Clogged cockpit drain

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Tom Foley

Clogged cockpit drain

Post by Tom Foley »

The port side drain is clogged. I have tried a wire hanger from both ends and draino. No results. I have tried to find where the hose goes to replace it ,but I can't locate it inside the cabin. She is still on land. Any assistance will be appreciated.
Thanks
Tom
"Heather" CD25
Kennebunk



alewifehouse@mainecoast.net
John Reizian

Re: Clogged cockpit drain

Post by John Reizian »

Tom Foley wrote: The port side drain is clogged. I have tried a wire hanger from both ends and draino. No results. I have tried to find where the hose goes to replace it ,but I can't locate it inside the cabin. She is still on land. Any assistance will be appreciated.
Thanks
Tom
"Heather" CD25
Kennebunk
I had similar problem (both sides) due to tree "droppings" (those cute little "helicopters"). On my CD25 the hoses from the scuppers go to seacocks located under access panels at the aftermost ends of the settees (under the sink/shelf). There are elbows at the seacocks which provide cozy corners in which stuff other than water can take up residence. Wire hanger didn't work for me either because it won't take the corner. However, a fairly heavy guage electrical wire (10, 8, 4?) did work!! It's flexible enough to make the corners with a little bit of finesse and coaxing but retains enough "stiffness" to push the nasty bits through. Good luck!

John
s/v "Star" (CD25)
Madison, CT



jlreizian@snet.net
Bob Miller

Re: Clogged cockpit drain

Post by Bob Miller »

Make sure that the valve by the hull is open first. Also you can try shooting water from a garden hose from either end...be careful if you had Drano in the hose as it can blind you if it shoots out. A toilet plunger from either end may do the trick, also.

- Bob Miller



millerfam5050@worldnet.att.net
sloopjohnl

Re: Clogged cockpit drain

Post by sloopjohnl »

12 gauge electrical wire and a garden hose with good pressure and a nozzle with a thin jet stream solves the same problem on my ty every spring

Tom Foley wrote: The port side drain is clogged. I have tried a wire hanger from both ends and draino. No results. I have tried to find where the hose goes to replace it ,but I can't locate it inside the cabin. She is still on land. Any assistance will be appreciated.
Thanks
Tom
"Heather" CD25
Kennebunk
Matt Cawthorne

Re: Clogged cockpit drain

Post by Matt Cawthorne »

Tom,
It is a good practice to service the seacocks each year, know where they are and how to shut them off. If the boat starts to take on water and you do not know where it is coming from, my rule is to shut off all of the seacocks. The exceptions to this might be the engine intake if you need your engine running to save the boat and, of course, the pump outlet if it is protected by a seacock. I have also heard surveyors recommend changing the hoses every 10 years. Do whatever it takes to find the hoses and seacocks and make certain that they are in good condition. It could be that the plug you are experiencing caused water to back up and freeze, potentially damaging the seacock or fittings.

Good Luck,
Matt



mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
M. R. Bober

Re: Clogged cockpit drain

Post by M. R. Bober »

This happened to our CD27. Since the boat is out of the water, I would suggest using water pressure (from a garden hose) from the underside. I also recommend a small plumber's plunger on the cockpit side. Be prepared to spend a lot of time clearing the jam.

To prevent the problem in the future try placing "risers" in the cockpit scuppers (upside down plastic tumblers with slits cut into them will work) during the autumn/winter. When you are back in the water, you may wish to periodically flush the cockpit with several buckets of water to keep the hoses clear.
Hope this helps.
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330



thebobers@erols.com
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