Heidi Heidel
Fredericksburg, VA
Boat Name: Interim
Model/Year: 1973
Hull No. 2212
Hailing Port: Colonial Beach, VA |
 06/16/2004 8:16 AM Pacific Time
Behind the keel winch is a t-valve where two drains from the cockpit come together and meet. This valve screws into the bottom of the boat and drains out the bottom of the hull.
Mine was clogged w/ leaves and I had to take it out to clean it out. Screwing it back in just sounds entirely too easy. Being as this is under the waterline it concerns me greatly.....as it should. The object is to keep the water OUT of the boat.
What should I use to seal this? Someone suggested teflon tape, but to me that just doesn't sound secure enough. Any suggestions? |
Lance Anderson
Kenai, Alaska
Boat Name:
Model/Year: 1973
Hull No. 2367
Hailing Port: Kenai, Alaska |
07/16/2004 1:57 AM Pacific Time
I have a similiar issue. I had water coming into the boat(very slow leak). I suspected the drain pipe-hull joint. I removed this the other day(it was pretty loose) and discovered that the portion of the pipe that was in the hull was discolored.
My question is:
NOW WHAT?
Sure seems like a hokey setup to me.
Seems like a real fix would include a proper thru-hull fitting.
I don't want to just slather it up with 5200 and put it to bed.
Seems way to un trustworthy. I am suprised that a professional boat manufacturer would actually sell something like this.
I need some help.
What is the best course of action here?
What is everyone else doing?
What is the best way to repair?
Is filling in the hole and putting thru-hulls to the side or transom a good way to go?
Thank You,
Lance |
Linda Hoffecker
Lancaster, PA
Boat Name: t/c
Model/Year: '82 Cat 22
Hull No. t/c
Hailing Port: Havre de Grace, MD |
07/17/2004 12:09 AM Pacific Time
Heidi and Lance,
I had a fit with this same or similar situation. Got a lot of good information from the fellows and if you click on 'Plumbing', and look for the heading 'Cockpit drains not draining', you will find that information.
Good Luck.
Linda Hoffecker |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
07/17/2004 6:24 AM Pacific Time
Heidi and Lance - Catalina has been building the 22 for over thirty years with the same design. That tells you something about whether it iworks or not. The drain line below the cutoff valve is just a pipe nipple which has been glassed into the top of the keel trunk . If you disturb the bond between the fiberglas putty and the nipple, you can easily cause the joint to leak.
When the old valve on my 1976 model corroded to the point of inoperability, I removed it and in the process removed the nipple as well. DONOT REMOVE IT WHILE THE BOAT IS IN THE WATER. I replaced the nipple with a plastic one and the valve with a Marelon ball valve. I mounted the T for the cockpit drain lines to the ball valve and screwed the nipple into the ball valve, I coated the threads on the lower end of the nipple with epoxy and screwed it into the "volcano." Then -I coated the surrounding area with Marine Tex and let it cure for a couple of days. Finally, I installed some new tubing to the cockpit drains. The previous owner of my new (1978) boat did the same mod. Now if my drain is clogged down stream of the T, I just remove the hoses and use a piece of wire to clean out the T and valve area. (If you remove the plastic drain lines and dip them in a tall jar of chlorine bleach, they will look like new.) |
Michael Smalter
Webster, NY
Boat Name: Marrakesh
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13645
Hailing Port: Rochester, NY |
07/17/2004 10:03 AM Pacific Time
DIck, Catalina changed the cockpit drains to rear scuppers with the new -style (1985?), so I think they realized the front drains with T-valve wasn't the best design. While the foor of the old-style tilts forward, installation of the rear scuppers would be a fail-safe for if/when the front drains clogged, and would prevent water in the cockpit from overflowing into the cabin. |
Michael Smalter
Webster, NY
Boat Name: Marrakesh
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13645
Hailing Port: Rochester, NY |
07/17/2004 10:09 AM Pacific Time
Sorry Dick. I reread the post and while the T-valve has changed, the volcano for the cable has remained the same. |
Lance Anderson
Kenai, Alaska
Boat Name:
Model/Year: 1973
Hull No. 2367
Hailing Port: Kenai, Alaska |
07/17/2004 2:56 PM Pacific Time
Thank You all,
I am going to go pick up a new valve and plastic nipple and epoxy it in per Dick's instruction.
I This should put me back in the water by sunday.
Thanks again,
Lance |
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA
Boat Name: SAILYNN
Model/Year: SWING 1984
Hull No. 11994
Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA |
07/18/2004 4:45 PM Pacific Time
If you leave your boat where water will freeze in the cockpit drains, be sure to install the retrofit aft drains. A friend of ours left his boat on a mooring and the drains plugged with water and then ice and then snow and the cockpit filled up and overflowed into the cabin and eventually sunk the boat. On dry storage the same thing could happen but instead of sinking, you could damage the interior by filling it with water. |
Heidi Heidel
Fredericksburg, VA
Boat Name: Interim
Model/Year: 1973
Hull No. 2212
Hailing Port: Colonial Beach, VA |
08/09/2004 3:50 AM Pacific Time
update:
After having all my male boat buddies look at this setup and scratch their head much like me, screwing it in and out and deciding whether it would hold, we came to the conclusion that surely Catlina must know more about this stuff than I do, so we were going to trust their set-up.
We applied teflon tape around the threads of the t-valve and screwed in it.
Immediately after we put her in the water I sat and stared at that valve waiting for the first drop of water to come in.
so far, nothing. The maiden voyage was in some pretty choppy water so I was sure it would give....but it didn't.
so far, so good. |
