mk 3 bilge question

[rob.lovelace]

I have a mark 3 with an outboard in a well. (hmm that's sort of an inboard) anyway I digress. My boat has a bilge under the companionway steps and another in the folksail as the floor rises. My question is, are these somehow connected? I know the ice box drains into the main one and I'm wondering does the front one also drain into the main one.

[Phillip]

If its any help Rob the bow one is independent from the stern bilge on a Mk1.

The only link on a mark 1 is that the breather tube for the water tank starts its journey in the
bow bilge and travels up the main bulkhead to just under the mast girder, but still inside the forward cabin.

Taste the water, is it fresh?

[Shaun]

on both of the mk3's I have owned, the small bilgey type area that collected water from the front half(fwd of the bulkhead) wasn't connected or drained to the main bilge, cheers

[rob.lovelace]

yeah I didn't think so, I had a good look when I had her stripped out and couldn't see any. would hVe been a good idea Lthough I don't think there should be water ever in there. I was just that the main bilge got about 5-10lt in it and the fwd one was only half full. I sealed all the deck fittings after I painted her excepting the sheet track which I didn't bother removing (lazy boy) but she's leaking a fair bit. I had been beating for 27hrs a day for 6 days in some pretty heavy weather though in her defence. I will ease up a bit from now and not push so hard

thanks guys