THE RIGHT STUFF

Gutter Envy

Iconfess to having a bit of an obsession with keeping a boat clean. Cockpit gutters can be particularly annoying in this respect. This Grand Banks, however, features an ample gutter, wide enough to easily wipe down with a sponge. Keeping the gutters clean will keep the drains clean, and keeping the drains clean will prevent them from clogging. The importance of this goes well beyond cleanliness. Once the drains fail, water will fill the gutter and then spill into the boat. We have even seen boats “sink” on land due to clogged cockpit drains. Once the water level reaches the door or companionway sill, it will start to fill the bilges. After enough rain or snow, an owner might return to a boat and find water over the cabin sole and in some cases in the engine.

Even a well crafted gutter must follow a few basic principles. The drain fittings must be at the low points on the gutter and the hoses must slope steadily downhill if they are to drain freely. Clogging happens often due to the tight turns and small diameter of the hoses. Those disposable plastic barbed drain cleaners work very well for clearing debris.

The teak deck has been well maintained. The seam compound retains its flexibility and has not separated from the edges. Notice the absence of round plugs over screws, or “bungs” as they are sometimes called, which tells us this deck has been glued down— a game- changing improvement over the older method of relying on thousands of screws ( and as many paths for water into the subdeck).

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