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Help! Thru Hull question

jwallybrown

Junior Member
Does anyone know how to winterize cock-pit thru hulls? My Ericson 28 has cockpit thru hulls that need to be left open to let rain water drain. How do I ensure that they do not freeze and crack?

Help!
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Drains and Valves and Freezing, Oh My

Is the boat afloat or on the hard?

If floating and a drain is not in use but should be closed, I would pour a little pink "rv" antifreeze thru that particular drain and while the AF has not all run thru, just close the valve.

If something like a cockpit drain that has to remain open for rain, I would presume that if the river/bay freezes the ice will expand as needed beyond that valve body and not break it.
If that happens and there is precip that fills up the cockpit and cannot escape due to an ice-blocked drain, you would have to have an alternative way to dewater. :0

If the boat is on the hard, leave the valves open so that nothing is trapped inside the valve body or inside the ball. That's what I did a few years back when I had a scheduled haul out done in Feb. and we were hit with a week of 20 degree weather.

Just my .02 worth,

Loren
 

frick

Member III
Living in cold spots

Is the boat afloat or on the hard?

If floating and a drain is not in use but should be closed, I would pour a little pink "rv" antifreeze thru that particular drain and while the AF has not all run thru, just close the valve.

If something like a cockpit drain that has to remain open for rain, I would presume that if the river/bay freezes the ice will expand as needed beyond that valve body and not break it.
If that happens and there is precip that fills up the cockpit and cannot escape due to an ice-blocked drain, you would have to have an alternative way to dewater. :0

If the boat is on the hard, leave the valves open so that nothing is trapped inside the valve body or inside the ball. That's what I did a few years back when I had a scheduled haul out done in Feb. and we were hit with a week of 20 degree weather.

Just my .02 worth,



Greetings,
Having lived in Michigan, Iowa and New York, I never worry about cockpit drains when On the hard.

Just be sure they do get blocked with line, leaves and or flying plastics and such.

About every two years I leave my boat in the water.... What I make a practice of is blowing out the hoses, and then closing the sea cocks at the same time. Not to hard with two people... then I refill those lines with the 50 below pink stuff.

On short hoses close the valve about 3/4 or more.... put a paper towel over the end of the hose. when you hear the bubbles, close the valve. I then use a funnel to pour the pink stuff in. Simple and it works.

I also have and extension hose made from an old bilge hose... I used a SS strap to hold a brass reduction fitting in one end. I then added a tapered rubber stopper with a hole through the center (Chem Lab parts). The tapered plug fits easily in to my engine hose so I can use the longer hose to suck up the pick stuff in to my yanmar. Just a few simple tricks.

One of my friends put a permanent T valve in raw water intake hose and has an extension long enough to drop into the gallon of antifreeze. Nice job... but my method was free from old parts and had laying around.

Rick+
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
However you handle it, one issue stood out for me when I lived in an actual climate:

The cockpit filled to the bridge deck with snow. The snow became ice. Then it rained, and the rain poured into the boat under the companionway hatch boards.

The bilge filled and was frozen solid for months.
 

frick

Member III
I have a Plastic Shovel

However you handle it, one issue stood out for me when I lived in an actual climate:

The cockpit filled to the bridge deck with snow. The snow became ice. Then it rained, and the rain poured into the boat under the companionway hatch boards.

The bilge filled and was frozen solid for months.

Sometimes I have used a boom tent to keep the show out,
most often I use my plastic shovel in Long Island as we don't get that deep snow as I did in Michigan.
Good think to watch
 

jwallybrown

Junior Member
cockpit drain

Is the boat afloat or on the hard?

If floating and a drain is not in use but should be closed, I would pour a little pink "rv" antifreeze thru that particular drain and while the AF has not all run thru, just close the valve.

