Hi O'day owners! I FINALLY got my 25 in the water last week! YIPPY! Boy, it hit quick what a 'project' boat ownership is... but you gotta love it, right??? Anyway - question: I read on a post here a while back about an idea for disconnecting your icebox and/or your galley sink drain hose and then simply inserting it into a gallon jug... that way you can simply pull that jug out and empty it nice and easy, not having to deal with water in the bilge... SO, I did that last night - I disconnected the drain hose from the bottom of my icebox from the fitting that was comming out of the deck. I assumed that was draining into the bilge.... (can you see this coming?) - it seems it was connected to a thru hull fitting and water comes shooting out! (I did notice when the boat was on its trailer that there was a thru hull hole fitting underneath where the galley would be... just never occured to me until the moment I had gallons of water shooting out) So, my first thought was 'there must be water in the lines....'... after about 4 gallons it dawned on me that this was lake water! SO MY QUESTION: am I right? is my sink and ice box draining out to the lake? (they are connected by a Y fitting and then both connect to that hull fitting). That just seems so environmentally unfriendly (Ok, no biggy for the ice box - just water, but the sink? Soap, etc.?). And if it is connected to drain out into the lake, how does it work? I mean, clearly water wanted to shoot out into the cabin. So how does it drain out? It is a pressure thing - i.e. when the boat is moving it 'sucks' the water out? If so, how do you use this stuff when the boat is standing still? I think I will simply disconnect the fitting and connect a plug... then take the hoses from the sink/icebox and connect them to the gallon jug...
Icebox and Galley sink drain
- Thread starter DPT
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after doing some research...
Hey everyone, I did an 'archive' search to see if anyone else had this issue or one similar.. seems that that 'T' fitting between the sink and icebox (I called it a Y... I'm such a novice!) is pretty common. I gather it is that way so that the icebox does NOT drain into the bilge (avoiding the milk in the bilge issue!) but rather thru the 'thru hull fitting' for the sink (still dont understand that from an environmental stand point - i.e. soap and stuff just getting dumped over). So, I am now thinking I do NOT disconnect my icebox *MY INTENT FOR ALL OF THIS WAS SO THAT MY ICEBOX DIDNT DRAIN INTO THE BILGE - IT LOOKS LIKE IT DRAINS OVERBOARD* since it apparently drains overboard. BUT my question is 'HOW?' Again, when I pulled the icebox hose off the T fitting, water shot everywhere. Obviously when I reconnected, it stopped. Why isnt it shooting out the drain in the icebox? Can one open and close that drain? I did notice two 'nubs' in the drain in the icebox, like a very large screw driver would fit... I am afraid if I turn it 'on' will water shoot out? (Guess I can try it!) If it is a gravity thing, my ice box drain and the hose leading out to the thru hull fitting are all above the water line, if that makes any difference. HELP! I dont want to sink!
Hey everyone, I did an 'archive' search to see if anyone else had this issue or one similar.. seems that that 'T' fitting between the sink and icebox (I called it a Y... I'm such a novice!) is pretty common. I gather it is that way so that the icebox does NOT drain into the bilge (avoiding the milk in the bilge issue!) but rather thru the 'thru hull fitting' for the sink (still dont understand that from an environmental stand point - i.e. soap and stuff just getting dumped over). So, I am now thinking I do NOT disconnect my icebox *MY INTENT FOR ALL OF THIS WAS SO THAT MY ICEBOX DIDNT DRAIN INTO THE BILGE - IT LOOKS LIKE IT DRAINS OVERBOARD* since it apparently drains overboard. BUT my question is 'HOW?' Again, when I pulled the icebox hose off the T fitting, water shot everywhere. Obviously when I reconnected, it stopped. Why isnt it shooting out the drain in the icebox? Can one open and close that drain? I did notice two 'nubs' in the drain in the icebox, like a very large screw driver would fit... I am afraid if I turn it 'on' will water shoot out? (Guess I can try it!) If it is a gravity thing, my ice box drain and the hose leading out to the thru hull fitting are all above the water line, if that makes any difference. HELP! I dont want to sink!
The Science of Waterlines
This is an easy answer. The sink and icebox are both higher than the waterline. Sooo, the water drains out, but does not run in. BTW, every boat I have ever seen drains sink water overboard. Believe me, soap is nothing compared to other things that find their way into our waters. Also, this hose is very important in keeping the rest of your boat above the waterline. Make sure the hose is in good condition and is securely clamped. My O'Day 25 had no seacock on this thru-hull, so I installed one. It's just good seamanship. There may also be a thru-hull for the head intake. Make sure it's ok also. The sink in the head also drains over the side, but the thru-hull is above the waterline.
