drainage tubes

[jim rosenthal]

We had quite a bit of rain recently in Maryland, and I found some of that in my bilges- not in the bilge sump, but in areas higher than that. Turned out the drainage tubes were clogged.

My boat, the 36C series 1, has guttered hatches on the aft deck which drain overboard through pipes leading to a port in the transom. It doesn't take much to overwhelm the pipes, which aren't very large (1/2" ID) and the water ends up in the bilge or in the livewell which helps support the center of the aft deck. There is a fiberglass tube glassed into the base of the livewell, which drains the aft bilge area, and then another fiberglass tube which leads under the aft bulkhead, into the engine room bilges. There is a bilge sump of sorts in the engine room, and then a third fiberglass tube which leads down to the final bilge sump, in the forward stateroom. The drydock plug is located in that sump, and an automatic bilge pump and a manual one, also a bilge stripping pump with a strainer. I had to chase all the tubes I could get to with a coathanger, to get the accumulated gunk out.

Since a coathanger won't last long in there, I bought a roll of 316 SS 1/8 wire from McMaster. The new "coathangers" will be made of that. I think I can just leave them in there and work them back and forth every now and again to keep the drain tubes cleared out.

That's my solution, anyway. If other Hatteras owners have run into the same problem and have other solutions, I'd like to hear of them. I can't recall this coming up as a problem, before, but after thirty years with the same boat, one's memory does get a bit foggy.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

We had quite a bit of rain recently in Maryland, and I found some of that in my bilges- not in the bilge sump, but in areas higher than that. Turned out the drainage tubes were clogged. My boat, the 36C series 1, has guttered hatches on the aft deck which drain overboard through pipes leading to a port in the transom. It doesn't take much to overwhelm the pipes, which aren't very large (1/2" ID) and the water ends up in the bilge or in the livewell which helps support the center of the aft deck. There is a fiberglass tube glassed into the base of the livewell, which drains the aft bilge area, and then another fiberglass tube which leads under the aft bulkhead, into the engine room bilges. There is a bilge sump of sorts in the engine room, and then a third fiberglass tube which leads down to the final bilge sump, in the forward stateroom. The drydock plug is located in that sump, and an automatic bilge pump and a manual one, also a bilge stripping pump with a strainer. I had to chase all the tubes I could get to with a coathanger, to get the accumulated gunk out. Since a coathanger won't last long in there, I bought a roll of 316 SS 1/8 wire from McMaster. The new "coathangers" will be made of that. I think I can just leave them in there and work them back and forth every now and again to keep the drain tubes cleared out. That's my solution, anyway. If other Hatteras owners have run into the same problem and have other solutions, I'd like to hear of them. I can't recall this coming up as a problem, before, but after thirty years with the same boat, one's memory does get a bit foggy.

Jim, I’m sorry I read your post. I’m just on the way home from a colonoscopy. Now I’ve got PTSD.

 

[oscarvan]

We had quite a bit of rain recently in Maryland, and I found some of that in my bilges- not in the bilge sump, but in areas higher than that. Turned out the drainage tubes were clogged.

My boat, the 36C series 1, has guttered hatches on the aft deck which drain overboard through pipes leading to a port in the transom. It doesn't take much to overwhelm the pipes, which aren't very large (1/2" ID) and the water ends up in the bilge or in the livewell which helps support the center of the aft deck. There is a fiberglass tube glassed into the base of the livewell, which drains the aft bilge area, and then another fiberglass tube which leads under the aft bulkhead, into the engine room bilges. There is a bilge sump of sorts in the engine room, and then a third fiberglass tube which leads down to the final bilge sump, in the forward stateroom. The drydock plug is located in that sump, and an automatic bilge pump and a manual one, also a bilge stripping pump with a strainer. I had to chase all the tubes I could get to with a coathanger, to get the accumulated gunk out.

Since a coathanger won't last long in there, I bought a roll of 316 SS 1/8 wire from McMaster. The new "coathangers" will be made of that. I think I can just leave them in there and work them back and forth every now and again to keep the drain tubes cleared out.

That's my solution, anyway. If other Hatteras owners have run into the same problem and have other solutions, I'd like to hear of them. I can't recall this coming up as a problem, before, but after thirty years with the same boat, one's memory does get a bit foggy.

PO left me a collection of wire rods with assorted bends, eyes and hooks. I was wondering what they were for and contemplating getting rid of them....I'm going to wait as their purpose will reveal itself....

 

[jmooney]

I have two small drain tubes forward on each side of my aft deck , which is small on 61 MY . The large scupper drains are aft , but the forward corners are lower than the aft scuppers and hold water . They clog constantly. A coat hanger resides permanently on the aft deck . The tubes are way too small in diameter. I will enlarge them , but it will be a big job . I see this with some custom A/C air handlers . All stainless steel , wonderfully constructed , and a 3/8 inch drain . It shows that boats are frequently designed by people that have never owned one .