how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

[dancamp009]

Hi, I have a 1969 25' Cal sailboat that drains all the water from the fore deck of the cockpit into the inside of the boat, ending in the keel. The drain holes do have shut off valves, but that would allow the water to fill up in the **** pit, which I would prefer not to allow considering the salty water could get inside the tiller housing.
After every couple days of rainy weather, I have to go out to the boat and manually drain out the water from the keel with a plastic gallon jug.
I tried adding a drain hose from the fordeck of the cockpit (it's got a 2-3" forward sloop on the cockpit deck) and inserted an expensive ($45.00) marine drain right angle with a ping pong ball float in it (to prevent reverse flow) on the cockpit floor at lowest point and ran a 2" flexable hose back to a flapper valve inserted through the transom four inches above water line. Unfortunately, that didn't allow enough drainage and now water gets hung up in the hose and floats the ping pong ball restricting drainage so I have to lower the drain flapper valve even more (I only have another 1 1/2 " to go on that transom).
I know I can get the hose to drain if I pull the boat out of the water and direct the drain straight down below water line and everything will work fine, until that is, it freezes and the drain hose cracks upon thawing and my boat taking on water and sinking.
I realize I can put a brass shut off **** valve at the drain location, but I would have to close it during the freezing season which would defeat my purpose of being able to abandon the boat during the winter.
So my basic question is: Does there exist a type of drain pipe for boats that will not crack upon thawing after a freeze? Or do I even have to worry about this if it drains straight into the salty ocean water that doesn't freeze?
Any comments or help will be appreciated. Thank you

 

[dancamp009]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

whoops, I mistakenly placed this thread in the wrong place. I will now move it to "Boat Topics and Questions (not engine topics) " .

 

[DJ]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

I will move it for you.

 

[tommays]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

I would have a TENT type cover over the BOOM to keep the rain out

I cant recall any sailboat that the cockpit did not drain directly overboard ?


Tommays

 

[dancamp009]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

It's deffinately the craziest, studidist drainage plan I've ever heard of. But this was one of the first fiberglass sailboats made and I guess they hadn't realized this basic common sense principle yet. I have another sailbboat, a 1972 30' Mapleleaf, that drains the cockpit directly out the transom like it should, but it does slope back to the transom too. Which offers me another option I've thought about -- building up the cockpit floor so that it does drain out the transom, but that would be a big job considering the tiller housing would have to be somehow waterproofed in the process.
I've tried tenting it too, but the winds here (it's anchored in the bay) are super strong and tear the hell out of any tenting system.
Why is it nobody has invented a flexible or rigid drain hose that expands and won't crack during or after freezing? Or perhaps there is such a thing. . .

 

[steelespike]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

The piping and fittings used for "Push and Turn" and Quest plastic plumbing is resistant to cracking if frozen.Both myself and a friend used it on our cottages (Northern NY)and while I blow out mine he doesn't and has never had a break.I think before using it I would buy a couple of fittings and some piping and freeze it to see if the ice cracks it.The tubing will bend 90 degrees though the radius is about 4 to 6 inches.
I wonder if the semi clear tubing like that is used on an ice cube maker but bigger would work.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

Hey moderator. Why is this in the Evinrude and Johnson area? it has nothing to do with Evinrude's or Johnsons.

 

[flashback]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

why not install an automatic bilge pump in the keel area?

 

[tommays]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

i think its time for a through hole fitting and some plumbing work

I can see this boat sinking in a long rain storm


Tommays

 

[dancamp009]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

Well, I guess I'll first try lowering the outlet hole I cut in the transom and hope it drains enough so no water will ever get hung up inside the hose. If that doesn't work, I'll pull it and put a through hull pipe in with shut off valve incase of leaks. Why no automatic bilge pump? I think it would just wear down the battery with the constant drizzles we get around her in the NW.
thanks for all your help guys.

 

[flashback]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

I guess that could be a problem, rain every day and no sun... I have a solar panel hooked up to my battery and it seems to keep it up, but if you have no sun and all it does is rain, then that could be a problem:% That boat has a low freeboard and the cockpit floor is below the waterline.. I think you will have to pump it out as gravity won't work ..............good luck........

 

[dancamp009]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

well, the cockpit floor board is still above the waterline by about 6" with no weight inside boat, but it tilts forward and by the time I drain it back to the transom there isn't much room left above water. It was a just a lousy design to begin with, crazy man crazy.

 

[flashback]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

I guess you could put a couple of drains from the cockpit, thru the transom, at the floor level of the cockpit. Then close the valves on the original drains. the cockpit would hold a little water in the forward end until it got deep enough to run out the new ones in the aft.. then when you go aboard the boat you could open the valves and drain any remaining water into the bilge then pump it out... yea the more i type the crazier it soundsd

 

[bjcsc]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

Hmmm...danger of freezing...rain at such a frequency that a bilge pump would depleat the battery...not enough sun to use a solar charger...winds too strong for any kind of tenting...

Wait...I've got it!

You need to move!

 

[Bondo]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

Does there exist a type of drain pipe for boats that will not crack upon thawing after a freeze?

Ayuh,.......... Sure Thing,..........

An Automotive Heater Hose...........

As long as the Fittings don't Break,...... The Rubber will last for Years.......

 

[dancamp009]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

Guess what! I was wrong all along. My Cal 25 was built with the cockpit drains going out the hull. My problem was that the holes were clogged with barnicals and it just couldn't drain until I cleaned them out. Sorry about the hassal. thanks for the help too.

 

[flashback]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

now ya got to worry about how the water was getting into the bilge..:%

 

[dancamp009]

Re: how to avoid drain pipe freezing sinking boat

Update time. Well, I was wrong on two points. First off, the Cal 25 1969 does not drain into the hull unless you shut off the drain **** and then it will fill up the cockpit. But it DOES drain directly into the bay through two thru hulls from the cockpit that will build up barnicles and quit draining (as in my case) until you clean out the barnicles. Then you drainage problems are solved. Daaaaaaaaaaa
My boat drains a lot of water in through the ceiling where it in bowed down a lttle enough to allow water to enter when it rains. I just pushed that ceiling up in that place and reinforced it with a piece of wood and my problem there is solved.
So basically, this old Cal is a sweet, and well built boat. The more I get to know it the more I love it.
thanks for all the help
DanCamp009