Roger Long wrote:
Drains above the waterline are also much less prone to clogging. The
floating stuff goes right through instead of building up into a mat at
the water level.

That's a nice feature of a catamaran! The cockpit is several feet
above the water.


You should close the seacocks on below water hoses when leaving the
boat so that means coming back to water (and slime if its been a long
time) in the cockpit.

That sounds like prudent advice, but I seem to remember that the
largest single cause of boats sinking is clogged cockpit drains.

Hi:
Everyone is right on with their advice. The problem with teh Ranger is
that there is scant freeboard to put an above the waterline cockpit
discharge plus if above the water line minimal if any head for
drainage. Rangers are great boats, but.......................

So Colin, have you got your tape measure out and looked closley if the
measrment between the waterline and cockpit drains alow an above the
waterline through hull for cockpit discharge?
Bob

Tape measure standing by. Heading out to the yard tomorrow. Thanks very
much for everyone's comments. I think in general redoing the through
hulls above is a good idea and in fact one that occurred to me earlier,
but may be out of scope at least for this season.

I don't want to screw with the existing through hulls (hell the boat's
been floating for 35 years now) so I'm thinking get the proper valves
and get the nice new hose that Will Not Break. I will of course
endeavour to not have another connection point in the hose below
the waterline, which is basically the way it is now.

Bob yeah there is going to be *very scant* freeboard I bet. Closing the
seacocks? I don't know, I get out there once/twice a week and if it
rains a lot cockpit will flood and possibly forward into the cabin.
Transom drainage came about 2 years later as a standard design AFAIK
and in this cockpit the traveller is supported by a little wall on the
back there that closes off the rest.. The (outboard) engine well itself
drains back but everything else is to the front (Roger).

What's the complexity with the teflon tape? I've used this before on
conventional plumbing but I suppose it's not as critical there - what
is the right and wrong way to apply it?

Is there a reasonable way I can confirm that the through hull is
bronze?

I will pull the old hose off there in the morning and look at the
threading. Maybe I can paste a photo in here at that point.

Again thanks for everyone's comments. I may have more info to follow up
on tomorrow. Cheers,

-Colin

wrote:
I don't want to screw with the existing through hulls (hell the boat's
been floating for 35 years now)

'K... it does work, but some of us are paranoid and just
*have* to tell you about all possible failure modes


Bob yeah there is going to be *very scant* freeboard I bet. Closing the
seacocks? I don't know, I get out there once/twice a week and if it
rains a lot cockpit will flood and possibly forward into the cabin.
Transom drainage came about 2 years later as a standard design AFAIK
and in this cockpit the traveller is supported by a little wall on the
back there that closes off the rest.. The (outboard) engine well itself
drains back but everything else is to the front (Roger).


I think closing off the cockpit drain valves while you're
away from the boat is a bad idea. That's one of the things
that make solid fiberglass tubes a good idea IMHO. But
you're right, it's worked all this time and will continue.

It would be less trouble than putting in solid tube fwd
drains and may help if you add a drain tube thru the back
wall under the traveler. Cockpit drainage capacity is one of
those things where more is definitely better!



What's the complexity with the teflon tape? I've used this before on
conventional plumbing but I suppose it's not as critical there - what
is the right and wrong way to apply it?


The basics of the right way:

Always start with clean thread.

Always double check that you're using the right tape for the
service.

Start one thread back from the end of the nipple. The
initial thread contact must be metal to metal.

Wrap the tape the same direction as the threads, so that as
you screw in the fitting, the tape wraps tighter.

Never more than three wraps.

Never put teflon tape on any non-tapered fitting, and never
use teflon tape as a substitute for the right size & pitch
of thread.





Again thanks for everyone's comments. I may have more info to follow up
on tomorrow. Cheers,


You're welcome and I'll be looking out for your results. I'm
going down to the boat this weekend myself, epoxy kit in hand!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"DSK" wrote

I think closing off the cockpit drain valves while you're away from
the boat is a bad idea.

I agree 100% now that I understand the configuration of this cockpit.
Having the hoses break is a much smaller danger.

--

Roger Long

Bob yeah there is going to be *very scant* freeboard I bet. Closing the
seacocks? I don't know, I get out there once/twice a week and if it
rains a lot cockpit will flood and possibly forward into the cabin.
Transom drainage came about 2 years later as a standard design AFAIK
and in this cockpit the traveller is supported by a little wall on the
back there that closes off the rest.. The (outboard) engine well itself
drains back but everything else is to the front (Roger).


I think closing off the cockpit drain valves while you're away from the
boat is a bad idea. That's one of the things that make solid fiberglass
tubes a good idea IMHO. But you're right, it's worked all this time and
will continue.

It would be less trouble than putting in solid tube fwd drains and may
help if you add a drain tube thru the back wall under the traveler.
Cockpit drainage capacity is one of those things where more is
definitely better!
If you run the drain hoses back under the cockpit you can get right back
to the transom. The little traveler bulkhead doesn't extend down below
the deck. But why bother?

The other challenge on my boat was teeing in the drains up on the seats
to the deck drains. That would make fiberglass pipe much more difficult.

Gary

DSK wrote:

The basics of the right way:

Always start with clean thread.

Always double check that you're using the right tape for the
service.

Start one thread back from the end of the nipple. The
initial thread contact must be metal to metal.

Wrap the tape the same direction as the threads, so that as
you screw in the fitting, the tape wraps tighter.

Never more than three wraps.

Never put teflon tape on any non-tapered fitting, and never
use teflon tape as a substitute for the right size & pitch
of thread.

What is recommended for a bronze-on-bronze straight thread fitting?
Anyone have pipe dope brand suggestions? Is there anything specifically
wrong with teflon tape on a straight fitting, and what is it? I've seen
here and there that teflon on NPS is fine, and one of the reps at a
west marine shop just told me that that would be fine..

I have also read that teflon tape is a lot cleaner than dope/goo..
which I can believe.

But of course I must turn to the experts on this group

Thanks,

-CB

wrote:

Tape measure standing by. Heading out to the yard tomorrow. Thanks very
much for everyone's comments.

I don't want to screw with the existing through hulls (hell the boat's
been floating for 35 years now)
Colin

Hi Again:
My Ranger friend and I stood there staring at his two 1 1/2" valves
scratching our head for a long time. We both agreed that freezing and
sinking or filling the cockpit with water that spills into the cabin
and then sinking were real possibilities. After lots of staring and
talking, and a couple beers, we came to the same conclusion that you
did. Heck, the boat has been sitting at the same slip for 8 winters and
did sink yet. And three of the winters were ugly.... 0 degrees F for a
week., 3" thick ice covering the marina.
Go figure.?!

I was talking to an RN with 25 years experience as an operating room
nurse. She said there is a motto in the OR, "better is the enemy of
good."

NOw evertime I start another project on my boat I mumble repeatedly,
better is the enemy of good...

Bob
Bob