ChrisS
Member III
I just had the strangest experience today:
Having hauled the boat in February, painted the bottom and replumbed the intake line for the head (and spent a lot of time cleaning out the bilge) I was very surprised to see that two months later the thru hull/ ball valve that the starboard cockpit drain is now pinkish with a white powdery texture in parts. The sink drain also shares this thru hull.
Closing the ball valve to test if it still worked, I stuck a hose in the cockpit drain and the water didn't drain, but a foul, acidic/rotten egg smelling stench came up the sink, plus a great deal of liquidy black debris. I quickly opened the ball valve, put the hose in the sink, turned it on full blast, and the water pressure unclogged whatever was in the sink line. It took a lot of rinsing and airing out to make the acid smell go away.
What happened? I can only think that when the boat was hauled something crawled up there--a rodent maybe?--and then died once the boat was back in the water. I don't know what caused the acid, but maybe it was some cleaner I used? I am now hanted by the fact that I got a C- in high school chemistry.
Whatever the case, I'm left with having to fix the ball valve. I really don't want to haul again, and I have heard that the bottm paint will lose its herbicidal properties once the boat is out of the water.
Is it possible to change the ball valve while the boat is in the water, or is that a risky idea?
After my experince today I reseached thru hulls, and I now realize that I need to replumb with flanged seacocks, and I am kicking myself for not doing this in February.
Thanks ahead of time for any creative recommendations.
Having hauled the boat in February, painted the bottom and replumbed the intake line for the head (and spent a lot of time cleaning out the bilge) I was very surprised to see that two months later the thru hull/ ball valve that the starboard cockpit drain is now pinkish with a white powdery texture in parts. The sink drain also shares this thru hull.
Closing the ball valve to test if it still worked, I stuck a hose in the cockpit drain and the water didn't drain, but a foul, acidic/rotten egg smelling stench came up the sink, plus a great deal of liquidy black debris. I quickly opened the ball valve, put the hose in the sink, turned it on full blast, and the water pressure unclogged whatever was in the sink line. It took a lot of rinsing and airing out to make the acid smell go away.
What happened? I can only think that when the boat was hauled something crawled up there--a rodent maybe?--and then died once the boat was back in the water. I don't know what caused the acid, but maybe it was some cleaner I used? I am now hanted by the fact that I got a C- in high school chemistry.
Whatever the case, I'm left with having to fix the ball valve. I really don't want to haul again, and I have heard that the bottm paint will lose its herbicidal properties once the boat is out of the water.
Is it possible to change the ball valve while the boat is in the water, or is that a risky idea?
After my experince today I reseached thru hulls, and I now realize that I need to replumb with flanged seacocks, and I am kicking myself for not doing this in February.
Thanks ahead of time for any creative recommendations.