For boats over 20' LOA, many professional organizations recommend scuppers for offshore use, which means without them, you should limit operation to within 20 miles ('inshore') of shore (National Marine Manufacturer's Association (NMMA), American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), United States Coast Guard (USCG) etc).
THAT said, note that the guidelines and standards are in conflict with each other and can even be unreasonable, e.g. scuppers so high that the water cannot get out in Great Alaskan class boats (commercially built OR homebuilt). That's why the Great Alaskan manuals recommend close-able scuppers as a best compromise, to be opened when necessary and otherwise kept closed. If you can come up with scuppers that are large, and that can be closed except when needed (likely only at the dock when left unattended), then put them in. That's better than taking a monster wave and hoping you can bail enough water, fast enough, to make any difference. The manuals also recommend proper high-volume bailing buckets etc. In addition to that, the manuals also recommend at least one high-volume bilge pump (two is one, one is none) ... And note that bilge pumps are NOT for offshore emergencies - they are for helping to get rid of rain and spray water in the boat. Make sense? This is why you also must have a below-decks bulkhead at the aft end of the pilot house and it should have a pluggable limber at the bottom ... keep the plug installed, as with closing scuppers, when operating offshore. I also recommend a sloped cockpit deck to aid draining ('self-bailing') at the dock, and a high enough sill between the cockpit and inside the pilot house. Some builders have put in commercially made sealing doors in the aft house bulkhead. They're expensive, but good insurance. Finally, good seamanship includes knowing your and your boat's limitations and requires safe operation - there is no boat bigger or meaner than the ocean.
