Can a SR4 be left on a mooring

[chewy]

Hi,

After reading JSP's thread it got me thinking.
I'm getting an SR4 with an open flooding hull, will this be ok left on a mooring that drys out every tide or do I run the risk of osmosis from water sitting inside the hull?

Also it appears to have a drainer of some sort on the port side of the transom rather than a trunk, is this right?

Thanks

[9D280]

Chewy,

Osmosis shouldn't be a problem - remember the hull was designed to be wet in there.

What might be more of a problem is the scratch marks on your engine leg from the crabs & other assorted creatures that decided to crawl in when the tide was out & get flushed out as you open the throttle!

Transom drains / trunks are as variable as the people who fit them. From memory the floor will be below water level when afloat on a mooring (esp if you got a 60 on the back!!) so you'll either need an auto bilge pump or one of those nice reliable non return valves so it empties when the tide falls. Personally I would replace it with a trunk, then worst case you open it when you leave the mooring (and remember to wear wellies or a drysuit!)

[PeterM]

A couple of SR4s live on the water near me - with trunk up & no pumps/ one way valves fitted. Yes they do fill up with water a bit , but if you are a little bit perceptive and can see that it has rained you go along & empy the thing out or drive it up/ down a bit & empty it.

Not sure whay the inside of the flooding chamber would end up like - full of seaweed maybe ?

[chewy]

What about it filling up with sand or will it self flush?

How much water can I expect on the deck if I leave the trunk down?

I've seen a photo of one of Tims SR5.4's and thats pretty full!

[JSP]

The deck filling up isn't to much of a worry for me as I can get to it most weeks or ask someone to go check. It's the inside of the hull fouling up that bothers me.

[JSP]

Originally Posted by chewy

What about it filling up with sand or will it self flush?

How much water can I expect on the deck if I leave the trunk down?

I've seen a photo of one of Tims SR5.4's and thats pretty full!

I've had the hull bunged up with sand and it comes out no problem after a spin

[chewy]

The fouling of the inside of the hull could be cured by a liberal squirt of bleach or weed killer!

[Patches]

We have an sr4 in the sailing club with a mariner 40 on the back. She lies on a mooring in the harbour from apr to oct if the trunk gets left open she turns into a swimming pool now granted she never dries but inside hull stays fine . Never had any trouble with osmosis or anything like that . Hope this helps.
Cheers
Patches

[9D280]

There was a post on here a while ago about marine growth in a SR on a non drying mooring -Memory says the conclusion was that it wasn't a problem (presumably too dark for anything to live in?)

A quick search should find it.

[chewy]

I'll get a cover and fit an auto bilge pump to solve the water on the deck problem.

I'll see what happens regards fouling in the hull, I was going to block it but thinking about it it'd be better left open seen as its on a mooring.