Association Forum

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

seacocks

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

viking1
Deckhand

Member Avatar

USA
1 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/16/2009 : 20:04:56

I'm really new at this sailboat stuff, have always had powered runabouts. I recently acquired an 85' Catalina 25. It's on the hard and in my driveway, with water to the top and over the floor boards.
Can I drain it using the sea-cocks (as in smaller boats) and if so, where are they located?? I've looked all over the hull??? Please help.....

sen

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2009 : 20:35:54

There are no sea-cocks like a power boat. You need to pump it out. There might be a built in hand pump in the cockpit. If its in your driveway you can siphon it out.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3440 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2009 : 20:40:56

I would say it would be hard to use the seacocks. The seacocks are not open to the bilge/cabin but are connected to the sinks with tubing and clamps. The forward seacock is accessed by opening the hatch under the VBerth. the aft seacock, at least on my Cat 25, is accessed thru the lower cabinet door under the stove area, port side.

While you may be able to use the bilge pump (should be in the cockpit sidewall where the diaphragm is visible), you would need to locate the lever wherever it is stored or use a rod that fits the opening and then be prepared to manually pump for a long time.

If you have a submersible aquarium pump/powerhead or know of a friend that has one, you could easily pump out the water using it. A small submersible pump from a pet store should cost about $20 that will pump between 80-150 gallons per hour running off of an AC outlet. (ie. Marineland Mini-Jet) Just be aware that whatever flow capacity rating they list applies to pumping at 0 ft height above the pump. Inorder to pump it out of the boat, you probably have to pump up about 3-4 ft and thru perhaps a 8 ft, 3/4" tube. that will effectively reduce the capacity of small pumps to very low flow rates. Rcmd check the pump's information sheet inside the carton to see what it pumps with a 3-4 ft head/elevation.

Edited by - OLarryR on 10/16/2009 20:41:48

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2009 : 21:34:57

The difference with larger sailboats is that their ballast puts their bilges much deeper than powerboats', and they generally stay in the water, so no "drain" is likely to be appropriate. A tall hand bilge pump from West Marine (or wherever) with a suitably long hose should solve your immediate problem--you just need to get the water through the companionway into the cockpit--that'll do it faster than the built-in bilge pump (if it's working).

Now, the real question is where did it all that water come from? There are many, many threads on this forum about leaks--through the windows, scuppers, chain-plates, anchor locker, etc...

Welcome to the world of "finding the leaks"--and welcome to this fine community! You'll get plenty of answers to every question, and the "Search" function (upper right) will lead you to many valuable past discussions on almost any topic.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 10/16/2009 21:37:29

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5352 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2009 : 22:22:32

Another approach you could take is to get several pieces of swimming pool corrugated hose, each about 20 feet long and secure each one inside the boat well below the waterline. Hang the other end of the hose below the boat to allow siphoning.

You'd have to suck the water through each hose to start the siphoning action, but if you have 4-6 hoses running as siphons, most of the water should come out pretty quickly.

Worse comes to worse, check out a rental house for one of those 120 VAC basement sump pumps, place it at the lowest point in the boat (near the keel bolts) and let it work over a weekend emptying the water.

Even when the water level gets so low that the siphon hoses or sump pump can no longer pump water out, there will still be a LOT of water left in the boat.

At that time you may have to use smaller pumps, or a suction hose to go around and clear out trouble spots. But you must get ALL the water out of the inside of the hull for several reasons.

Since we could start to get freezing temperatures pretty soon here in the northeast, I would not wait to empty the boat of water. Freezing water does some pretty nasty stuff to plastic, metal and wood.

Standing water can also create hull blisters, a nasty problem for some boats.

And it will make the inside of the boat small musty and bad.

Once you dry out the inside of the hull, make sure to provide constant ventilation for the boat to keep the humidity down within the boat. This should prevent development of mold.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5352 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2009 : 22:25:25

Oh, one more thing. There should be a paddlewheel knot meter installed as a through-hull which, if you remove a pin in the transducer, will allow water to drain out of the boat. Second, you may have a through-hull depth meter. Unfortunately, these are usually glassed in and are difficult and tricky to remove without doing glass damage.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2009 : 07:23:57

First, welcome to the world of C25's and to this association/forum. I recommend a small 110 ac volt water pump and a 5 gallon bucket. Also, if you have a wet/dri shop vac, you could use that, dumping the water in the cockpit. Since your boat is an 85, it should have scuppers in the transom to drain the cockpit. Once you have the water out, leave the floor boards open so the bilge can dry thoroughly. While it is on the hard, keep a tarp over the cabin top. I like the silver/brown heavy duty ones, 8x10 size. If you have any window leaks, a good possibility, the tarp will minimize water coming in that way.