If something like a cockpit drain that has to remain open for rain, I would presume that if the river/bay freezes the ice will expand as needed beyond that valve body and not break it.
If that happens and there is precip that fills up the cockpit and cannot escape due to an ice-blocked drain, you would have to have an alternative way to dewater. :0

If the boat is on the hard, leave the valves open so that nothing is trapped inside the valve body or inside the ball. That's what I did a few years back when I had a scheduled haul out done in Feb. and we were hit with a week of 20 degree weather.

Just my .02 worth,

Loren

Thanks Loren,
My plan was to keep it in the water during winter. I was thinking that any ice expansion wouldn't crack the thru hull it was expanding upward but was not sure.
 

jwallybrown

Junior Member
cockpit drain

Is the boat afloat or on the hard?

If floating and a drain is not in use but should be closed, I would pour a little pink "rv" antifreeze thru that particular drain and while the AF has not all run thru, just close the valve.

If something like a cockpit drain that has to remain open for rain, I would presume that if the river/bay freezes the ice will expand as needed beyond that valve body and not break it.
If that happens and there is precip that fills up the cockpit and cannot escape due to an ice-blocked drain, you would have to have an alternative way to dewater. :0

If the boat is on the hard, leave the valves open so that nothing is trapped inside the valve body or inside the ball. That's what I did a few years back when I had a scheduled haul out done in Feb. and we were hit with a week of 20 degree weather.

Just my .02 worth,



Greetings,
Having lived in Michigan, Iowa and New York, I never worry about cockpit drains when On the hard.

Just be sure they do get blocked with line, leaves and or flying plastics and such.

About every two years I leave my boat in the water.... What I make a practice of is blowing out the hoses, and then closing the sea cocks at the same time. Not to hard with two people... then I refill those lines with the 50 below pink stuff.

On short hoses close the valve about 3/4 or more.... put a paper towel over the end of the hose. when you hear the bubbles, close the valve. I then use a funnel to pour the pink stuff in. Simple and it works.

I also have and extension hose made from an old bilge hose... I used a SS strap to hold a brass reduction fitting in one end. I then added a tapered rubber stopper with a hole through the center (Chem Lab parts). The tapered plug fits easily in to my engine hose so I can use the longer hose to suck up the pick stuff in to my yanmar. Just a few simple tricks.

One of my friends put a permanent T valve in raw water intake hose and has an extension long enough to drop into the gallon of antifreeze. Nice job... but my method was free from old parts and had laying around.

Rick+

hi Rick,
good advice. I plan on keeping it in the water through the winter so my dilemma is how to keep the cock-pit drain open without ice damaging the thru-hull. It's a weird design. I don't know why Ericson made this particular thru-hull beneath sea level.
 

Afrakes

Sustaining Member
Boat Garage

All kidding aside, you can build a relatively inexpensive shelter over the cockpit using 3/4" PVC plumbing tubing and fittings and heavy clear poly sheeting. That will keep the majority of the weather out. The clear poly allows the sunlight to get through and melt whatever gathers in the cockpit. Remove the strainer covers over the cockpit drains to give the water more room to get out. I assume all the leaves are off the trees so you shouldn't have to worry about them blowing in and blocking the drains. If that's a concern get yourself some gutter down spout standing wire screens to go in the drains.
 

