Water must not enter the boat through the scuppers, even in rough seas.
A scupper is better known as a maritime term referring to an opening through a ship’s bulwarks that allows water from the ship’s deck to flow out to sea. Virtually all ships, as well as ships large enough to have decks above the waterline, are made with some form of scuppers. This often includes fin or ball designs that allow water to flow off the deck but not back into the ship if the scupper opening sinks below the waterline at sea or in rough water.
The word embalming also refers to a slot or opening in the gravel parapet or jamb of a level roof that allows rain or melted snow to run off the roof. This can help prevent leaks or structural damage to the building below. Sometimes scuppers connect directly to rain gutters and downspouts. In other cases, they extend beyond the exterior wall surface, creating a flow of water away from the building.
Generally, a scupper can be any opening that allows water or other fluids captured in a holding container at one level to flow into a lower container or body of water. In many settings, they are part of projects known as transit water systems. This phrase refers to a system where water flows from one level to another for decorative or functional purposes.
Many scupper designs include some type of head, the structure where water or some other type of fluid collects, and a dam or gutter, the passage through or over which the fluid flows and is conveyed to a lower level. Scuppers can be massive structures, such as the overflow channels used in reservoirs and dams to prevent flooding, or extremely tiny, such as chemical reservoir systems used in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Additionally, scuppers are commonly used on bridges and roadways to prevent structural damage and direct standing water away from busy roadways.
Scuppers of various types are also used in decorative applications such as swimming pools, fountains, decorative fountains, and reflecting pools, where water moves in transit from one level to another. The size, shape, and materials of these scuppers are often designed to match the look and sound of moving water to create specific architectural and design effects. Bags can be made from a variety of materials, including stainless steel, plastic, polymers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), bronze, copper, sheet metal, marble, and other types of stone.
