Cockpit Drain Blocked

[Spartan]

One of the drains in the cockpit is blocked. As luck would have it, the yacht is sitting on the hard standing very slightly to one side - the side that the drain is blocked. Accordingly, there is always a puddle of water sitting in the cockpit when I arrive.

At the weekend, I tried a plunger which made no difference. I then tried sticking a long piece of wire down the plug hole to see if I could open up the blockage. Still nothing!

It's a Contessa 28 I have. Water that goes down the port side drain seems to come out the drainage hole on the starboard side. The drainage hole at on the port side (presumably for the starboard drain) seems to have something in it as I couldn't get the wire up it. Could it be a muscle that has managed to get in and block the drain - or could it be a drainage hole for something else?

When both drains worked I never really took much notice where the water came out of.

Anyway, do any of you guys have any idea how to unblock the drain? Would something like household drain cleaner work?

I'm totally stuck as you can gather and would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[sarabande]

have you checked that the drain valves are both fully open ?

 

[sailorman]

have you checked that the drain valves are both fully open ?

+ try a dinghy pump upit

 

[ghostlymoron]

Depending on how easy the drains are to access I would try to remove the blocked drain and clear it off the boat. I had this problem a few years ago and found that the spindle of the port side seacock had corroded through so that when it appeared open, it was still closed. BTW it is common for the drains to crossover to avoid getting water in the cockpit through the drains when heeled.

 

[[70521]]

I use a wee stick.

 

[DanTribe]

Our sink waste connects into the cockpit drain to save a skin fitting. The outlet occasionally gets blocked with congealed grease [lovely].
The trick with pressurising with a dinghy pump is very effective if you can block all the other outlets, but watch out for geysers of crud if you build up any pressure!

 

[Halo]

Not sure of the diameter of your drain but one thing that worked for me was to use self amalgamating tape on the end of a hosepipe to make a "bung" round the outside of the hose and then hold this into the cockpit drain. Then got a mate to turn on the hosepipe whilst I held it in place (swiming trunks or oilies as water sprayed everywhere). This cleared the blockage and flushed it through.

if this does not work suggest removal starting with seacock as suggested earlier

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

to keep greasy outlets from the sink etc... clear bung down some simple soda crystals evry time you leave the boat.
Cheap as chips and does the trick

Sounds like a muscle or broken valve in seacock or has it been under trees all winter and got leaves doewn it and gone solid with other things?.

Long coat hanger with end rounded over so as not to damage pipe?
Pump?
Henry vaccum cleaner on boost but only on land?..... Henry don't like the wet.

 

[WindermereColvic]

Just a word of warning - The cockpit drains on our Colvic 28 are made of household waste pipe fittings, which weakens (albeit slowly) when used outside. One of our drains in blocked as well, but i wouldn't consider rodding it through, because if the pipe broke getting to it would mean dismantling large amount of the back of the boat. Its worth noting that the drains on our boat do not cross over, so hopfuly yours are of a different construction.
Good luck!

 

[prv]

Just a word of warning - The cockpit drains on our Colvic 28 are made of household waste pipe fittings, which weakens (albeit slowly) when used outside. One of our drains in blocked as well, but i wouldn't consider rodding it through, because if the pipe broke getting to it would mean dismantling large amount of the back of the boat.

If my cockpit drains were that fragile, and especially if they were that inaccessible, I would be looking to replace them as a matter of urgency

Pete

 

[Stemar]

If my cockpit drains were that fragile, and especially if they were that inaccessible, I would be looking to replace them as a matter of urgency

Pete

+1

 

[ianat182]

Are you trying to clear from both inside and out? Maybe a coin or washer dropped from a pocket in which case the drain will have to be disconnected. I have used a pressure washer and rags wrapped around the head to clear mine; usually after some shavings of wood have dropped into the cockpit, or as recently some duck's waste food(bread or similar) .
If you can judge where the blockage is located it may tell you which way to tackle it- if a mussel, then from the inside to the outlet seems most likely; the reverse may put some mucky stuff into the cockpit area so a bucket or similar upturned here will help prevent this spraying about.

ianat182

 

[Spartan]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have a shot at some of the ideas you've come up with.

I didn't even know there were drain valves. Shows how little I know. I'll have a look for them at the weekend. That could be the problem.

Alternatively it could be leaves or something that's dropped down and solidified. Albeit, the blockage seems more at the outlet end. I'll maybe also try using a pressure washer - before I do to much cleaning and waxing!

Again, thanks for your input.

 

[sailorman]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have a shot at some of the ideas you've come up with.

I didn't even know there were drain valves. Shows how little I know. I'll have a look for them at the weekend. That could be the problem.

Alternatively it could be leaves or something that's dropped down and solidified. Albeit, the blockage seems more at the outlet end. I'll maybe also try using a pressure washer - before I do to much cleaning and waxing!

Again, thanks for your input.

It is said that one does not know ones boat until one has taken it apart 3 times.
I know my boat

 

[maby]

Before using pressure, check the run of the pipe from the drain to the skin fitting. I tried to blow a blocked cockpit drain through on a previous boat and the pressure popped a pipe union in the aft cabin ceiling - got a very wet bed before I realised what had happened!

 

[sailorman]

Before using pressure, check the run of the pipe from the drain to the skin fitting. I tried to blow a blocked cockpit drain through on a previous boat and the pressure popped a pipe union in the aft cabin ceiling - got a very wet bed before I realised what had happened!

doesnt one have a deckhead in an AWB then

 

[maby]

doesnt one have a deckhead in an AWB then

The boat in question was a relatively old British Hunter and did not have a deckhead. Actually, the majority of current Jeanneaus don't either - the "i" in "33i", "44i" etc stands for "injection moulded" - the hull mouldings are properly finished and gel coated on both sides, so no need for deckhead.

 

[prv]

the hull mouldings are properly finished and gel coated on both sides, so no need for deckhead.

Nor ceiling either, then

Pete

 

[maby]

Nor ceiling either, then

Pete

I have to admit to having looked up "deckhead" on Wikipedia before responding - not a term I had ever used....

 

[prv]

I have to admit to having looked up "deckhead" on Wikipedia before responding - not a term I had ever used....

I wouldn't normally be pedantic about terminology, but since someone else started it ...

Ceiling is an inner lining on the sides of the hull, originally planks on the insides of the frames (as well as the hull planks on the outsides) in cargo holds. Carried through to yachts as wooden strips (usually with gaps in between) to keep things away from damp possibly-leaky wooden hull sides. My boat has this, mostly for appearance, despite being fibreglass.

Calling the deckhead the ceiling and the sole the floor is only one step above bedrooms and bathrooms

Pete