This week's mystery picture

anon · July 05, 2017, 04:53:51 PM

Hello. I took all the junk out of my stern lazarette. Why the PO had 14 PFDs I have no idea! And, as I have seen on so many boats, people seem unable to throw out old lines no matter how old they are. I really should have taken a "before" picture.
Anyway, there is a reinforcement bolted to the transom and which has a crack indicated by the green arrow.
There is a "spare" hose which has been terminated. (Red arrow). What could this have been?
Interested to know a little more about what I am looking at here.

KWKloeber · July 05, 2017, 05:22:45 PM

Sophie

That isn't a reinforcement bolted to the transom, just a backing for the ladder thru bolting. It looks like it may have had a high spot in the center, and when the ladder bolts were tightened it split there. Unless you see an issue with the fiberglass on the transom itself, not to worry. Poke/tap in the area to make sure there's no softening/water damage around the thru bolts.

The hose have been from LP tank enclosure that was removed?

ken

Stu Jackson · July 05, 2017, 05:25:58 PM

The white cracked thing is a backing plate for the stern ladder.

The extra hose is GREAT to have because I'll bet it is a second bilge pump outlet. KEEP IT. The manual bilge pump most likely goes through the white corrugated hose. Adding an electric bilge pump with its own separate outlet is a good idea, because you can loop it up and prevent backflow. In some case, like on MY boat, the electric bilge pump pumps into and through the manual pump and its hoses. We had a discussion about this a few years ago and nobody believed me. I'll see if I can find it. I've only had the boat for almost 19 years, so I tend to disbelieve the non-believers.

Electric bilge pumps were NOT standard OEM on out older boats, and were installed by POs or dealers.

KWKloeber · July 05, 2017, 05:31:20 PM

Stu,

My auto bilge pump, pumps through the same hose as the manual pump, as you described. Both pumps (and the hose setup) were (on the C30) OEM in 84.

k

anon · July 05, 2017, 05:48:25 PM

Yes. The boat had LPG which is now gone so that answers one question.
I have one electric bilge pump and I think that is using the white corrugated tubing. As a nervous person I would like to add a second bilge pump so I am delighted to have that spare tube.
One tube says marine exhaust although I thought that tube and its symmetrical counterpart were cockpit drains, the large tube at right being exhaust water.
That still leaves one small tube, second from left.

Jon W · July 05, 2017, 06:41:18 PM

My 2 cents-

From right to left are engine raw water exhaust, 1 1/2" port cockpit drain, 1 1/2" manual bilge pump drain, 1 1/2" starboard cockpit drain, don't know, don't know.

The 1 1/2" manual bilge drain may have an electric bilge pump combined with it, but the only way to know for sure is to trace the line from beginning to end.

I also think the upper small plugged hose looks like a 3/4" hose that was the propane locker vent hose.

My guess for the other small hose is that it is the electric bilge pump. It looks like another 3/4" hose maybe 1". If it is, you must have a small pump. I don't see a tall vertical loop in the photo so you probably have check valves in the line being it exits the transom so low.

KWKloeber · July 05, 2017, 07:20:13 PM

Off hand as a guess, and strictly a guess, I'd say the other hose is your electric bilge pump, and the white corrugated one is the manual pump. Is it a 1"-ish rubber hose?

Those are interesting looking Rube Goldbergs ... thru hulls, with clamped hose, then clamped connectors, then another hose clamped onto the connector...... looks like a "PO job."

Why trace a hose all the way ......... take the lazy route, pump some water - you know where it came from -- let the thru hull tell you which hose it came thru.

k

Jon W · July 05, 2017, 07:37:08 PM

Looks like a piece of gray pvc clamped to the hose so you can cap it off.

My default position is to know how each system is run and what is used as much as possible. For example my original 1 1/8" bilge hose run under the aft berth had a check valve joining two sections that used tape instead of hose clamps. I would trace the line. YBYC as they say.

anon · July 06, 2017, 09:25:34 AM

As the (overly?) cautious person that I am, when adding another bilge pump, (Rule 3700?), where is the best place for that to go? Alongside the existing bilge pump? My "surveyor" told me that I should add another bilge pump in the aft cabin area.
BTW, took the boat (name still not finalized) out into the bay over the weekend. Learning!

KWKloeber · July 06, 2017, 10:15:50 AM

Quote from: Jon W on July 05, 2017, 07:37:08 PM
Looks like a piece of gray pvc clamped to the hose so you can cap it off.

My default position is to know how each system is run and what is used as much as possible. For example my original 1 1/8" bilge hose run under the aft berth had a check valve joining two sections that used tape instead of hose clamps. I would trace the line. YBYC as they say.

Jon, I AGREE with your thinking. and that should ABSOLUTELY be one of the "A-list" things to do for anyone/everyone who doesn't "know" their boat. But, it is not "the only way to know for sure" or to answer the actual question.

k

anon · July 06, 2017, 10:58:34 AM

I already decided to get to know every inch of my boat and every system. I understood that very well after listening to the audible version of "Alone Together". This is book about sailing single handedly from Marine Del Mar to Hawaii and back. I thoroughly recommend it. Cautionary tales abound.
Posting pictures and asking questions is going to help me understand my boat much better and much more quickly as I get at least some some clues and tips on what to look for. This is an amazing resource.

Ron Hill · July 06, 2017, 12:02:18 PM

Sophie : it looks to me like the thru hull on top of the other one is the original thru hull for the electric bilge pump.
The PO wanted to get more water out of the bilge? so he/she drilled and mounted another electric bilge pump thru hull lower and closed off of the original higher one. My best guess.

A thought

Ron Hill · July 06, 2017, 12:13:12 PM

Sophie : I'd also guess that when Catalina layered up the fiberglass and mat on the transom, they left more in the center than on the sides. That not only cause the boarding ladder backing plate to bend when it was tightened, it also cracked it.

As mentioned if there is no crack in the gelcoat on the outside of the transom - don't worry about it!

A thought

anon · July 06, 2017, 02:32:05 PM

Thanks Ron. I want to add a second bilge pump (Rule 3700?). I posted elsewhere about this. I guess I can use that "spare" hose for exiting the water?
My "surveyor" said I might put an additional bilge pump in the aft cabin. What say ye all?

KWKloeber · July 06, 2017, 02:47:30 PM

Well as I asked below, what size is the hose? 3/4? 1 inch?
As you know, you want to reduce friction losses, as much as possible.

When I upped my pump size, I ran new corrugated (for flex) smooth inside Shields, the best you can use for bilge - 1-1/4 inch I believe is what I used. ( "CRS" )

kk