Another idea I use very effectively, and longer lasting than a poly tarp, is buying a powerboat cover cheap on Ebay, say for a 14-18 ft boat and tie it to the bow pulpit and stanchions. May look a bit odd, but it works. Get one that comes with the straps to go under the powerboat while it is on a trailer. I actually took mine to a canvas shop and had them cut a hole for the mast and run a zipper to the side so I can use it with the mast up. Works very well. Total cost should be under $150.

Edited by - dmpilc on 10/17/2009 07:30:01

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5352 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2009 : 09:12:46

David
I like the idea of the power boat cover and the zipper. Seems like it would be good for all year, not just during the winter. I wonder who else among the forum visitors and members has created a similar cover?

In CT, we get a lot more snow over the winter than in your part of TN. We need a tent-like structure just to keep the snow out of the cockpit and off the decks to prevent thaw-freeze-thaw-freeze problems.

Edited by - on

Tom Gauntt
Navigator

Members Avatar

204 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2009 : 18:23:11

viking1,

All these suggestions are good, but here is the easiest way to get the most water out of your boat:

1. Take an ordinary garden hose and attach it to an outside faucet.

2. Place the other end of the hose as low in the bilge of the boat as you can.

3. Turn the water on just long enough to fill the hose with water.

4. Detach the hose from the outside faucet and let the siphon you just created begin it's steady work.

5. Get another hose and do the same thing.

6. Grab a beer, watch your boat steadily dewater itself, dream of warm days spent sailing.

You'll be surprised how quickly your boat will empty out.

Edited by - on

farrison
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
166 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2009 : 08:27:25

I had this same problem when I found my boat. it had been in storage, on a trailer, for two years. The tounge of the trailer had been set on a low block that pitched the nose of the boat down a little and prevented the water that collected on the deck from draining out the side scuppers, back by the winches. The nose-down position made the lowest part of the deck the area where the head holding tank vent is located the lowest point. The water collected there, drained down the vent, filled the holding tank and the head, which overflowed and filled the bilge and cabin floor. We sucked it out with siphons and a shop vac. When you store your boat for the winter, make sure the tounge is propped up high enough to prevent this.

Edited by - on

Rich P
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
77 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2009 : 20:47:14

Tom's trick is probably the easiest and by far least expensive. A trip to home depot can yield a good electric pump as well and is a nice thing to have on hand. If you're looking to move a lot of water in a little time, someone in the dockbuilding profession will have gas pumps that will empty a boat full of water out in less than a half hour (find my "new to me" post here and you'll figure out how I know).

Edited by - Rich P on 10/19/2009 20:48:23

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2009 : 21:15:14

It might be worth a trip to your local thrift shop. I was able to pick up a Jacuzzi portable pump in one of ours for $7. It needed about $2 worth of a fitting to make it serviceable, but that seemed reasonable to me. I use it mostly to empty my hot tub, but I've used a nearly identical one to drain my San Juan 21 when it's drains got plugged, huge rainfall & backed up over the cabin step and tried to sink my boat.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2009 : 05:33:47

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tom Gauntt
 All these suggestions are good, but here is the easiest way to get the most water out of your boat:

1. Take an ordinary garden hose and attach it to an outside faucet.

2. Place the other end of the hose as low in the bilge of the boat as you can.

3. Turn the water on just long enough to fill the hose with water.

4. Detach the hose from the outside faucet and let the siphon you just created begin it's steady work.

5. Get another hose and do the same thing.

6. Grab a beer, watch your boat steadily dewater itself, dream of warm days spent sailing.

You'll be surprised how quickly your boat will empty out.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This is the same technique I use to empty my water tank. Easy and works great.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 10/23/2009 : 11:07:10

A small electric submersible sump pump would also work. I use one to get water to my power washer at the local ramp so I can power wash the boat when its put on the trailer.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.