Boat Owners that have a MacGregor 25 Sailboat now!

[jjsbiggs]

I don't believe they came with a grate. I think it may have been added. My has no grate. But I know some people put a sink strainer on the drain to keep things from going in the drain and plugging it. I will most likely add one someday. But I will not secure it so it can be removed whenever needed. You may also want to pass something flexible through the drain hose or remove it and inspect it to be sure there is nothing plugging the hose.

 

[Capt.Black]

Technically it’s not a grate. That’s the way I described it. It’s a flat metal plate flush to the cockpit floor with small holes. I see four indentations around it but, I didn’t notice any screws. I need to look closer. I’m wondering if it was glued down. I did notice a white plastic seal below it. I had gotten tired by the two times I was looking at it & I was fearful bending over because it had gotten very hot & the wasp had become active!

 

[jjsbiggs]

I would remove it because that may be restricting the flow down the drain. Then after clearing the drain hose with something from both inlet and outlet you could flush it with a garden hose to verify it is open.

 

[Capt.Black]

Thanks for the info.........
Were you able to remove your inlet cover?

 

[timebandit]

No cover on mine but a plunger will clear it. Just let it become overcome and than use the plunger.
I do keep a screen on it though to keep out the limes!

 

[Tsatzsue]

It has a backing nut behind it. You have to remove the flotation and crawl underneath to access it. The hose is clamped to it. I have no screws. Yours may not be OEM. This is a very important part of my maintenance every year. When loaded up the through hull goes in and out of the water and is a potential leak if the connections are not sound. Also if your boat is left in the water rainwater from the cockpit can leak into the boat, Both could be catastrophic. I check all fittings for tightness and the through hull fittings for cracks.

 

[Capt.Black]

That’s a wealth of info you sent to me. That cockpit drain had me baffle. Now I know how to get to it. It’s is very odd that you mention that. I’m still removing water from my boat after the last hard rain we had. My boat is in a slip at a Marina. My boat was setting low in the water after a hard rain. I’m sure the cockpit drain backed up & the rain water spilled into the cabin.
Thank You very much for the information!

 

[Tsatzsue]

Holy Cow!! That looks like your flotation was all that was keeping your boat afloat!!!! Definitely the drain. Low in the water? That is under water. I check that and all things keel related every season. I trailer so it isn't that hard. I'm hoping to rip the cove off tomorrow and get started myself. Happy Sailing!!

 

[Tsatzsue]

It can leak from the drain hose into the boat as well.

 

[Freedom77]

Drain on Freedom clogs up with leaves, etc. I just put a hose with a high pressure nozzle on top and blow everything out the bottom. Works Fine. The drain hose is a ribbed radiator hose. I have been trying for years to find a smooth one to replace it. No luck.

 

[Capt.Black]

This is my cockpit drain cover. When cleaning my cockpit I discovered it takes very little debris to slow down the draining process or stop it up completely. The boat stays in water at a Marina. I have to continually remove the debris from the top of my drain cover when cleaning my cockpit. As an experiment I dumped about 3 buckets of lake water into the cockpit. It drains fast until a small amount of debris get on top of the cockpit drain cover.

 

[Capt.Black]

In the photo is a small amount of debris while cleaning my boat from an incident where the boat took on a huge amount of water. Still getting a small amount of left over water out.
I’m also trying to come up with a product to remove the small amount of water left. No power at slip!

 

[Freedom77]

Think this could be a mod by P.O. Used to be dealer for Macs. Never saw this out of factory. Original drain in cockpit looks like exterior drain on stern at waterline. Suggest you remove cut out grates for quicker drainage.

 

[jjsbiggs]

Looks like the drain cover is held in place with sealant. I don't see any screws. Once you have the cover removed I think you will find the water will drain a lot faster.

 

[Capt.Black]

Thank You,
This forum has been a wealth of information.
Since my boat has been in the water for such a long time & I have no trailer. I have a question.........
Exactly what does the exterior drain look like in the stern? Is there a opening in the stern the same size as the cockpit drain opening? The weather is too cool to get into the Lake at this time. I will when the weather warms up. Is the inlet & outlet the same size? Just wondering before I remove the cockpit drain cover.............
Thanks in advance!

 

[THECUSCUS]

Here is a shot of my transom, you can see the thru hull that the cockpit drain hose attaches to. It is slightly above the waterline without anyone in the cockpit. But it goes underwater with 2 or more in the cockpit. I put a seacock on mine so I can close it to keep water out of boat if the hose has issues. Use 2 hose clamps and good hose!

Cockpitdrain1

• THECUSCUS
• Apr 1, 2019

Cockpitdrain

• THECUSCUS
• Apr 1, 2019

seacock in transom for cockpit drains

• THECUSCUS
• Feb 9, 2012

 

[Capt.Black]

The seacock was a brilliant ideal.
Thanks for the photos & the information!

 

[Capt.Black]

Any suggestions on how I can remove this grate over my cockpit drain. It appears a sealant was used to attach it. I’m wondering if there’s a way to dissolve the sealant or remove it without any damage. I would like to keep it as is in case I decided to reuse it.

 

[Capt.Black]

It’s definitely slowing down the draining and/or stopping up the drain if a small amount of debris end up on top of it. On the weekend I poured about 5 pails of Lake water in the cockpit quickly & was surprised at how slowly the water drained. I need to do something before the next hard rain.

 

[jjsbiggs]

I would think you could carefully pry it up with a screwdriver or putty knife you should be able to get it off without damage to it.