Transom/motor well drain plugged up

[06HARLEYULTRA]

The motor well drain is plugged pretty good. I fished out pebbles, leaves and crud as best I can with my finger, but it remains stopped up. I tried the plunger trick to no avail. When I go into the rear berth, I dont see any tube I can fix (per my topic search)
Can I use a water hose? Compressed air?
I dont want to make the problem worse with my "common sense" fixes

Thanks,
Rich

[Mac26Mpaul]

I have unblocked mine a few time jamming the garden hose into it, once I had to jam a wire coat hanger into it. I dont know about the X, but you can get to the M one in the back of the rear birth pretty easily. You just move the matress out the way and and there is a carpet covered board thing you can just pull out

[alanmoor]

You might try forcing water through it backwards. I have also had luck running some messenger wire through it to loosen things up.

Also at the back of the rear berth you can take some screws out of the panel across the middle and you'll find the hose underneath. I haven't taken mine out but it didn't look easy. I'd try a power washer or wire forwards and backwards through the drain.

[RobertB]

I fixed this as follows:

- Plug the sink, have someone hold the plug in place
- Apply pressurized air at the transom drain to blow out the obstruction, probably plugged above the hose junction where it meets the sink hose
- Bought a plastic kitchen sink strainer, removed the center handle, heated the edge to flatten out and make a wider flange
- Fastened the strainer in place with double sided auto emblem and trim tape (really good exterior double sided foam tape)
- Fill the center hole of the strainer with a plastic hole plug

Looks good, really effective, and cheap

[seahouse]

I don’t know about the X, but in the M, as I recall, the drain tube for the well connects to the same tube that drains the sink by a wye fitting, and empties on the transom at the water line when the ballast is in.

I’m paranoid about sticking anything hard down there that could risk puncturing that hose, which is soft and ribbed on my boat. It’s a potential Achilles heel. Even a small leak lowers the level of the boat in time if not noticed, and the rate of leakage gets faster in a positive feedback situation as the bilge fills.

Similar to RobertB, I made a small cone-shaped screen which fits loosely in the hole and I can lift it out to clean it when it gets clogged.

[rwmiller56]

I've cleared it with a garden hose sprayer nozzle pointed directly on top of the motor well drain hole, and that was enough pressure to clear the clog. Now, I do that every once in a while for maintenance, and no problems. On the sink drain, I try to be REALLY careful not to let particulate matter get down there.

Roger

[yukonbob]

Had this problem a couple weeks ago, except it was the sink that was plugged and we were on the hook so no garden hose...BUT the foot pump for the dingy fits perfectly into the drain on the back of the transom. A little air pressure, and a dish rag on the the transom with my foot on it and I found the culprit...a 2 1/4" screw a 1" screw, several round pieces of rubber?? and some dog fur to seal the deal. Works great now!

[Tomfoolery]

To clear the tube on my , I hit it from behind with the garden hose if doing it from above doesn't get the job done. It's only ever clogged when in my driveway from the winter (covered, but stuff gets in anyway), and from the ornamental tree that hangs over it. I blow it out a few times during spring prep, and I don't have a problem once it's in its slip.

I would like to inspect it, though, as I don't have a lot of faith in drain hoses. My first boat had one of those cheap white ribbed flexy hoses for a cockpit drain, and it had cracked and I didn't know it. The boat was taking on water, a little at a time with waves and wakes that hit the (only slightly) elevated outlet at the transom. It was at the dock, so I just hauled it and fixed it, but it's a good thing I noticed it when I did, as a little more water, and the outlet would have been below the surface, and heading for the bottom not long after.

At least the has a self-bailing cockpit. Just the motor well needs a drain, but if clogged, water will keep going out the back, so it doesn't rely on a drain to keep from going down if swamped.

[robbarnes1965]

I had the same problem before. There are several solutions. Anything that pushes air or water through will usually do. I don't recommend too much pressure for obvious reasons. A small plunger worked as well.

VERY IMPORTANT! The sink and cockpit drain are connected. You need to block one in order to clear the other. Example: If the blockage you are trying to clear is right at the exit point of the transom, pushing water pressure into the transom drain will send the water to your sink unless you block the sink with a cork or something. Just like a bathtub or sink at home where you need to block the overflow hole at the top.

[bscott]

Back flushing with a garden hose usually solves the problem. I place a smooth river rock over the drain hole which serves as a stopper for dirt,etc while still letting water run out. The rock also keeps ice from forming inside the tube.

BOB

[Sea Wind]

I used this:
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/plumbing-d ... 19720.html

Sea Wind

[jbousquin]

On my , the problem seems to be the T fitting that ties the sink and transom drain together, underneath the back (port) corner of the rear bed. Any first year plumbing apprentice will tell you that 90 degree angles in drains are not a good idea. I've had mine clog up at that point several times, especially from leaves, dog hair and other debris that gets washed down the engine well drain, and have cleared it using the hose method aimed directly into the engine well drain hole. I like bscott's idea of the river rock in place over the drain hole to keep debris from entering in the first place.

In an attempt to more permanently address the issue on my boat, I picked up a true Y connector from the sprinkler section at Home Depot. I haven't had a chance to connect it and confirm that it fits yet, when I do I'll take photos, post and report.

[robbarnes1965]

On my , the problem seems to be the T fitting that ties the sink and transom drain together, underneath the back (port) corner of the rear bed. Any first year plumbing apprentice will tell you that 90 degree angles in drains are not a good idea. I've had mine clog up at that point several times, especially from leaves, dog hair and other debris that gets washed down the engine well drain, and have cleared it using the hose method aimed directly into the engine well drain hole. I like bscott's idea of the river rock in place over the drain hole to keep debris from entering in the first place.

In an attempt to more permanently address the issue on my boat, I picked up a true Y connector from the sprinkler section at Home Depot. I haven't had a chance to connect it and confirm that it fits yet, when I do I'll take photos, post and report.

Ran into that. It is dumb. Fishing out a clog is almost impossible. Pressure or suction is the only solution other than changing to a "y". Good idea. I bet it would dramatically reduce clogs as well as making them easier to solve.

[EZ]

I have an '04 M with the older style interior, which does NOT have the sink and transom drains tied together. The sink drains out via a thru hull on the right side.

So if your M has the older style interior, there should be no need to worry about drains being Tee'd together. Just hit the transom drain with the hose and be done.

[06HARLEYULTRA]

I don't have tee connectors. My galley and head sink drain directly through the hull, each with their own holes in the hull.
I fixed the clog with 3/8 fuel line and the garden hose. Took quite a while because the kids and I got distracted with a water fight.
Found quite a bit of large chunks of ???, and black sediment we were able to back flush.
Check another task off the list....Now their's only 129 more

Thanks,

Rich