2" ( 51mm ) Odor Resistant Sanitation Hose, 2" Y connector

[Jeff-Masala]

I have a European built boat that uses 51mm size (per the manufactuer's documentation, and it is visibly larger than 1.5" hose) sanitation hose from the bottom of the holding tank down towards an overboard discharge thru hull. No macerator pump, just a gravity discharge to dump at sea. It's the item #6 below the tank.

We currently sail in the Great Lakes, where overboard discharge is strictly forbidden, so any, uh, um, sediment in the bottom of the tank will tend to collect in this hose. It's an OK design for European marine coastal areas, where it would be dumped and rinsed regularly, but not for our current location.

So two questions:

1) Replacement Hose
The factory built the boat in the middle of the pandemic in mid-late 2020, and used hose that is not very odor resistant and needs to be replaced after only 3-4 months of use. Odor permeates it, as per the warm wet towel test.

This size hose is not at all common in North America, and so far I've only found Trident 102 hose and Great White Headhunter from Environmental Marine (at $24/foot, ouch!).

Anyone have any additional sources that might be readily available in Canada? Or comments on the odor resistance or installation characteristics of the above two hoses?

2) Y Connector

I'm thinking of adding a Y connector ( no valve function required) into this hose, down near the overboard discharge thru hull ( #3 in the diagram), that would allow connection to both the tank bottom drain hose and the the deck pumpout fitting, so that pumpouts would drain most of this hose.

Any specific suggestions on where that could be purchased in 2" size"

Other comments:

Or should I try to locate some 2" to 1.5" reducers and switch to 1.5" hose all around? My internet searches are fruitless so far.

One option would be to try to eliminate this hose altogether, as we don't dump overboard. But we may in the future, and since I can't completely eliminate the bottom drain from the tank, there will be stump there that makes both odors and winterization a challenge, so I'm reluctant to do that.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I'd go with reducing adapters at the toilet and tank. That would allow you to use Raritan SaniFlex, which is the top-rated sanitation hose...proven to be 100% odor permeation proof--even has a 10 warranty against it--and has the added advantage of being so flexible it can be bent almost as tight as a hairpin without kinking, which makes most rehosing jobs a LOT easier. Defender has it for about $10/ft and sells it by the foot (most retailers only sell 50' coils).

You're close enough to Toronto to make it worthwhile to get a US shipping address in Niagara Falls or any town that's closer to the border...you'll find stores like Mailboxes Etc that rent addresses for a very reasonable price. This will save you a bunch in "internatiional shipping charges, customs brokerage fees and all the stuff UPS and FedX charge to ship into Canada, plus you'll get stuff a lot faster.

As for closing off the overboard discharge line...I'd install a shutoff valve in the tank bottom instead of a hose fitting. Or, if that won't work, install a foot or two of hose and install the shutoff valve in it.

--Peggie