moving a thruhull - question

I had a frozen seacock. I couldn't replace it because you couldn't screw the new one on the thru hull without hitting the engine block which was added by a previous owner. So I'm moving the thru hull - I've glassed over the old hole and I'm now trying to figure out the placement for the new one. I of course have hit a new snag.
There is a strip of about 1" wood (I think) that runs along the length of each cockpit locker. Now this is in the way.

Does anybody know if this is structural or can I cut off a piece to make way for the thru hull? And what would be the best way to cut it off? I would usually use a dremel with a cutting blade but getting a cutting blade that close to the hull is giving me cold sweats.

I looks to me like the strip was there to hold the old pegboard in place.



Thanks
Robin

Does it go parallel to the storage bin. It might be structural
does it connect to another piece of wood which then forms a square
or more like a rectangle under the cockpit. If it does it might be structural

John

A photo would be most beneficial.
If this piece is on the hull and it is pretty much exactly under the run of the cockpit and, as you say, looks like it was put there to keep the pegboard in place... then it's probably been added.

If it has been added it would probably be plain wood. If it was Pearson and is attached to the hull it probably has some matt over it, like the stringers. And if Pearson did it, it would probably be mahogany. A 1" strip of wood on that part of the hull isn't structural.

If PO did it then you can tediously cut it with something... small skillsaw or small hand saw or a makita grinder loaded with a flapdisk sanding pad. A PorterCable D-handle router with a 1/4" bit in it might be useful and controlable. Possible to reach in thru the lid. You could clamp a very tewmporary piece of scrap as a fence on the piece you want to remove to help control the router... and the cut. If you did it that way you could lower the bit in stages, for good control.

Given the impossibility of any real prep by the PO, just a few cuts to get it into chunks and knocking it out with a hammer might be the ticket.

But if you are going to mount your new seacock there what's going to happen with the pegboard?

The lil strips glassed in on #50 were to hold the peg board.Can see to right in pic. If yours are the same they are not structural and there is LOTS of thickness to the hull at that point...cut away :)

Goes to show the latter versions like 338 were stripped down. The plywood 'bridge' stiffner (338 has an OB auxillary) under the cockpit held the pegboard from slipping into the bilge.

Wouldn't think of those stops as structural.

338 had the old straight thru thruhulls plugged and still in place. PO's managed to put in seacocks lower down and slightly more forward but still close to the originals.

338 has had its forward scuppers 90ed and run out the back. Not entirely radical, but it does away with the thruhulls being in the way.

Be great if somebody with an inboard and a successfull cockpit scupper system would reply.

One possible problem is connecting stiff impossible to bend below waterline approved hose to a seacock at a radical angle. The original drain position was probably the best. But ofcourse if you put a seacock there it would be at at crazy angle. Which maybe why Pearson chose the easy way out.

Maybe Frank knows: there may be some prebent metal helix radiator hose available. The metal would rust tho. Maybe some plastic helix hose could be shop heated and formed in a jig. Don't use any hose that will kink or, if you get it from the marine store, is not rated for constant immersion, like the cockpit drains. The most one can expect from heavy hose is a very simple bend. And easy fair slips onto the fittings.
Good luck.