anchor welll

Has anyone create a self draining anchor well, as we live in a muddy river the mud and salty water can work its way down into the bilges.How did you create a sealed hatch between the anchor well and forward v berth which is still acessable to service the chain etc
Duncan
Maggie Drum
Australia

Hi,

After discussions with some of the senior Whitby members, Lisa and I removed all the chain and put a raised bottom in the anchor well.
The anchor well was already present in our hull #332. It it just a fiberglassed box with no drain. We put a hose with many holes at the very lowest areas of the anchor well and routed it up above the raised bottom. We used floor matt with holes in it as the material.
The hose comes up and out the accessible front so we can put a suction pump or small shop vacuum on it. Then we put the chain back in. We suck the muddy water or salt water out with that hose. We have try to let the chain drain as much as possible as we pull it up and of course we wash it as good as possible as we pull it up. Patrick and Lisa Gaia.