To ski locker or not to ski locker...?

[suprathepeg01]

I'm redoing the floor in my 88 1700 and I'm debating weather or not I should add a ski locker. Storage for like jackets would be nice but is it asking for trouble with future rot etc?

[mmwjr]

Guess I would ask myself how big of a locker can be added vs trouble.

In that size boat I doubt it will be too deep and may be damp in the bilge so PFDs and other fabric would not be good to store there.

[shrew]

Consider whether there is enough room between the stringers. Also, there are more than likely bulkheads running perpendicular to the stringers. Are you sure you can actually install a ski locker. The stringers taper in as they move to the bow. There might not be a 'ski locker' in that model because there wasn't enough room for one.

Do we know if the 88 1700 had a ski locker as an option?

[suprathepeg01]

Yes it had one originally. I'm just wondering if ski lockers are typically problem areas?

[shrew]

A properly installed ski locker would finished I a manner that does not allow water intrusion. It should also have an overboard drain. This is not always the case and yes, this can be a source of problems if water sits for long periods of time and works it's way into the surrounding wood.

[Phillbo]

In a boat that size i doubt an overboard drain will be possible since the bottom of the locker will be below the water line.

Foam it and use it as a beer cooler

[suprathepeg01]

I'm just gonna close it in, after a lot of thought, I just don't want the headache.

[Kevlar7r]

I've seen ski lockers that were not sealed, and were actually part of the bilge. As long as the boat didn't carry too much water in the bilge, it just drained. They were always pretty far forward, so if you had that much water in the bilge, you've got bigger problems than wet water skis.



If the rest of the cockpit is already not self bailing (as is generally the case in boats like this), then that water would just run over the floor back to the bilge anyway. This really wouldn't be changing that dynamic.

[suprathepeg]

Yea my settup is ski locker, gas tank and then bilge. So I need a bulkhead in front and behind the tank. If I could make it part of the bilge I'd do it but not gonna happen.

[Kevlar7r]

You can put a bulkhead in, and put a drain hole at the bottom of it. You need to do that anyway, you don't want there to be any place water can collect that doesn't have a bilge pump or some way to remove water.

[suprathepeg]

Yea, my concern is the gas tank in between interfering with water getting to the bilge. I'm just gonna fill it with floatation.