> I put bulkheads into my Tred Avon, with storage in the hull. The idea was
> to get watertight flotation compartments, with no hatches on deck. I put
> 4" deck plates into the bulkheads to allow them to breathe and dry.
> But, I put the access hatched about 1-1/2" above the keel, and water
> got in there. It either leaked around the access hatches, or condensed.
> Leaked I think, we were doing wet reentries. The water is difficult to
> remove, it will not run out because the access is too high. I can get most
> of it by tilting the hull as far as I can and shaking it, but still there
> is more left than will evaporate in a reasonable time. I can make an
> attachment for the shopvac to suck it out, but that wont work in the
> field. I'm happy with the arrangement, but if you are considering it, put
> the access ports as low as they will go...

Ohoj Don

I also has bulkheads with hatches on my Nordic Hawk. To keep the deck clean and cool looking. I us a 8mm plywood sheet as hatch and a strip of rubber to close the gap. But as Mike I always has a car wash spunge with me to dry out water tight areas. When I was a dingy sailor we used PVC tubes (electrical instalations) for many purposes, to geting water out of cockpits, to leading ropes throught water tight areas, and as stringers to make things stiffer. PVC tubes take glue and polyester ( and problaly epoxy)very well

Hans