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Sail Life - Fixing a design flaw on a 44ft catamaran ⛵️
17 September 2023 · 16 min · 59K views · Charleston, South Carolina
What this video covers
To address a cockpit drainage design flaw on a 44-ft catamaran, the crew modifies the helm station ladder to prevent rainwater from flooding the cockpit. The original factory design features hollow steps that drain water onto the cockpit surface, allowing it to run into the boat interior, while the hard-top drain holes frequently clog.0:55 The repair involves enlarging the hard-top drain holes and installing a custom-modified stainless steel ladder that routes water through internal tubing and hoses directly into a cockpit sump.1:51 A bottle jack assists in fitting the modified ladder, and epoxy seals the exposed plywood core at the mounting points.2:54 Separately, the crew fabricates a custom acrylic breaker cover to prevent accidental tripping of a circuit breaker located inside a storage locker.11:10 Using a heat gun to bend clear acrylic, they create a protective shield that allows finger access to the breaker switch.12:27 The project demonstrates that simple, custom-bent acrylic guards provide an effective, low-cost solution for protecting exposed electrical components in tight storage spaces.
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