The drain for the cooler in our 81 Oday 23 drains directly to the bilge. Has anybody rigged this drain to vent to one of the through-hull drains? It looks as if the drain for the cockpit cooler might work for a tee-in location. The location of the drain seems inaccessable. Any tricks for getting to it in order to install fittings? Thanks!
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Kevin
i've got your fix..
My Tempest does the same. It's very annoying. I was going to connect to the cockpit drain, then noticed, the cooler drain might actually be below the waterline at times, thus, saltwater would rush into the cooler. this is not good. I don't like warm beer. Here is another solution..if your cooler is on the starboard side, run your drain accross to the port side, install a thru hull, above the boats waterline and connect. use 2 stanless steel clamps to be sure. If the cooler is on the port side, run the drain hose across to the starboard side, thru hull above the water line etc. By doing it this way, the cooler will always be above the waterline. good luck!!
My Tempest does the same. It's very annoying. I was going to connect to the cockpit drain, then noticed, the cooler drain might actually be below the waterline at times, thus, saltwater would rush into the cooler. this is not good. I don't like warm beer. Here is another solution..if your cooler is on the starboard side, run your drain accross to the port side, install a thru hull, above the boats waterline and connect. use 2 stanless steel clamps to be sure. If the cooler is on the port side, run the drain hose across to the starboard side, thru hull above the water line etc. By doing it this way, the cooler will always be above the waterline. good luck!!
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Keith Wolfe
Why waste the cold?
I have a '79 O'Day 23 and I noticed the same thing with the inside cooler. At first it was "where did this water in the bilge come from? It wasn't there an hour ago and we haven't even taken the boat off the trailer yet!" I don't have any idea how to get at the back side of this drain. I can't even see it. I suppose it could be glassed in and a new side mounted drain installed if you wanted to for easier access. I also think the drain in question is too low to drain out of the thru-hull for the sink because it is in the very bottom of the boat. I suspect this cooler drain is also lower than the sink drain thru-hull. Using the thru hull could be a bad idea. Also, you don't want your sink drain to fill up your cooler. I don't like the idea of having water that might contain bits of food going into the bilge to spoil so I make sure my wife uses a water tight container for any food items she puts in this cooler so as to keep the food particles out of the bilge. However, ice is costly and can be hard to find in the middle of the lake so rather than pump it out why not put that cold water to use by keeping it in the cooler with a cork or sink stopper? Put all your ice money to work and chill more drinks this way.
I have a '79 O'Day 23 and I noticed the same thing with the inside cooler. At first it was "where did this water in the bilge come from? It wasn't there an hour ago and we haven't even taken the boat off the trailer yet!" I don't have any idea how to get at the back side of this drain. I can't even see it. I suppose it could be glassed in and a new side mounted drain installed if you wanted to for easier access. I also think the drain in question is too low to drain out of the thru-hull for the sink because it is in the very bottom of the boat. I suspect this cooler drain is also lower than the sink drain thru-hull. Using the thru hull could be a bad idea. Also, you don't want your sink drain to fill up your cooler. I don't like the idea of having water that might contain bits of food going into the bilge to spoil so I make sure my wife uses a water tight container for any food items she puts in this cooler so as to keep the food particles out of the bilge. However, ice is costly and can be hard to find in the middle of the lake so rather than pump it out why not put that cold water to use by keeping it in the cooler with a cork or sink stopper? Put all your ice money to work and chill more drinks this way.
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John Rich
Simple
I've got the same setup and solved the problem rather easily. Take one quart plastic milk bottles or something similar, fill them 3/4 full or water and freeze them (cap on) in your freezer overnight. Put them in your cooler as the cooling medium. You'll have cold fresh water as they melt and refrigeration at the same time. John Rich
I've got the same setup and solved the problem rather easily. Take one quart plastic milk bottles or something similar, fill them 3/4 full or water and freeze them (cap on) in your freezer overnight. Put them in your cooler as the cooling medium. You'll have cold fresh water as they melt and refrigeration at the same time. John Rich
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Geof Tillotson
Cooler, Icebox drain quandry....
