Cruising Sailors Forum Archive

I went to the marine store and they promptly sent me to the plumbing store.

The bottom line is the marine store had some drain baskets, but frankly they were crap... chrome plated plastic... would last maybe one season... depending on how well one cleans a sink. They did have the fittings, hose clamps and hose, but gave me one part of the puzzle that had everyone shaking their heads... "find a way to connect from common plumbing parts to common boat parts."

Well the plumbing store had a darn nice SS basket drains... and for only $8.00 each... then came the puzzle... I am going to use ABS to connect the drains, which then goes to PVC which is threaded, which then goes to marlon to a good marine hose then to marlon at the seacock. Everything "below the waterline" will be double clamped and secure up to the ABS. The marlon is 3/4 hose bib to 3/4 threaded, which screws right into a 3/4 threaded PVC fitting.

In the pic below you can see on the left what WAS, and on the right what WILL BE. The main differences will be the positive connection to the drain baskets, vice the poor slip fit and very thin PVC that isn't even shown here, as it basically crumbled in my hand. The other main difference will be the getting rid of the various hose clamps and RTV and getting rid of the jury rigged connection to the hose... it was some sort of shaved PVC sleeve that was RTVed to the hose and then clamped. It was at the top of the red hose at the left and this was right at my water line... with serious repercussions should it fail.

I will be replacing whole shaved PVC sleeve arrangement with proper barbed marlon at the bottom, which screws into the seacock, and proper barbed marlon at the top which screws into the PVC. (teflon tape at both ends.)

I am going to test fit everything... so I can cut the right length ABS pieces to give me the offset I need for the drain.

The bottom line is that I will have proper marlon and good grade hose double clamped below the waterline, and good secure connections to new drain baskets above the waterline.

I will also mount the sink with wooden blocks to support it properly.

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