galley sink drain

Jim Seamans · Apr 16, 2011

Mike,

Same problem here year before last. Evidentially, some water went down the drain with the valve closed and the water froze and put a small split in the valve. New valve time

Peggie Hall HeadMistress · Apr 16, 2011

You belief that I have psychic powers is touching, but...

...what are these things made of in a 1980 O'day 28? It is a plastic of some sort. It is yellow/tan in color and has a non smooth finish. Are these items common hardware items at marine supply stores?

Without seeing 'em, I can only guess at what a defunct boat builder may have used in sink drain plumbing 40 years ago...even assuming that they used the same thing in all models. I do know that white plastic has e a tendency to turn a yellowish tan color over the years, so it wouldn't surprise me if yours were originally white.

Do I have to use the same material as the original or will a metal or other type plastic work as well?

I'd stick with plastic, though again, till I can see what the heck you're asking about, I can't tell you what to look for or where to look for it or much else. So how 'bout posting some photos or emailing 'em to me?

Peggie Hall HeadMistress · Apr 17, 2011

Welll, Mike ol' boy....

If it were sanitation system plumbing I could tell you what to use regardless of what the builder used. But sink drains are another matter. No two builders seem to do those the same way. Plus, 40 years is a long time for anything but the hull to still be original, especially hoses....they get hard and brittle and start to crack after 10-15 years I'm especially curious about that plywood "spacer"....I've never heard of anything like it before and suspect it's something a PO jury rigged when he replaced the drain hose. I can't imagine any builder using a piece of wood that has to swell up to seal a below waterline thru-hull 'cuz wood rots.

Bottom line, Mike ol' boy...till I can see it, I don't know whether any of the fittings are fittings that should be there, or whether any fittings that should be there will fit what a PO may have put there..and I kinda like to know what I'm dealing with instead of just shooting blindly from the hip.

However, if you'd rather have blind advice.... You need to replace the drain line and all the fittings...you'll find everything you need at any decent marine store. Get rid of the plywood and use proper bedding compound to seal the thru-hull. You didn't mention a seacock...if there isn't one, there should be. If there is one and it leaks, fix that or replace it.

Pat · Apr 17, 2011

O'Day used good plumbing equipment and is your O'Day 40 years old.?..our 272 was built in 87 and had good bronze thru-hulls and the wood spacer still is suggested by many in the boating industry. All our hoses came double camped w/ good quality stainless steel hose clamps.....Where we have had trouble is the plumbing from the water tank and pump...the little white plastic lines remind me of an rv hook up. O'Day closed because of the owners leveraged the company assets to make money themselves....leveraged buyout....

Peggie Hall HeadMistress · Apr 17, 2011

Ok...wood spacer, yes...but...

But as a seal that has to get wet and stay wet to seal a thru-hull??? Maybe on wooden hull boat--everything has to get wet and stay wet to keep water out of a woody...but I have some homework to do if that's being used in FG boats today!

woodster · Apr 17, 2011

Peggie Hall-HeadMistress said:
If it were sanitation system plumbing I could tell you what to use regardless of what the builder used. But sink drains are another matter. No two builders seem to do those the same way. Plus, 40 years is a long time for anything but the hull to still be original, especially hoses....they get hard and brittle and start to crack after 10-15 years I'm especially curious about that plywood "spacer"....I've never heard of anything like it before and suspect it's something a PO jury rigged when he replaced the drain hose. I can't imagine any builder using a piece of wood that has to swell up to seal a below waterline thru-hull 'cuz wood rots.

Bottom line, Mike ol' boy...till I can see it, I don't know whether any of the fittings are fittings that should be there, or whether any fittings that should be there will fit what a PO may have put there..and I kinda like to know what I'm dealing with instead of just shooting blindly from the hip.

