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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Bilge pump

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smconinc
Deckhand

Member Avatar

USA
11 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/30/2020 : 11:00:23

Just starting to work on 77 C25. I'd like to add a bilge pump and I guess these weren't a stock item? I see two holes under my boat. When I look from the inside, both entry holes are fitted with a valve, and both are rusted. What's the purpose for these "holes?" They look factory made. They aren't connected to anything currently, so following a line to it's source is not possible. Are these used to supply water, or hooked to a bilge? Being below the waterline has me wondering about their purpose. I figured a bilge exit would be above the waterline, but I see no exit holes for this purpose

Scott Michaels 79' C25 SR/SK

dalelargent
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
198 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2020 : 22:34:24

Well, my boat has 3 thru-hull holes below the water line.

2 are under the v-berth. One serves as exit from the head when not diverted to the holding tank. The second serves the duel purpose of draining the head sink and supplying seawater to flush the head.

A third one lives under the stove area in the galley. It drains the sink and cooler.

There is also a 4th thru-hull at the starboard bow to drain the anchor locker, but it is above the water line.

The manual bilge pump system exits a thru-hull on the transom. Some people have spliced an electrical bilge system into this hose in the bilge, but it is highly preferable to run a totally separate system though an independent thru-hull (above
The water line) on the transom.

I don�t like the sound of the rusty valves. It is critical that these valves function properly. If a hose fails and the valve can�t be closed, the boat would eventually sink. If they don�t open, you can�t use your head or sinks.

1989 c25 WK/TR #5838
1998 Catalina 36 mkii
1983 Vagabond 14

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5231 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2020 : 07:00:58

Hi Scott, welcome to C25 ownership and this group.
Dale�s comments are accurate if you have a model with a built-in head toilet. It doesn�t seem like you do.

So the more forward �through-hull fitting� is the drain for the head sink. If it were working, the thru-hull would have a valve on it to open and close it. The inside hose barb would have a rubber or plastic hose leading through the vee-berth to the bottom of the starboard sink in the head area.

The other through hull fitting is a drain for the galley sink and cooler. The drain water from the galley sink and the ice melt from the cooler is intended to use this drain.

Neither through hull is intended as a bilge pump outlet.

Since you have an older 77 boat, the construction of the through hulls is a potential failure point for you.

Referred to a �Volcano type� through hull, it was apparently an afterthought by Catalina and this type is known to fail literally by breaking off in your hand.

Best bet is to remove and replace the two, which requires some fiberglassing skills.

If you cannot replace them right away, you can always plug them from the outside with a wooden plug until you can get them repaired.

Lastly, as a Dale says, the bilge pump has its output port on the stern just above waterline. Follow that hose back from the transom into the port side �fender locker� or �dumpster� where you should see a manual pump, then follow the hose into your bilge.

You can run a second hose alongside for an electric bilge pump and either combine the two near the stern or create a second outlet nearby on the transom. Don�t forget an anti-siphon loop for the second bilge pump hose.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 05/31/2020 07:20:12

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2020 : 11:07:51

Hi Scott... The thru-hulls in the older C-25s (before the early '80s) are a sore point, aptly named "to-hulls" among many folks here. They consist of bronze pipes set in epoxy "volcanoes" with no exterior or interior collar to stabilize them. The recommendation involves pulling them out (often frighteningly easy), grinding out the epoxy, bedding a backing plate (Starboard or plywood) over the hole, and then installing a proper thru-hull fitting with an exterior flange and an interior collar, with a ball-valve type of seacock.

Use our Search function to look for to-hull thru-hull in the C-25 forum, including archived posts, and you'll get a weekend's worth of reading on this, including detailed descriptions of what to do, and some scary descriptions of what people found when they did it.

This is not a drill...

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 05/31/2020 11:17:25

smconinc
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
11 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2020 : 18:17:59

Thank you guys for the information. I will definitely be removing these and addinga backing plate and new ball valves.