map storage, 2005 270

rasbury

Maybe a stupid question, but my boat has a nice map storage on the passenger side of the helm with a pocket and a clear plexi glass cover that opens but does not seal. I do not keep my canvas on the boat but a mooring cover and it leaks....and it fills with water all the time but does not drain. What the heck to do to solve this? The thing is pretty useless to store anything dry in as is....

Stodge

You can drill a hole in the lowest point of the map area so the water will drain if the hole ends up over some place that it's ok to have water go (deck, bilge).  Mine has a hole already.  Don't know if the previous owner or the factory provided that.

rasbury

looks like if I drill mine, the only place for it to go is the aft sleeping area! 

Stodge

Ah, mine stays in the cockpit.  Just goes to the floor.  Perhaps you could figure out a way to route drainage via tube or something to a better spot.

rasbury

I guess, put it on the list!

Michael T

Ras, if you just drill a hole in it I do not think there is anywhere good for the water to go unless you fashion a drainage tube like Stodge suggests. is there any way to seal the closure where the acrylic cover meets the fiberglass box edge? There are a lot of nice adhesive-backed weather stripping  options out there. How about a white rubber fridge gasket? It might mean adjusting the hinges a bit or maybe not if the gasket material is thin enough. MT

rasbury

yea, I was thinking about some sort of seal as well...water gets all nasty sitting- not one of the better ideas for sure without a drain in it which I would have thought easily could have been done in the boat design stage...

Lifes Good

I'd look for a pliable rubber bead about 1/8in thick with an adhesive back. Or get creative with 3m 5400 along with the rubber bead. Use blue painters tape to create a clean line.  Skip the drilling... your stuff will still get wet.  

JC290

Looked at mine and it has a channel around it that drains towards the cup holder. I guy could use a automotive seal with adhesive back to stop most leaks from the lid mating to the top of box. Mine has only had water in it one time and that was my fault and a whole story we won't discuss. Lol 

rasbury

I hear ya there....mine is "in the weather" as I seldom use the cover and my mooring comer for storage is pretty weak- it gets water in it all the time and makes a real mess. I'm not sure that lid is straight enough to seal it, as you know I have bigger projects on my plate right now and will get back to that. It almost seems an afterthought that it is there at all and not having a drain for it not well thought out!

dixonmat

How far down can you drill I was thinking of turning mine jnto a mini bar

LaRea

Wait, what?  Doesn't it have a raised rim with a drain channel around the outside?  How does water get in?  

rasbury

Well, from memory, the track has no where to drain?

GMSLITHO

why don't you waterproof the cockpit cover That stuff works great 

rasbury

The one I have now does not leak and this is no longer as issue- time to waterproof the cover though before I have a problem...

Cableguy Greg

I spray my cover twice a summer.

LaRea

@dixonmat - on most boats, the cabin door slides right under that tray, so you can't do anything there.

dixonmat

The map holder is on the dash port side. The door slides to starboard nowhere near the map holder. Maybe thats not called the map holder?

rasbury

It is...just kind of useless!

Stodge

I have a chart book in mine normally.  

rasbury

that's down in the boat- in case the GPS fails me which has not ever happened yet!

J3ff

You mean CHART storage right?? The captain who ran my captains license school would put ANYONES picture on his website if they called it a map!! haha

https://www.nauticalschool.com/gallery.php?id=12

thepriceisright

J3ff said:

You mean CHART storage right?? The captain who ran my captains license school would put ANYONES picture on his website if they called it a map!! haha

https://www.nauticalschool.com/gallery.php?id=12

Haha that's great. Makes me want to take an in-person class.

What do you mean your captains license?

J3ff

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard_Charter_Boat_Captain's_license gotta have it if you want to get paid to drive a boat  

Glassguy54

I always got crap from a certain someone for using terms like "starboard, port, astern, etc."..."Why can't you just say right or left?" she would complain!