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Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Icebox drain to bilge?

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lancej
1st Mate

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81 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/01/2004 : 13:21:35

My Icebox never drains correctly. As fas as I can tell this is due to the fact that the drain is below water level, and as long as any air is between the the water in the icebox, and the water in Lake Erie the water will stay in the icebox. Most other boats drain the icebox water either into the bilge (to be pumped out) or thru an above waterline thru hull. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Right now my only recourse is to go on a port tack beam reach in a good blow to get that stinking thru hull out of the water. Thanks!

Lance

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2004 : 14:36:00

The general feeling about the 25 ice box is that it isn't... (an icebox). The insulation is so poor that most people do not use it. I drop a tall OSCAR cooler down in mine and although it reduces the volume I can dump the water when I want to and when the cooler is not in there it is a great liquor cabinet.

Idea two; could you use a fuel line bulb? Pump the bulb and the air pocket should get dealt with. You would need to reach under the stove area to squeeze the bulb but that should not be a biggy. (make sure the arrow points down

)

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2004 : 14:43:32

Another option to keep water from accumulating in the icebox is to use frozen gallon jugs of water instead of regular ice. This will negate the need to drain the icebox and will provide cold drinking water as the ice in the jug melts. Additionally, the large solid block of ice in the jug might last a little longer than regular bag ice. I use the jug method when camping to prevent food in the cooler from getting waterlogged.

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RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2004 : 15:55:09

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">the drain is below water level<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

The icebox drain is several inches above the waterline on mine and drains fine (although the icebox tilts aft a little which requires a sponge to get the last little bit of water out). Is your boat especially weighted down? Freshwater isn't as bouyant as saltwater, but it shouldn't make that much difference.

You may want to check the drain line to make sure it goes downhill for its entire length from where it attaches to the bottom of the drain to where it connects to the valve above the thru-hull. Your line may be too long and is thus routed to a point above the drain level. Just a thought...

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lancej
1st Mate

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81 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2004 : 16:20:35

I'm pretty sure it is below waterline, but I'll check it out. It uses the same drain as the galley sink, on the port side. Possible it has been moidified, but looks (sort of) factory to me. It is a 1985 SR/FK. Not loaded down at all.

Thanks
Lance

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2004 : 16:42:10

Lance, you mean your through hull is below the water line don't you? The actual drain hole in the bottom of the ice box is considerably above the waterline.

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MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2004 : 17:28:17

Mine drained very well till the beer and water bottle labels soaked off and plugged up the drain tube. It was a chore, but I finally got it cleared out enough to drain. It doesn't have the same flow it use to but it does drain. I have never had any water entering from the lake, and we have had some pretty helacious healing at times.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2004 : 20:56:17

I have found that for both the "icebox" (a debatable term) and the galley sink, a key issue is the routing of the drain hose. If it has an upward loop at any point, that can be an air trap. The air must then be pushed all the way down to the thru-hull, but the further it goes, the more it pushes back. Some combination of shortening and even blocking up the hose can make all the difference. When it's all downhill, it actually runs like a drain! Try it.

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deastburn
Captain

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USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2004 : 23:27:36

I keep two 2 1/2 gallon water jugs in my freezer. I have insulated the stock icebox (using one inch styrofoam foundation board and a can of non-expanding foam which can be purchased at any building supply store. My ice lasts 48 hours in midsummer, longer at other times. When the bottle is fully melted, it goes into the space underneath the lavatory in the head, and becomes the drinking water supply. On longer trips, when I have to buy a block of ice, I wrap it in a small, heavy-duty trash bag to keep the water in. The drain is a pain. It is so poorly designed and so incredibly cheap you wonder Frank didn't save enough money on it to put in a proper folding table in the cabin, or equip the boat with proper sized chainplates, or real thru-hulls, or something. Oh well!

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oldsalt
Admiral

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USA
578 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2004 : 22:39:37

I'm not too crazy about iceboxes or showers that drain into the bilge since sooner or later they become a source "scuzz" in the bilge and odor in the boat.

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lancej
1st Mate

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81 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2004 : 06:10:56

Thanks for all the responses, I checked her out last night, the thru hull is indeed below water, but the hose routing to the thru from the icebox has more turns and twists than a California freeway on-ramp. She is in dry dock for the remainder of June, looks like it is time for a re-engineer. Some nut got to the plumbing before me, I am sure it was better from the factory. Thanks everyone.

Lance
85 sr/fk

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.