Thru Hull Replacement

[foolproof]

Hello all:

I have a 1976 C30 with, you guessed it, gate valves and steel nipples for thru hulls. I have seen the advice on this forum enough to know that I need to replace them, but cant find any specific information about how to do it. I tried to turn the gate valve off of the pipe nipple but it wouldn't budge (I swear I heard the boat laughing at me).

What is the correct way to take this assembly apart? I figure I need to take the valve off first, but then what? Are these fittings laminated to the hull? If so, how do I un-laminate them without damaging the hole? Can I use the old hole for a new Marleon thru hull, or will I need to increase the size of the hole? And what about the hole? Do I need to seal it with epoxy or just seal the fitting with 4200 or something similar?

So many questions, so little time!

Thanks for your help,

Mike

 

[caguy]

Maine Sail did a great dissertation on this last year. Here is a link.

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/replacing_thruhulls

 

[foolproof]

Thru Hull Fittings

Looks like I will need a step wrench. The article showed the use of a flanged fitting, where I plan on using Marleon (sp?) thru hull fiittings. Is one better than the other? It seems that the thru hull would have a better chance of sealing, because of the three bolt holes the flanged fitting requires.

 

[Team118]

Maine sail's website is the one I used to replace my gate valves last year.

There were three in my boat, the raw water intake, sink drain and toilet intake.

I used a pipe wrench to get 2 of the gate valves off, the other I used a grinder wheel to cut off. Once I did that, I pounded out the brass pipe that was inbedded in the hull. They actually came out fairly easy despite everything I've read about how hard they can be.

I bought new thru-hulls through Jamestown Distributors, their prices seemed to be very fair. I bought the three flange Groco Seacocks. Just remember, they don't come with the required bolts, you have to order them seperately....strange.

I made 3 wooden disks as bases for the seacocks (I didn't have the needed materials to make fibergalss disks, so I made the wooden disks and gave them 3 coats of epoxy). I also refilled the holes with epoxy before redrilling them for the new seacocks.

A word of advice, when you redrill the holes, take your time and be VERY careful that the holes are perpendicular to the hull. Otherwise you will have a bear of a time getting the mushroom heads to seat correctly.

I think I attached some photos....don't mind the mess. I've since cleaned up the engine bay and given it a couple of coats of paint...

I'm not saying this was a perfect job, but I didn't have any leaks and after hauling her for the winter, the outside thru-hulls seemed to have stood up very well.


PS, I'm so proud of myself that I discovered how to attach pictures! Woot!

 

[foolproof]

Team 118:

Congrats on the pictures...they help a lot. I re-read the kit instructions that came with the install kit I bought, and it pretty much says the same thing as what you said. The only difference is the type of thru hull fittings used. I still plan on using the Maralon mushroom head type that I bought from Catalina Direct...it is one they and the ABYC recommend using, unless there are any reasons not to use them.

Did you have to remove the exhaust can to get at one of the fittings? It looks like there is a gate valve hiding behind it in your first photo.

 

[SailingWebGuy]

(Off topic) Hey Foolproof! I also have a 1976 c30. What is your hull id? I'm 249.

 

[Team118]

I didn't remove the can, at the time I didn't even think of that! That's the gate valve I used a dremel tool to get out.

If you notice, I cut a bit out of my base plate...moving the can. NOW you tell me!

I think either fitting would be fine. Brass or marleon...they seem to both be better than what was in there before.

I bought a set of square like wrenches from Habor Freight that fit into each of the thru-hulls and 'caught' on the tabs and allowed them to tighten. Very cheap, they're like big hollow allen wrenches...maybe they're called box wrenches!

Good luck!

 

[foolproof]

SailingWebGuy

My hull is 173. We're doing a pretty thorough rehab on her. Thru hulls, of course, sanding and varnishing EVERYTHING with Goldstar, painting hull and decks, new windows, re-wiring the whole boat, re-bedding everything on deck (including the toerails)...the list goes on and on. Every time we turn around there is something else that needs to be done. I've thought about moving the batteries under the nav station, but I haven't decided for sure yet. Our boat is a tall rig with wheel steering, and we can't wait to get her in the water!

Tell me about yours.

Mike

 

[Team118]

Hey Mike;

I know you have 2 conversations going on at once. I put my house batteries under the nav table. You lose all that storage, but it seems like a logical place.

The previous owner had a small fridge there.

Since you have an older version I assume your nav table is or was like mine when I bought the boat. No instrument panel, just the nav table itself and the cabinet below it...

I had to build a panel box that fit perfectly on top and since the PO threw away the original doors I had to make new ones. I thought a louvered door would let air in for the batteries and charger. Unfortunately, all the usual marine supply stores stopped selling those teak louvered door kits.

I had to make one from scratch. Good luck, I know you will be happy.

I'm jealous you're redoing your toerail. I have 3 or 4 little 'tenticles' whenever it rains. I spend my time popping out bolts and recaulking them. I couldn't imagine doing them ALL!!!!

 

[SailingWebGuy]

I bought mine about 2 months ago. It was a complete mess when I got it. The interior was completely covered in mold and there was water about 5" above the floor. But...it looked like a fun project.

