Cockpit drains on a CD25

[carldoc]

With all this rain in the Northeast, the last thing I need is a flooded cockpit. Both drains are clogged. I've tried coat hangers and we are going to try an electric snake line. Any other ideas and has this happened to anyone else?

[tartansailor]

If you can get to a dock with a water hose to jam into the drain, that would do it; as it has done for me.
As a temporary fix till I substantially enlarge mine, I've replaced the 90° elbows with pairs of 45s and thus far they have not plugged.
Dick

[Carl Thunberg]

My cockpit drains plug all the time with various stuff. Before you do anything drastic like use an electric snake, try a regular sink plunger (not a toilet plunger). It works for me every time. Actually I got that tip here on the Board. I don't remember who said it first, but it's probably the one tip I've gotten the most use out of.

Carl

[carldoc]

Thanks guys. I did a search and received some great research. I'll get a sink plunger today.

[Steve Laume]

Yep a little sink plunger is standard equipment on our boats. Even it that works for now plan on diving down during the summer with a screwdriver or something similar and route out the marine creatures that might find your through hull fittings a fine place to make a home. I do the seacocks and the engine intake strainer every so often durring the season. The plunger will not flush out a barnacles or mussels if they are growing there. We are blessed with lots of dog hair in our cockpit drains, Steve.

[mahalocd36]

When the sink plunger didn't work for us, we used mechanical fingers to reach down there and get the junk out. It's always amazing how out on a mooring they can get clogged, but yup, we've got a dog on board. Mechanical fingers are another useful tool to have aboard to find stuff that drops in the bilge or whereever just out of reach.