I decided I wanted self bailing cockpits and more of them. I also wanted plenty of below deck storage for items that typically would not be needed while at sea. I also wanted plenty of storage that was easy to access and did not require the hatches to be opened while at sea.

So I put in a floor well above the high water mark with drainage holes for each section. I used Hobie kayak hatches for below deck access. I divided the Tamanu into three cockpits. I sealed the bow and stern sections.

Tamanu 3 Cockpits

You can see that there is a bulkhead between each cockpit. If I take a wave over the bow it could easily enter the forward cockpit but there are drain holes to self-bail. Also, most of the forward cockpit will be filled with a waterproof duffel to limit the amount of water actually in this section.

Forward Cockpit

Note the really nice Hobie kayak hatch. This also shows the forward aka mounting points and the mast step tube. Not shown here are the two drain holes at the aft end of this cockpit. Remember that this space will be filled with a waterproof duffel. Alternatively I could use a canvas cockpit cover.

Long Center Cockpit

The center cockpit is long enough to sleep in and has two Hobie kayak hatches. Below deck there is a bulkhead between the hatches. The self-bailing holes are in the center of this cockpit. I do intend to have a seat at the aft end for really bad weather. Also, I can add a cockpit cover, but I probably won’t because it is self-bailing and a cover would add a bit of hassle. There will be a tarp for camping though.

Aft Cockpit

The aft cockpit with its Hobie kayak hatch and showing the aft aka mounts. The self-bailing holes don’t show up in this view. Again this cockpit will normally have a couple of smaller waterproof duffel bags that will help if I take a wave over the stern.

The Tamanu is a very skinny boat but these self-bailing cockpits combined with plenty of below deck and above deck storage will allow long cruises. She should make a pretty good WaterTribe boat for the Ultimate Florida Challenge, Everglades Challenge or the North Carolina Challenge.