self-bailer and scuppers

[vdemperio]

I recently purchased a 1984 DS II. I bought the DS II instead of a DS I mainly because the cockpit is supposed to be self-bailing. My boat has a bilge drain in the transom and a plastic self-bailer in the transom well. Is the self-bailer supposed to be kept open while the boat is kept in a slip? I assmed this was the case, but I saw another DS II boat yesterday that also had a scupper in the transom. The owner does not use the self-bailer while the boat is moored. He only uses it when sailing. I'm wondering now if I should install a transom scupper. Is this stock on most DS II boats?

[Roger]

The bilge drain in the transom should only be open when the boat is out of the water. It drains water that has found its way into the bilge.

The self-bailer in the well only works when the boat is under way using a venturi effect to suck water out. Keep it closed while at the mooring, otherwise your boat will refill with water.

The mooring plug, just above the lower rudder gudgeon, (sounds like your boat dosen't have one) can be left open at the mooring, but should be closed while sailing. It lets out rainwater in the cockpit when it gets above the lip of the mooring plug hole. If you want to install this transom scupper, all it is, is a furled brass tube with a rubber plug, available at most marine stores. When you drill the hole through the transom however, make sure to reface the inside exposed edge of the hole so that the transom does not absorb water. Use silicone or better yet 3M4200 to seal it. I can measure the exact height above the inside well if you need to know the exact measure, but if you check page 62 of the book I sent you last week, you can probably figure it out pretty close. I would assume that because your boat does not have one, that it is not stock, although my boat is a 1974 and it looks like it was stock.

[vdemperio]

Roger,

If you could measure from either the bottom of the transom well or the bottom of the hull to the bottom of the scupper that would be very helpful. The rudder head configuration and location of the gudgeons on '83 and '84 DS II boats is different from previous years according to Rudy at D & R. Both of my gudgeons are actually attached to a single plate that is bolted to the transom, so I'll need to install my scupper slightly off center. Can you also measure the diameter of the scupper?