Cockpit drain hoses
Hi Dick-- I've got an 84 Catalina 27, and I replaced the cockpit drain hoses in my boat several years ago. I used off-the-shelf hose, purchased from West Marine. It is the wire reinforced rubber hose. Unless the set up on your 85 model is different, that's probably the way to go. The hardest part of the job was getting the old hose out. I used a hack saw to cut them, then used a razor knife to cut the bead of sealant were they pass through the floor of the stern locker. Once you get the old hose out, lay the pieces together and measure to get an overall length for your replacement hose. Putting the new hoses in is a matter of fitting them in place. Use new stainless steel hose clamps to secure them. It's a good idea to double the clamps for security, especially at the bottom. And of course, do this job when the boat is out of the water, so you don't sink the boat! One word of warning: although it's a relatively straigtforward job, you will spend much time hanging upside down in the locker, reaching with one had to remove and then replace the hoses. Plan on some extra time for swearing, and you'll be fine. Good luck, Randy
