15-footer locker lid and drain

[Oldslowandugly]

On my 15-footer I use my anchor locker for a fish well. The lid was missing so I made a plywood one and hinged it at the front. The problem is opening the thing to add a fish. It is pretty unwieldy and needs free space in front to swing open properly. I was wondering if anyone has made a modification to the lid that makes it easier to use. I was considering cutting it in half so I could open either side and slide a fish in easily. I could hinge both sides. What about leaving it loose, unhinged, will it stay in place? I have a mahogany lid I will use later but first I want to experiment with the plywood first. Pictures of what you use would be very helpful.

[Oldslowandugly]

After sitting and thinking about it I have a plan. I intend to cut the lid so that I can open it from either end. The trick will be to measure and cut so that when open, it will lay flat and not be obtrusive. I removed the hinges from the front and I will use them to hinge the two sections together. The lid will then be able to open from either end as well as be lifted off completely. I will post pics as I proceed.

[Oldslowandugly]

I changed the thread title. My lid is coming along nicely. While the epoxy paint cures I started to think about how I can drain the locker so that rain water does not fill to the top. I hate coming back to the dock after a big rain and the lid is sitting in water because the water filled right up to the brim. I use the locker as a fish live well and keep the drain plug closed normally. I think that if I add a drain tube to let the locker drain down a bit that will save the lid from getting submerged. A simple spillway will do the that. What if I ran a tube to the bottom of the locker and through the bulkhead, so that when the rain water level filled the tube, it would initiate a siphon that would drain the locker as far down as possible. It would not drain it completely since the deck is higher than the bottom of the locker, but that would be fine. I wonder what diameter tubing would be small enough so that the surface tension of the water would cause it to drain only water and not allow air? I need the siphon to automatically initiate by itself. Here is a drawing of the locker with a simple spillway that would be easy to make. I can locate the spillway halfway between the water level [with the drain open to the sea] and the bottom of the lid.

[conch]

The area for the lid on my 1983 15 Sport is recessed from the factory, I do not know about yours. The simple way to keep my original wood lid dry from rainwater if I left the plug in, was to add several small adhesive backed bumpers. The bumpers are about 3/8in tall. I chose to attach them to the hull not the lid but I guess it would not matter. The 3/8in. height allows water to drain from the natural front spillway molded into the compartment, and the bottom of the wooden lid stays dry. Cost about a $1.00 and no holes in my boat. An additional benefit I have found is when wet and slippery fingers lose grip of the lid it is cushioned and no longer slams shut.

[Oldslowandugly]

Yes, my '85 model is recessed also. I used 3/4" plywood as a cover and it sits perfectly flush with the deck. That was important to me so that a raised lid won't act as a trip hazard. I'm not sure if I can add even a quarter inch without creating a lip. I regularly stand on my cover and the 3/4" was the most resistant to bending from my 200lb weight. I mean I can even cut a long notch in the top of the bulkhead to act as a trench so the water can run out. But I am intrigued at the idea of passing a tube in there to siphon out the water. It would be an inverted "U" extending to the bottom on each side. I guess I would have to experiment with different diameter tubes to find out which size would pass water on it's own.

[Oldslowandugly]

This is what I have done so far with the lid. I cut it in such a way that when the rear section is open it sits flush on top of the front. When I sit in my swivel seat my feet can rest on both the pieces, so that should be double strong. The rear opening is far enough out of my way so that I won't fall in or trip [I hope].The rear part is just the right size to slip Summer Flounder in to the well. The front is larger for bigger fish or to bail water out. If needed the whole thing lifts right off. Right now it is only epoxy primered but urethane deck paint will go on when the weather is more agreeable. I will attach a stainless steel ruler to the underside of the wider rear hatch. That way with the hatch open I can measure fish, and if legal, just slide them in. If this arrangement works as well as I hope it should, then I can re-do it in mahogany. Here are a few pics.