Scott,

A fibreglass boat just isn't going to leak, period - except, as the others have said, through badly seated fittings and the like, which obviously need to be re-fixed. So limber holes don't belong here. A few drops of condensation can be mopped up.

An anchor locker (given that its bottom is well above the waterline )can have drain holes at the forward end and/or the after corners, depending on which way the bottom slopes. I think it's good to have all three holes, and get effortless, free sluicing of the anchor rode.

Does that lead to any problems with water coming in through the drain when working into heavy seas?  Or does that just help to wash out the locker?

Scott Dufour wrote:I will be directing the drain from the chain locker either back to a dedicated bilge space and pump, or perhaps just down through a drain forward in the hull.  That last option seems simple, but that's a hole in the hull. 

Make a watertight anchor locker that drains over the side above the waterline. :-)

Annie Hill wrote:

David Thatcher wrote:

Annie Hill wrote:

D(I'd either use the Gougeon Bros system or butyl rubber) 

I have heard good things about butyl tape for bedding from a boatyard manger.  Apparently no all butyl tape is created equal.

http://sundownersailsagain.com/butyl-tape/

I've used West System epoxy for many years including some repairs this spring. Their available online and paper manuals are extensive and their direct technical support is unbelievably responsive in this day. However I  vaguely recall an article in the JRA magazine about an epoxy that may be less risky heath wise to work with.  Years ago after some over exposure I bought a whole air pump, hose and face mask for work I on the interior of a boat. I no longer have the pump and try to work outside

Annie Hill wrote:

D(I'd either use the Gougeon Bros system or butyl rubber) 

I don't know about Butyl rubber - isn't that old technology? There seem to be a wide variety of urethane sealants these days, and silicon based sealants. I have given up using the expensive (over priced!) marine sealants such as Sikaflex, and seem to get just as good results from construction industry urethane sealants which are half the price or less. And I think that a silicon based sealant is hard to beat for longevity so long as you use the correct type of silicon. So a good quality sealant used correctly should give many years of leak free performance.

I have to agree with Annie about the quality of WEST resin. I have over the years used alternative resins available in NZ and which cost less, but now I tend to use only WEST resin which seems to give a better result.