I'm doing a pretty thorough job on mine as well. Everything will be cleaned and repainted, wood refinished, re-rigged for single handed, re-wired, thru hulls, bottom job, etc. The motor turns over (hope it doesn't need too much work). The hull is in good shape, sails are crispy. It will be a very long project though

So far I've gotten all of the cleaning and drying done. A lot of the wood is re-finished and built new counter tops for it. It's at the point now that I can sleep on board and I don't feel grimy in the morning...haha!

Here's a BEFORE pic. Beware...this is a very eerie picture. I took it the first day I saw the boat.

 

[SailingWebGuy]

Here is a photo after it's been repainted and some of the wood refinished. There was so much mold that I would Tilex, scrub, powerwash, pump out the water, and then do it all over again.

 

[Team118]

That was an eerie picture! You sure you didn't hear voices saying 'Get out!'

Did you paint the interior? I mean like the floors and seats and fiber glass walls? If so, that is NICE!

If not, then you did a GREAT job cleaning up. Can't be too careful with molds!

 

[foolproof]

Chris:

Was your electric panel in that spot when the boat was new, or did it get moved at a later date? Mine is on the bulkhead aft of the galley, on the port side of the boat. If you moved it, was it a lot of work? I thought about cutting the sloped nav table down so it is flat, and moving all of the electrics above the nav table. It would be a lot of work, but that's part of why I bought my boat...to make it better, stronger, faster.

SailingWebGuy: YUCK!! You are braver than I would have been. My boat is old, but was nowhere near as bad as yours. Great job! I'd love to see how you progress through yours and how it turns out.

 

[Twice Around]

Mmmm..marelon!

Hey everyone...looking good..my boat was almost as bad as webguy's when I got it...minus the water inside, although there is clear evidence of previous sinkings.

Someone has a pic up there with a hole in the stdb settee backrest just forward of the chart table!!! I'd like to see more details of that. I have #511, and have been working on the mast all this winter and re-pairing the bulkheads which were rotting away. I am too cheap to replace them, but anyway..we'll get to that later.

Sorry for the hijack. - back on topic - I did all my thru-hulls/seacocks last year with marelon as well..pipe wrench was my tool of choice for removing the old nipples, although some of them had had been replaced by the P.O. Some of them required re-drilling..banging a wood plug into the old hole in the hull helped give me something for the hole saw to dig into.
Team118, nice work on yours..I did mine similar and made wood blocks to get the thread clearance right & something to screw the seacocks to, and 5200'd them and the new thru-hulls to the boat.

You can see the engine intake seacock next to the trusty A4....that was last winter's project. I have not painted the boat yet..I keep scrubbing for now..some day I'll get it clean enough that the paint might stick to the fiberglass!

 

[SailingWebGuy]

Twice Around,

That's a pretty looking A4 you have there.

 

[Twice Around]

Re: A-4

SWG,
Thanks...that was my labour of love over winter 08-09. The P.O. said "It's on its last legs, I think", so I dove into it last winter & we did several cruises and relied on her extensively over the 09 summer...so this winter it was the rig. She gets hauled this weekend, and I plan to put an Indigo prop on it if I don't find any other surprises.:neutral:
Sandpaper, wire brushes, elbow grease, and removing, rebuilding & cleaning/painting the individual pieces makes a big difference. It is just car touch up paint (the block/head which I did not remove) were primed with a rust-o-leum type paint) so any gas on it flakes the paint, but at least she isn't rusting away.

-Shawn

 

[Team118]

Foolproof-
The original panel was just as yours I think. It was behind the ice box on the aft wall of the galley.

I created a box that fit over the nav table, mine was not slanted. I bought all the new Blue Sea panels and rewired with extensive help from Stu Jackson...without him, I would be running with sails,oars and candles...

I also installed an outdoor Blue Sea panel in the cockpit to control all the running lights and I moved the engine panel up to the back of the boat.

Twice Around -
I think you're talking about my boat. There are access holes on both sides of the boat, one fore of the nav table and the other on the port side just aft of the main bulkhead wall. I didn't do that, I thought that was standard..

 

[Twice Around]

Chris, That cut out is way too square to have been done by Catalina...most of their 'standard' stuff I think was done with a chainsaw.

Pretty cool though! If/when I ever re-wire the boat (my panel is still back in the galley) I might try that trick to gain better access.

 

[foolproof]

I agree

Chris, That cut out is way to square to have been done by Catalina...most of their 'standard' stuff I think was done with a chainsaw.

I don't have access like that either, but it sure looks like it would help with rewiring. If nothing else, you gain some access to areas you may need to get into.

 

[Team118]

I never thought anything of those openings! I thought that's the way it's 'sposed to be! The cuts are perfect and sanded so I thought they were factory done and the seat backs are on plywood so you don't notice them when you're sitting.

It certainly was a big help rewiring. As an FYI, there are AC outlets wired there, laying horizontal on the base of each shelf behind the fiddles. I just relooked a the picture of the stbd cutout and you can see that big old yellow wire hanging off the outlet...He definately must have made the cuts to help with the wiring...

I don't know if that is how the boat came from the factory or if this was an add on by the PO and that is why there are cut outs there.

Chris