Wet seats

Has anyone here taken steps to eliminate the low spots on the fore and aft, outboard corners of the cockpit seats? Always seemed to be a big puddle of mud, algae or water there. Now that I've started working on 113 I'm wondering if I should take steps to alleviate this. Maybe when the boat is actually FLOATING IN WATER instead of on a trailer there isn't actually a problem with pooling water. This board has pointed out in the past that there is indeed pooling water on the side decks but I don't think the cockpit seats have been mentioned. 'Seen some tritons with drains but I don't want hoses hanging down in an already cramped galley. Today I was thinking of building up the corners 1/2" but maybe that would just channel the water to my butt.

Tony,

After a rain, my Ariel #330 has standing water on the deck in the vicinity of the port and starboard mooring cleats. Wiped it up today, I did!This is true both with the Honda 7.5 OB motor (approx 70 lbs+)in the lazarette locker and with no motor on board. This has been discussed in the "Pooling Water On Deck" thread in this forum.

I have never had a problem with pooling water on the seats in the cockpit or on any other part of the boat. This is true both with the Honda 7.5 OB motor in the lazarette locker and with no motor on board. As soon as the rain stops, the seats dry quickly. My boat is in the water and the top of the boot stripe seems to be more or less parallel to the water line.

The side decks in the vicinity of the mooring cleats would drain, were it not for the "ramp" that rises to the transom scuppers (low spot in the taff rail).

Tony,

If 113 is balanced right, you shouldn't have any water collecting where it is now. I agree with Scott's comments.

Encouraging or discouraging? I don't know about balanced because I've never even sailed her yet. But I did level her out based on the boot top. Again, maybe the rocking motion is all it would take to clear the seats.

Tony, My hull 391 has always had the same exact problem; We balance the boat to the best of our ability, full water tank, gear in the proper places , etc. and we still have the puddles when the boat is on her lines. In my opinion, I feel that it is a design fluke in the mould. We just keep a number of Ocello sponges handy and wipe it right out of there; if the sponge has become dry there is always a small puddle to make the sponge work! Really though , as you, I wish they would go away. I'm not getting rid of the boat though! Jim

Tony and Jim,

This is interesting:

If I understand this situation, Tony with hull #113 and Jim with hull # 391 have the problem of water pooling on the cockpit seats, but Scott, with hull #330 and "Hull #376" with hull #376 don't have this problem.

So the earliest (113) and lates (391) boats have this problem but the boats produced in the middle years (330 and 376) do not.

Any thoughts?

Scott,
I have wondered about this for a long time; I would bet that there were a number of Ariel/Commander moulds and evidently there were some minor varients among them.
If I put a tad of aft trim on the boat the rails will clear themselves but then I pool a tad more water on the cockpit seats right next to the engine hatch.
Back in the early 80's someone told me that the moulds were covered with weeds at the old Bristol, R. I. Pearson plant. I never heard if anyone saved them.
Jim

Jim,

When you say that when you "put a tad of aft trim on the boat the rails will clear themselves" do you mean that the pools that collect around the side deck mooring cleats drain back over through the scuppers cut in the rail at the transom?
If that is what you mean, I am curious: Does your boat have the little ramps that are discussed under the "pooling Water on Deck" thread on this forum?

Those ramps on my boat prevent the water around the side deck mooring cleats from draining even when there is a 70 plus lb motor in the lazarette locker and a 160 lb man standing on the transom leaning to stern. And without the man or the motor, the pools around the side deck mooring cleats do not drain forward to the gopher-hole-scuppers near the winches. A sponge should be required equipment for every Ariel, or perhaps just for some of them.

Scott,
The answer is yes that the slight pooling is eliminated at the cut with a little aft trim ( additional to the engine), but when I do that I increase the slight pooling on the cockpit seats.
Yes I do have the "ramps" and I never understood them as to why they were designed like that. I do realize that if they were not there, there would have to be a deeper cut in the transom rail to eliminate the ramp effect.
I guess if we have to have a design glitch, I'll take this one, I love sailing them. I'm ready to buy another one to leave in Michigan!
Jim

Jim,

Thanks for the response.The ramps are fairly well discussed on the "pooling water on deck" forum. The conclusion was that the ramps prevent constant runoff of rainwater, which would leave ugly stains on the transom. Rather than pooling, the water in the vicinity of the aft mooring cleats is supposed to run forward and down the little gopher hole scuppers. Apparently it does on some boats. Of course on many of our boats it doesn't, regardless of trim considerations. I'd rather have that problem than water on my cockpit seats. It appears that diligent work with a sponge is the low-tech solution to both problems.

Seat cushions, such as Bottom Siders, are an effective way to achieve a dry "bottom." Had'em for years because the rough summer sailing conditions on the Bay can lead to some very wet seats. The cushions also provide just enough height so that I can see over the cabin trunk while seated :D

That's right!! The previous owner threw in a set of seat cushions but I tossed them into storage because they'd just be in the way for awhile. Therein lies the answere.

Scott and Bill,
For many years we too have used the closed cell full length cockpit seat cushions like the ones that West Marine stocks. They do keep you dry and comfortable and you can swim with them. Jim