Aluminum Floor Drainage

[BigTerp]

FINALLY getting some warmer weather so I can work on completing my Tracker 1648 re-haul. I'm planning on running aluminum sheet for my floor from the front deck all the way back to the back bench seat (middle seat is removed). Trying to figure out how to get drainage of water from the floor to the haul so it can make its way back to the bilge area. I'm just picturing getting a small lake of water on the floor, especially during duck season, if I don't properly drain the floor. I was first thinking of just cutting some notches out of the floor were it will meet my rear bench. Any other/better ideas?

 

[bigwave]

Hmmm can you run some flexible pvc pipe aft towards the bilge area? If you can, I would just plumb some pvc pipe to a small sink drain, just make sure you dont have too many bends or 90's.

 

[BassBlaster]

I got a 3" stainless steel drain cover from iBoats that I'll be installing on the floor just in front of the rear bench. I'm not messing with piping it to the bilge area. The water will find its way beck there itself.

 

[BigTerp]

Great idea!! Not sure I could get any pvc small enough to run under my bench seat though. Now that I think about it, I have a rib about an inch or two in front of my rear bench seat. Thinking the best idea might be to just end my floor on the rib? That would leave a small inch or two channel right in front of my rear bench for water to drain off the floor and onto the hull. Should have thought of this before I started a thread!!

 

[MrSimon]

If your hull and ribs are designed to allow water to flow freely, just slap a few drains in the floor and call it good.

Don't just put the drain in the middle .... put then on the sides .... the boat very rarely sits perfectly level - the water will end up to one side of the floor or the other.

Or you can just wait and see where the water collects and drill a few 1/2" holes

 

[chevyrulz]

i wouldn't put a 1 or 2" gap because you'll wind up with trash like leaves & spent shotgun shells in there

put drain with a screen to keep larger stuff out of the bilge area, or just drill a few 1/2" holes...maybe one @ each rear corner & another in the middle?

or cut off the rear corners of the floor a 1/2" or so?

edit:

mr simon beat me to it! lol

 

[BigTerp]

Checked out iBoats per bassblaster's suggestion. Thinking this would be perfect and cheap. Maybe one fore and one aft on opposite corners?

https://www.iboats.com/STAINLESS-DRAIN-COVER-2-1-2-IN-Seadog-Line/dm/cart_id.576218164--session_id.930748231--view_id.929089

 

[BassBlaster]

Checked out iBoats per bassblaster's suggestion. Thinking this would be perfect and cheap. Maybe one fore and one aft on opposite corners?

https://www.iboats.com/STAINLESS-DRAIN-COVER-2-1-2-IN-Seadog-Line/dm/cart_id.576218164--session_id.930748231--view_id.929089

Thas the one I have. I guess I was wrong on the size though, lol.

 

[parkerdog]

I bought just regular stainless sink drain covers. Dollar or so on ebay, haven't installed them yet though. Inch or so diameter with little tabs sticking down to hold them in the hole. The factory floor in my tracker just has two holes drilled in front of the rear seat. My boat is in the water all the time and the little holes fill up with leaves. Thats why I got the covers so I can enlarge the holes too.

Mine are like the metal one on the left in the picture.

 

[cfh1177]

I like this topic and have a newbie question…do these drain plates have a short sleeve or lip or is it just that, a flat plate/cover? If you cut a hole in the floor to install the drain should you be concerned about the water/wood contact? If there were a sleeve or lip to the drain that no worries. Just a thought from a newbie. I have a lot to read here and understand before I get started on my mod.

 

[parkerdog]

I like this topic and have a newbie question…do these drain plates have a short sleeve or lip or is it just that, a flat plate/cover? If you cut a hole in the floor to install the drain should you be concerned about the water/wood contact? If there were a sleeve or lip to the drain that no worries. Just a thought from a newbie. I have a lot to read here and understand before I get started on my mod.

If you are talking about the one in the pic I posted, it's for just a hole in my metal floor.

I would think on a wood floor you would treat it like you would the rest of it. Maybe epoxy or silicone around the edge.