Like John, we also use frozen plastic jugs to keep things cold in our icebox (cooler). The blocks of ice last longer than cubes and the water is great to drink. We always keep one or two in the freezer at home waiting to be used on board. I have also closed off the drain in my icebox by taping it over from the inside. I use clear plastic packing tape. Whatever condensation happens in the box is easy enough to clean up with a sponge. For day trips we also use smaller water bottles that are frozen in a soft sided cooler along with the other beverages. As the water thaws we drink it. Nothing more refreshing in the late afternoon after a day in the sun as an ice cold water. Regarding routing the drain into a thru-hull, on my 25 it would be a no brainer to "T" the drain into the sink drain. But since I don't usually open my thru-hulls except to exercise them, and I don't live aboard I don't keep fresh H20 in the tank either so that drain is usually closed. I would hate to bore another hole in the hull because I don't like to sponge up the "sweat" of some plastic jugs. BTW - I've used frozen water jugs most of my sailing/camping life. When I've been away from the home freezers I have gladly paid a $1 or so per jug for the privelidge of using the local merchants freezer to freeze them overnight. Often times they'll do it for free if you ask nicely. Warm Breezes, Cold Drinks! Geof s/v Day-O
Like John, we also use frozen plastic jugs to keep things cold in our icebox (cooler). The blocks of ice last longer than cubes and the water is great to drink. We always keep one or two in the freezer at home waiting to be used on board. I have also closed off the drain in my icebox by taping it over from the inside. I use clear plastic packing tape. Whatever condensation happens in the box is easy enough to clean up with a sponge. For day trips we also use smaller water bottles that are frozen in a soft sided cooler along with the other beverages. As the water thaws we drink it. Nothing more refreshing in the late afternoon after a day in the sun as an ice cold water. Regarding routing the drain into a thru-hull, on my 25 it would be a no brainer to "T" the drain into the sink drain. But since I don't usually open my thru-hulls except to exercise them, and I don't live aboard I don't keep fresh H20 in the tank either so that drain is usually closed. I would hate to bore another hole in the hull because I don't like to sponge up the "sweat" of some plastic jugs. BTW - I've used frozen water jugs most of my sailing/camping life. When I've been away from the home freezers I have gladly paid a $1 or so per jug for the privelidge of using the local merchants freezer to freeze them overnight. Often times they'll do it for free if you ask nicely. Warm Breezes, Cold Drinks! Geof s/v Day-O
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EJ Tews
On 1984 O'day 25, I connected the cooler drain to the sink drain with a brass "T" and also put a check valve between the cooler drain hole and the "T" to close off the back flow. I usually keep the Thru hull fitting closed unless I need to use the sink drain. When I want to drain the cooler at the end of the day or weekend I open the seacock and the check valve and drain out the cooler. I have not had an issue with back washas the water in the cooler is higher than the water line of the boat. I then close the check valve and then the seacock. Both the "T" and the check valve are brass. With the tubing, brass and hose clamps I sent about $18.00 at Home Depot. EJ Tews O'day 25 _/) Jennifer Lea
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Ed
Ice Box Drain
The deck cooler through hull, which is already in a tee with the galley, is too high to allow the ice box to drain. I had a Whaler diaphram pump installed on the forward vertical wall just under the main bilge locker hatch. The suction hose is positioned in the low bilge, and the exhaust hose is stored wrapped around the pump, and placed out over the transon when pumping out. It pumps out 20 pounds of former ice in just a couple of strokes and keeps the bilge very dry. Good luck.
The deck cooler through hull, which is already in a tee with the galley, is too high to allow the ice box to drain. I had a Whaler diaphram pump installed on the forward vertical wall just under the main bilge locker hatch. The suction hose is positioned in the low bilge, and the exhaust hose is stored wrapped around the pump, and placed out over the transon when pumping out. It pumps out 20 pounds of former ice in just a couple of strokes and keeps the bilge very dry. Good luck.
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