This is an easy answer. The sink and icebox are both higher than the waterline. Sooo, the water drains out, but does not run in. BTW, every boat I have ever seen drains sink water overboard. Believe me, soap is nothing compared to other things that find their way into our waters. Also, this hose is very important in keeping the rest of your boat above the waterline. Make sure the hose is in good condition and is securely clamped. My O'Day 25 had no seacock on this thru-hull, so I installed one. It's just good seamanship. There may also be a thru-hull for the head intake. Make sure it's ok also. The sink in the head also drains over the side, but the thru-hull is above the waterline.
Check your through-hulls
Steve's right - if you have a hose and the opening is above the water line, water won't shoot out. Since you have the hose off, now is a good time to test your through-hulls or sea-cocks. http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/thruhull.htm You should have something like the last picture in this article: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/07.htm Notice the wood bung tied to the fitting - if your hose fails, you want to shut the sea-cock. If the sea-cock fails, you want to plug the hole with the bung.
Steve's right - if you have a hose and the opening is above the water line, water won't shoot out. Since you have the hose off, now is a good time to test your through-hulls or sea-cocks. http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/thruhull.htm You should have something like the last picture in this article: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/07.htm Notice the wood bung tied to the fitting - if your hose fails, you want to shut the sea-cock. If the sea-cock fails, you want to plug the hole with the bung.
thanks
Nice to know I am one small OLD plastic tube from sinking.... YIKES. First on my list of winter improvements is to add the seacock. Meanwhile, I dumped a bucket of water in the sink, while in port, and low and behold it drained out (very slowly, but it drained!). I still dont get how, displacement? But who cares, I have an ICE BOX!
Nice to know I am one small OLD plastic tube from sinking.... YIKES. First on my list of winter improvements is to add the seacock. Meanwhile, I dumped a bucket of water in the sink, while in port, and low and behold it drained out (very slowly, but it drained!). I still dont get how, displacement? But who cares, I have an ICE BOX!
Icebox drain
My icebox drains into the bilge and I kind of like it that way since the bottom of the icebox is close to the waterline. When it is rough or we are heeling the water could come into the icebox. We use large coke bottles filled with water and frozen as blocks of ice and there is no water to drain into the bilge. The kitchen sink does drain onto the lake but there is also a good seacock to close in case of leaks. Draining "Gray Water" into the lakes is common but there has been lots of discusion re the good and bad. Charlie
My icebox drains into the bilge and I kind of like it that way since the bottom of the icebox is close to the waterline. When it is rough or we are heeling the water could come into the icebox. We use large coke bottles filled with water and frozen as blocks of ice and there is no water to drain into the bilge. The kitchen sink does drain onto the lake but there is also a good seacock to close in case of leaks. Draining "Gray Water" into the lakes is common but there has been lots of discusion re the good and bad. Charlie
Water seeks its own level.
Barring external forces the surface of a body of water, be it a lake or a fish tank is flat due to gravity. You don't get water just randomly squirting up out of the surface, nor do you get holes forming in the surface. All the water will equilibrate to the same level. Water seeks its own level. When you open a thru hull to the water you are making it part of the body of water in which the boat is sitting. Therefore the water will rise, filling the space available until it reaches the level of the surrounding lake, your waterline. If your drain hose is on the thru hull it will fill the drain hose up to the level of the waterline. If the drain hose is not on there it will fill your boat up to the level of the waterline. Of course, as your boat is filling with water the waterline is getting higher too... ie. you are sinking. Here's an example to think about. Take a water hose and hold the end at the same height as the icebox drain but outside the boat. Turn on the water. The water is not just going to hang in the air it will 'drain' into the lake basically filling the lake albeit slowly. Water in your icebox does the same thing. It is still above the level of the lake and therefore no different than the water coming out of the hose. HTH, -Harry
Barring external forces the surface of a body of water, be it a lake or a fish tank is flat due to gravity. You don't get water just randomly squirting up out of the surface, nor do you get holes forming in the surface. All the water will equilibrate to the same level. Water seeks its own level. When you open a thru hull to the water you are making it part of the body of water in which the boat is sitting. Therefore the water will rise, filling the space available until it reaches the level of the surrounding lake, your waterline. If your drain hose is on the thru hull it will fill the drain hose up to the level of the waterline. If the drain hose is not on there it will fill your boat up to the level of the waterline. Of course, as your boat is filling with water the waterline is getting higher too... ie. you are sinking. Here's an example to think about. Take a water hose and hold the end at the same height as the icebox drain but outside the boat. Turn on the water. The water is not just going to hang in the air it will 'drain' into the lake basically filling the lake albeit slowly. Water in your icebox does the same thing. It is still above the level of the lake and therefore no different than the water coming out of the hose. HTH, -Harry
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