I am in the process of laying up my 26M for the winter - which is a long cold affair here in Ottawa Canada. When I emptied the anchor locker I noticed a bit of water sitting around the drain. I tried to wiggle a wire in from both ends and got nowhere. So I gave the thru hull a kiss and a good puff and out popped a piece of ice and a bit of water (which ran back into the drain). Apart from alarming the other people winterizing their boats with a seemingly unseemly bout of passion for my boat, I am thinking there must be a better way to ensure water does not remain in the anchor locker and motor well drains and potentially damage the pipes by freezing. Yes, I tarp the boat but I always assume it won't be perfect and water that gets through needs a place to go before it freezes and does damage. Does anyone drop some antifreeze into these draing? plug them from the top (at risk of trapping a block of frozen water above? Also, has anyone any good ideas about cleaning the drain lines out without damaging them? I searched through the forum on this and did not find anything...
Thanks in advance
45 Plus (which used to be a reference to my age but now that 45 is long gone, it is now a reference to my latitude)
I don't know how to drain the anchor locker other than just let it be. I noticed water always settles in the line and when I hit the brakes trailering, water always comes out.
I wouldn't worry about it freezing. It can push out if it needs to.
As for cleaning...I just blast a hose into the thru-hull and blow out gunk.
I would suggest a bit of caution in blasting the through hulls with water… if it’s too forceful it can dislodge the tubing that connects the drain to the through hull… had this happen to me with the motor well drain.
I dump pink anti freeze through the sink until I see it come out the drain. Then I pour some into the motor well as well. Then plug the motor well drain, tarp the boat, charge then disconnect the batteries. Close up the tarp and wait for spring. 3 years ago my sink hose cracked where it joins the motor well tee. The antifreeze became diluted from the open motor well drain.PITA to fix! Gotta cork that hole! Scoop out any errant ice if you can access the well.
Yah - it would have been nice if the locker drain was sloped to the exterior.....plumbing 101. Anything that can break, leak or dislodge should also be accessible. Perhaps MacGregor being a Californian never really had to think about his boats plying colder waters. I will keep looking for the perfect locker drain plumbing line snake.
Bobglas wrote: ↑Mon Oct 31, 2022 5:33 am
I dump pink anti freeze through the sink until I see it come out the drain. Then I pour some into the motor well as well. Then plug the motor well drain, tarp the boat, charge then disconnect the batteries. Close up the tarp and wait for spring. 3 years ago my sink hose cracked where it joins the motor well tee. The antifreeze became diluted from the open motor well drain.PITA to fix! Gotta cork that hole! Scoop out any errant ice if you can access the well.
Interesting comments. I've never had a problem with freezing. However, after reading comments, I'm now concerned.
Pink juice and a cork the motor well sounds like a good plan. I'm going to go out there and do that.
Bobglas wrote: ↑Mon Oct 31, 2022 5:33 am
I dump pink anti freeze through the sink until I see it come out the drain. Then I pour some into the motor well as well. Then plug the motor well drain, tarp the boat, charge then disconnect the batteries. Close up the tarp and wait for spring. 3 years ago my sink hose cracked where it joins the motor well tee. The antifreeze became diluted from the open motor well drain.PITA to fix! Gotta cork that hole! Scoop out any errant ice if you can access the well.
Interesting comments. I've never had a problem with freezing. However, after reading comments, I'm now concerned.
Pink juice and a cork the motor well sounds like a good plan. I'm going to go out there and do that.
10 years my boat hasnt had that but dammit this year I. Gonna do it. Good idea
I put stainless steel mesh sink strainers upside down and mounted with 2 small stainless screws over the drain inlets. Large one for motor well and small one for anchor. This keeps debris out of the drains and helps with free flowing. Just wipe debris out as it buils up around the strainer. Not much worry of freezing down on the gulf coast but leaves and other junk in the lines are an issue. Plugging drains with a stopper could lead to anchor locker and motor well filling up and then freezing. I don't know if that could damage these areas or not.
Ben
2008 26M Truluv
Honda BBDJ40
Sailing Mobile Bay
On our Mac26X the anchor locker self drains down and out without any water getting “trapped” in the drain line.
Can’t say the same for the motor well drain line…that has a ‘factory’ water trap!
Why couldn’t they just make it a positive sloped run from the get go?….. wouldabeentooeasy….
The access to this area is a PITA…. It’s on the “To-Do” list for this winter along with a dozen or two other things….
Thanks for the many good ideas. This seems to be one of those very small but potentially troublesome PITA type of thing. I think I will try to feed a narrow foam rope through the drains that would prevent any real quantity of water from accumulating in the drains....and hopefully they will be easy to pull out next spring (what could go wrong ). The foam should give what water/ice does collect room to expand (I hope) I will have to keep an eye on the motor well and anchor lockers during the freeze thaw parts of the late fall and early spring to make sure no water fills them.
). The foam should give what water/ice does collect room to expand (I hope) I will have to keep an eye on the motor well and anchor lockers during the freeze thaw parts of the late fall and early spring to make sure no water fills them.