big flood since taking ownership of C104. Boat is in very poor condition. I just sat in the boat in a thunderstorm working on some wiring and watched the cockpit reach the entrance door level. Is there a stop cock. No blockages are obvious and I even went under in a thick wet suit to see if there was any obvious blockage underneath. I couldn't find the exit hole(s). If there isn't a hidden stopcock, what is the best way to clear a blockage. Any help is appreciated. :cool: Cheers

[SkipperJer]

Scupper drains are just below the water line a little aft of the location of the scuppers in the cockpit. Get into one of the quarter berths with your head aft, feet to the bow. Look around under the seat aft of the bridgedeck bulkhead. Should be something like a pipe coming up from the hull connected to a hose, connected to a pipe coming down from the cockpit floor. Some have had seacocks installed. Some just have sturdy hose double clamped at both ends. In warmer waters the outlets could be clogged from below with critter growth. Drains could be clogged from above with accumulated debris.

BE CAREFUL. The waterline is above where the hoses are clamped. Have some plugs handy before you go rooting around down there. If the hoses break it will be hard to stop the water. Welcome to the long process of recovering an old boat. You might want to put it on land for a few weeks to work some things out.

[Ed Ekers]

I am going to make a guess and suggest that a PO installed seacocks at the drain outlets. If so and they are closed the cockpit will fill with water after a heavy rain or snow melt. Here is a thread that speaks to the issue of seacock installation.
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?1287-Cockpit-Drains-Revisited&highlight=drain
Maybe this will help……ed

[Lucky Dawg]

Nice spot to work on an old boat!

[carl291]

If your out and about in Bermuda , there is another Commander there, I believe it's #93 UNHOLEY co-owned by a nice Canadian gent named Andrew. He's done some reconstructing of his boat and may offer some help to you. if you should meet up with him, I had his address somewhere.
I thought MI was a nice spot to work on an old boat.... long rebuilding season!!

[ericmacv]

After I confirmed that there were no sea cocks, I tried a sink plunger and it took a while, but it worked. The warm water is the cause I am guessing so the boat now has a new item in the tool kit. :) Thanks for all those who came to my aid. I was hand bailing the 4 inches out of the cockpit and running the bilge pump once a day for the past week during the worst thunder storms for a few years, so this was s relief to get fixed. To Carl 291, I don't know Andrew, but there are lots of commanders in Bermuda. I will post a picture of the idyllic bay I am moored in once I get my mast back up. The next mooring is also a commander which is super cool. :) Eric

[Bill]

Hey Eric, please get the hull numbers off those other Commanders! Skipper names and contacts would be nice, too. Helps us update our ACYA yacht db.

[ericmacv]

sure thing !! If I can, I will ;)

[ericmacv]

before the bleaching started

[captcraig]

Hello Eric, I will be making a mast base for my boat in the next week or so. If your still in need and haven't anything in the works let me know. I can make two without much more trouble than making one. Going down to 3 degrees tonite here in OKC, OK. Bet you wish you could be here, lol. Of course shipping to Burmuda might be costly. Mailed a package to Canada a few weeks ago and it ran about 20.00 more than usual. I would be happy to help if I can.

[ericmacv]

I am a newbie to larger boats and so I am keen to get some experience under my belt. I have been working on building a mold with the cabin curve and bow/stern slope from plastic wood and strong card, on a wooden base. Then using the mold to build up a fiber glass mast step block with the right base dimensions ready for shaping drilling etc. . It has worked well so far, I am almost ready for the first fitting. With my power sander and a good eye I am hoping to make a more durable replacement. If I mess up I can always make another from the mold. :) However I truly appreciate your kind offer of help. When I get it to work, I will post the pics of the mold and step . Cheers !!

[captcraig]

Sounds like a good idea, looking forward to seeing your work. I am looking at a wood called Osage Orange. Its hard as a rock and nearly impervious to rot, but your fiberglass will be better I would think.

[ebb]

WoodenBoatForum
google Building Peterson's "Susan" #9

Certainly one of the most amazing photographic records ever of building a really marvelous ship.
Used osage everywhere.