Emerald

Moderator
How far are you from the boat? What I'm really after is whether checking on it when weather is lousy an option? I'm on the Chesapeake, and it looks like you are in Richmond, so you should be about the same as me for temps, and our freezing is not as long or hard as further north. One can really get wrapped trying to anticipate frozen lines rupturing, cockpits full of ice etc. If you close a seacock, that specific scupper line will then fill with rain water and freeze up, but if you leave it open, it will drain, but then you can worry about other freeze issues. So, really easy to get wrapped on this, which leads back to how far are you from the boat? Generically, I leave them open, but there have been times with really nasty weather I've closed them up, but I can walk to my boat in less than 10 minutes, so no big deal. I would recommend making sure all the scupper drain lines are in good condition and leave the seacocks open, and if you have had a long hard freeze, check on the boat before it warms up. We had one winter (2010?) where we really got nailed with long durations of real cold. Generally, the ice eaters at our marina keep the water flowing enough that the scuppers seem to just have water in them, but this year, things really froze up. I was doing a check that included popping the engine compartment hatch and looking around with a flash light. To my horror, the center scupper drain line had filled with ice and as the ice expanded, it pushed the line off the drain! This was before I replaced my drains with nice bronze pieces with nice barbs, and yes, it had two hose clamps on it. The original drains Ericson used had a smooth tailpipe like your bathroom sink. So, this was a really close call. If the scupper line had thawed and sagged below the water line, I would have sunk. So, I still leave the scuppers open, but check regularly. If you can't check, I'd be tempted to put a tarp over the boom and keep the water out as best as possible, but then you really need to check the tarp when the wind kicks up and you get nailed with a bunch of snow, and then that gets back to how far are you from the boat?......
 

frick

Member III
The great South bay of Ny

How far are you from the boat? What I'm really after is whether checking on it when weather is lousy an option? I'm on the Chesapeake, and it looks like you are in Richmond, so you should be about the same as me for temps, and our freezing is not as long or hard as further north. One can really get wrapped trying to anticipate frozen lines rupturing, cockpits full of ice etc. If you close a seacock, that specific scupper line will then fill with rain water and freeze up, but if you leave it open, it will drain, but then you can worry about other freeze issues. So, really easy to get wrapped on this, which leads back to how far are you from the boat? Generically, I leave them open, but there have been times with really nasty weather I've closed them up, but I can walk to my boat in less than 10 minutes, so no big deal. I would recommend making sure all the scupper drain lines are in good condition and leave the seacocks open, and if you have had a long hard freeze, check on the boat before it warms up. We had one winter (2010?) where we really got nailed with long durations of real cold. Generally, the ice eaters at our marina keep the water flowing enough that the scuppers seem to just have water in them, but this year, things really froze up. I was doing a check that included popping the engine compartment hatch and looking around with a flash light. To my horror, the center scupper drain line had filled with ice and as the ice expanded, it pushed the line off the drain! This was before I replaced my drains with nice bronze pieces with nice barbs, and yes, it had two hose clamps on it. The original drains Ericson used had a smooth tailpipe like your bathroom sink. So, this was a really close call. If the scupper line had thawed and sagged below the water line, I would have sunk. So, I still leave the scuppers open, but check regularly. If you can't check, I'd be tempted to put a tarp over the boom and keep the water out as best as possible, but then you really need to check the tarp when the wind kicks up and you get nailed with a bunch of snow, and then that gets back to how far are you from the boat?......


I am on the South Shore of Long Island... Bit north of your location.
My 1971 E 29 cockpit drain is a above the water line. It does not have a valve because it is not in the water. I live only 7 blocks from my boat so it is not a hard ship to visit.

I come out of the water about every two years... That to do bottom paint.

Rick
 

Emerald

Moderator
I am on the South Shore of Long Island... Bit north of your location.
My 1971 E 29 cockpit drain is a above the water line. It does not have a valve because it is not in the water. I live only 7 blocks from my boat so it is not a hard ship to visit.

I come out of the water about every two years... That to do bottom paint.

Rick

I meant that for the original poster - jwallybrown - his location says Richmond VA. Who's open/close seacock question am I responding to? :confused:

and I'm right with you on an every other year haul out to do the bottom etc. I've also gotten down to doing it during, now hold on, sailing season - mid August for about 1-2 weeks max. If you spend much time on the Chesapeake in mid August, you'll understand. Yard rates can be better too :egrin: And folks haul out too early around here. Lots of nice sailing weather late fall and early spring. Nothing like a New Year's day sail if the sun is shining.

Yep, being close is nice - spoiled - sit on top of a steep hill and can see the mast tops of the boats down at our pier. Easy walk down. Back up keeps you in shape.
 
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