However, if you'd rather have blind advice.... You need to replace the drain line and all the fittings...you'll find everything you need at any decent marine store. Get rid of the plywood and use proper bedding compound to seal the thru-hull. You didn't mention a seacock...if there isn't one, there should be. If there is one and it leaks, fix that or replace it.

you may put S2 on the list as well i have removed the old bronze seacock valve and they were spaced with 3/4 plywood with 5200 sealant between the hull and the plywood......but when theses go back (they will be new ones to say the least) they will be done the way Mainesail has recomended doing them at least the 3/4 ones ....the 1 1/2 inch one for the holding and over board flush will be a flanged valve bolted to a fiberglass puck with bolts and glassed in place with the through hull fitting being beaded with 5200 and fitted to be able to tighten up the through hull mushroom fitting...

regards

woody

ps i can post pics if you like of the plywood and the hole in the boat

Head Master18695 · Apr 18, 2011

Ol' girl and ol'boy,

Sounds to me like the piece of plywood that was mentioned was a backing plate for the through-hull fitting. I've seen them used on older boats, but they were usually of the best quality marine plywood that wouldn't delaminate. Of course, it's been a long time since 1980... Hard to believe that 1991 was 20 years ago, (sigh...)

woodster · Apr 18, 2011

Head Master said:
Ol' girl and ol'boy,

Sounds to me like the piece of plywood that was mentioned was a backing plate for the through-hull fitting. I've seen them used on older boats, but they were usually of the best quality marine plywood that wouldn't delaminate. Of course, it's been a long time since 1980... Hard to believe that 1991 was 20 years ago, (sigh...)

thats exactly what it was for ....now i am changing that to the flanged fitting and will be glassing in the mounting bolts for the triangl flange then screwing the threaded ball valve on to that .......

regards

woody

Peggie Hall HeadMistress · Apr 18, 2011

5200 hasn't been around long enough to be...

...original on a 1980 boat. But why would you use it to seal a thru-hull fitting instead using a proper silicone bedding compound anyway??? That stuff is the most mis-used, over-used product that ever hit the marine market!

I'm still confused about the use of plywood, though. Again...I understand it as a spacer or backing plate, but not as something that has to get wet and stay wet to seal a leaking fitting. If there's a reason that's how it needs to work, why not cork instead?

woodster · Apr 18, 2011

Peggie Hall-HeadMistress said:
...original on a 1980 boat. But why would you use it to seal a thru-hull fitting instead using a proper silicone bedding compound anyway??? That stuff is the most mis-used, over-used product that ever hit the marine market!

I'm still confused about the use of plywood, though. Again...I understand it as a spacer or backing plate, but not as something that has to get wet and stay wet to seal a leaking fitting. If there's a reason that's how it needs to work, why not cork instead?

not sure about the 5200's age but if it is to young to have been used back then it could be thiacol(spelling????) we use thiacol in the window industry back in the late 50's and 60's.... but back then we got it in 5 gal pails and had to spoon it in to the calking guns with putty knives and i just hated that part of the job.....

regards

woody

Jim 5757 · Apr 18, 2011

thru-hull

Mike, Peggy & crew:
Our '73 Morgan 28 also has plywood 'donuts around all of the thru- hull fittings (even the head intake, Peg). Yes, they are good quality marine-grade... over 38 years and still in great shape!. What you all must understand is that this 'donut' is NOT a seal, but a spacer/adapter that will crush to some extent during assembly, allowing the flat surface of the thru-hull nut & washer to conform to the curved surface of the hull! Without this, you would have to build up a flat mounting boss on the inside of the hull at every thru-hull fitting. In addition, bedding compounds stick very well to plywood. The actual seal comes from the bedding compound under the mushroom head on the outside surface and in the space between the hole in the hull & the body of the fitting! The plywood ring should NEVER get wet!!! Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if Mike's problem is simply due to loose fittings and a failure of the seal outside the hull.
For example, we keep the 'Merry Bee' on the hard during the winter, so everything dries out. However we have never seen any leakage at all once we splash the boat each spring.
Having said all that, may I suggest you replace the thru-hull and the valve? At this point, I don't think it really matters what the thing is made of... it's leaking, and... it's OLD!

Plastic becomes brittle with age, so I wouldn't trust it! If you don't want to use bronze, the products made of Marelon are supposed to very good (they are U.L. and A.B.Y.C. approved), are less expensive than bronze, & they don't suffer from corrosion problems either!
(ref: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/07.htm)
Comments as you see fit...

galley sink drain

Mike4116

.

Jim Seamans

.

Peggie Hall HeadMistress

.

Mike4116

.

Peggie Hall HeadMistress

.

Pat

.

Peggie Hall HeadMistress

.

woodster

.

Head Master18695

.

woodster

.

Peggie Hall HeadMistress

.

woodster

.

Jim 5757

.