Bulkheads in Pygmy okume kayak

Advice
#1

Question:



I am building a Pygmy kayak kit of okume mahogony ply.



It has a number of bulkheads that can be watertight/sealed.



However, unless/until I add hatches and even after, some “compartments” are invisible to the eye/access.



I am concerned about water in these areas that could/might wick into wood if left with any moisture/water accumulation.



Do you think I should provide plugged connection holes between bulkheads that will allow water to distribute into cockpit area if/should it accumulate unbeknowngst to me?


#2

Coat the areas with epoxy
one problem solved. I would install some type of port or drain plug if it were me building it without hatches.

#3

huh?
>> It has a number of bulkheads that can be watertight/sealed.



Are you sure you’re not looking at some temporary bulkheads – for defining shape during construction – along with the intended permanent bulkheads?



Or,maybe you have no permanent bulkheads, at all. When I built a Pygmy, you got permanent bulkheads with a separate hatch kit.



Or, maybe there’s something new that I’m not aware of… but I would like to know.



I built an Osprey with no bulkheads. I added a 3 inch minicell rear bulkhead, later, with round deckplate for a hatch. But, I decided that not putting in bulkheads and hatches during construction was a mistake… for safety, if not for storage and convenience.



Anyway, it’s considered bad practice to build a boat with areas that can not be accessed and/or inspected.

#4

Plug
I would add a plug of some sort to a compartment with no hatch. Probably a small one like this:

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/plumbing/sd520010-20/index.htm

Or maybe a Beckson hatch. The location could on deck or in the bulkhead itself.



I have a boat with a front bulkhead and no front hatch - I wanted the flotation but also a clean front deck. It’s equipped with a customized deck fitting that unscrews to allow drainage, although I’m happy to say it hasn’t been needed yet.

#5

Drill small holes and plug them
with some easily removable plug.



You need to allow for expansion and contraction of the gas (air) in the sealed chambers so it doesn’t stress the hull in expansion or suck it in when it contracts with changes in ambient temperature.

#6

bulkheads
No. Trust your cloth strip and epoxy to be watertight. Drains add the possibility of leaks and extra water in your boat.