New Boat, with holes

[Interim]

I just bought a 94 Mac 26s, and it has two holes in the hull. One is on the port side almost all the way aft, and the other is amidships on the starboard side. Both are about waterline level; one is 1" and the other is about 1 1/4". They have obviously been drilled intentionally, but I can't imagine why.

I can't figure out how to post images. Sorry.

If you have any ideas what these are for, I would welcome your thoughts.

Thank you.

--john

[Tomfoolery]

Are there through-hulls, or just holes in the hull? Through-hulls on a Mac would normally be for galley and/or head basin drains, though someone may have added a bilge pump, which wasn't original equipment AFAIK.

[Interim]

The starboard hole (amidships) is even with the sanipotti. I was assuming it didn't dump to the water, but I don't know that for sure. It would make sense for that one (when I look into the hole with a light, there is PVC about 5 inches in). There is no thru hull fitting, though. I will explore that one.

The port side (aft) also has no fitting. wouldn't it have a check valve if it were a bilge pump? I think I can easily look in the aft locker (fuel locker?) to see if there is a bilge pump.

Thanks for both of these ideas. I guess they should have been obvious, but I am new to larger boats (I've been sailing a 17' dinghy till now).

Thank you. More tomorrow after some investigation.

--john

[Tomfoolery]

Looking at the sales literature, there's also an engine well on the port side, at the stern (obviously ), and that may have a drain. The has a drain in the engine well, but I don't know anything about the 26S other than what I can find through a search, and of course, here.

Put some water down the drain in the galley basin, and see if it comes out the starboard hole. Same with the engine well, if there's a drain hole in the bottom of it.

[Billy]

Recently worked on a 26D (basically the same boat) that had the identical drains. One for the motor well and the other for the galley. Just check on the internal connections. Should be good. Best of luck.

[Interim]

I can't wait to get home and confirm this good news. Hopefully my questions get better.

For example, my mast has one block at the top (main halyard). Do most people put a cheek block up there as a toping lift?

--john

[Texlan]

I purchased a 1990 26s earlier this year and have been refitting/repairing/sailing it.. (okay only had it out once, but it floats!)

They are both "above-waterline" thru hulls. The starboard amidships hole is for the sink drain, the port side aft (larger) hole is for the cockpit + motor well drain. There should be a molded-in fiberglass/PVC pipe on the insides of both holes, and vinyl tubing originally connected them to their sources. A simple PVC T was used to tee in the motor well drain to the cockpit drain..

If you look in the mods section here and of course Sumner's wonderful site you will catch some pictures of people redoing the plumbing to these to be less obtrusive/more effective...

In my boat I have T'd in a bilge pump to the galley drain, using the sink itself as the vent for the vented loop (hard to do, since it's so low in the boat!)

[Tomfoolery]

For example, my mast has one block at the top (main halyard). Do most people put a cheek block up there as a toping lift?

Many? Yes. Most? Not so sure, as all you really need is a light line to the top, with a boat snap or snap shackle to an eye strap on the boom. Many also use a small block on the end of the topping lift, for a 2:1 advantage, with a cheek block and cleat on the boom.

I used to do that, but now just take a couple of turns around the boom when I want to raise it. Mine has a block at the top of the mast, with the TL coming down to a cleat, but the only time I touch that part is when I rig it in the spring; from then on, it never gets adjusted except at the boom, to raise it out of my way when I want to have extra room in the cockpit. Otherwise, it's held just high enough to clear the bimini, and the main sail holds it higher when sailing, so no adjustment needed for that, either.