Cleaning out the vent

[Warren]

Peggy; not sure if you can answer this one, but here goes. I am not sure if my vent line is clogged. I recently replaced the hose, however it was getting dark and late and I just managed to install it as the flashlight died. I know the vent hose is clear, and so is the connection into the holding tank. The problem is the vent on a Catalina 30 is through one of the stanhions, two tiny holes are all that is visible. Does anybody know a good way of cleaning this out short of removing the entire stanchion. I have tried to squirt water from a hose through the holes, and not even a drop of water is visible through the hose, that is the reason I believe it is clogged.

 

[Gary Kunkel]

Me too

I'm also curious about the two small stantion vent holes. Mine look as though they've never actually been open, or have rusted totally closed. As far as I know, it will take drilling them out with an electric drill. Ours is a 1988 Catalina 30 (hull 5075)and the small holes face outboard. I'd love to hear from someone that either the upper or lower or both small holes should actually be open. It seems like the lower one is intended to serve as the vent, but is the upper one also supposed to be open? (An earlier post yielded good info suggesting that the lower hole was the real vent, but I wanted to jump in here as well "just to be sure.") My thinking is that I can just drill out the lower hole, then run a small wire down to make sure things are clear.Item #2, Peggy's book is great. We bought it at Pacific Sail Expo.Regards,Gary

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

Use a screwdriver, knifeblade...

Pipe cleaners...even a power drill--whatever you can stick in the slit or both holes to scrape/ream 'em out...kinda like opening up a plugged up salt shaker. It's about the only way TO clear it out. Or--if you really want to do it right--take a power drill and a metal bit and turn the opening in the stanchion into a decent size hole that's big enough to squirt water into to backflush the vent when you wash the boat.

 

[SH]

This is what I did....

Hello..I used the wide angle shrink ray that my dock-mate just got from West marine, set it to 40 microns, grabbed a spade, hit the green button, and went into it myself, then the bugger got himself pissed and drowned under his keel, I need someone to call 911 now, I need a 'normal' to hit the green button again for me, I have a wedding to attend...SH.