Sanitation hoses 2006 Mainship 34 Trawler

[sseltzer]

In the process of changing out the hoses I have hit a roadblock. The hose running from the holding tank to the deck pump out will not budge. I have tried pushing and pulling from both sides without any luck. I'm guessing that it is secured with inaccessible cable ties or some other method. Does anyone have any experience of suggestions on how to remove this hose? I'm hoping it does not involve removing the fuel tank.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. I don’t have a boat like yours but manufacturers tend to tie wrap things everywhere. I think that you can assume that it is tied down where you can’t see. Some people have used inspection cameras to look and see. Some have saaid they used a hacksaw blade on a stick to cut the ties. Can you run new hose? Use Raritan Sani Flex hose, it is very flexible and doesn’t let the small out. Defender sells it by the foot and has the best prices I have found. I just replumbed a new head in our aft head with it. Good luck.

 

[sseltzer]

Thanks Comodave for the suggestion of an inspection camera. I'll give that a try.

 

[HeadMistress]

If removing the hoses from the fittings is the issue--or part of the problem--warming the ends a bit should help. Same is true for getting the new hose onto the fittings (lubricate inside of the hose and outside of the fitting with a little dish washing liquid--or better yet, K-Y jelly). I always used a blow dryer...use a heat gun if only if you really know what you're doing with one 'cuz it's too easy to melt the hose.


Once you've removed any zip ties and gotten the hose off the fittings at both ends, connect the new hose to the old using a male-male connector and any "glue" to keep 'em on it (duct tape won't hold if you have to pull hard, clamps can snag) and pull the new hose through as you pull the old hose out.


+1 for Raritan Saniflex hose...it's proven to be 100% odor permeation resistant and is so flexible it can be bent like a hairpin without kinking. Defender has it for < $10/ft.



--Peggie

 

[Comodave]

I would also plug the old hose with a bunch of paper towels before trying to pull it out. Just sorta screw them into the hose far enough so the won’t interfere with the connection. Then any “stuff” that may be left inside the hose won’t escape, especially into areas that you can’t get to to clean it up. Good luck!!!

 

[sseltzer]

Thank you Peggy. My issue is not with the fittings it is that the hose disappears out of sight and will not budge when pushing or pulling. I am going to look into locating an inspection camera to see what I am dealing with. I appreciate the tips for when I finally figure out a way to remove it. And thanks again Comodave, good advice.

 

[Comodave]

If I remember correctly there have been other Mainship owners with a similar problem. The hose being tied off out of sight and reach. I don’t know for sure though. You might try searching the forum and see if I remembered correctly or not. May be a better answer out there as to how they were or were not able to get the hose loose.

 

[Mermaid]

I have run into this issue on a few boats. Every time, I have just had to run a new line down a new path. I’m in the process of doing that on my 2005 Mainship 400 Trawler. On my 58’ Hatteras, I had to replumb four heads in just that manner and one of the runs was 50 feet long. One tip....everywhere you can, run PVC pipe - that is one stretch of “hose” you will never smell again. I like to run PVC and then connect to things like tanks and vacuum generators with a very short piece of quality hose (Trident hose - the white one with the green stripe).

Also, if you have to leave some old hose in place because you can’t yank it out, I have used some of that spray foam insulation you can get in a can at Home Depot to spray inside each end to seal off any leftover hose, that is after sucking out any lingering yuckies.

 

[Comodave]

Just in case, you may not be able to get the old hose out if it is really secured where you can’t get to, I would flush the hose really good before you unhook anything. That way if you can’t get it out you could plug both ends and maybe not have stuff left in the hose to smell. Just in case...

 

[porman]

I know it's a different boat, but I assume Mainship building practices are probably the same between boats. On our 430 the aft head hoses were zip tied in out of sight places. I used an inspection camera to look through the stringers and ribs. I ended up cutting two access holes in the floor. The floors were carpeted so I cut out a rectangle of carpet, cut the floor, replaced the hoses, reinforced the floor, and put the cut out pieces back. The holes in the stringers and ribs were not big enough to leave the old hoses in place and add new hose. I wouldn't have been able to make the new hoses make three 90 degree turns under the floor without access holes.

 

[Bacchus]

Have you pulled the bulkhead panel just aft of the fuel tank? It does provide a little bit of visibility around the fuel tank and should be easier for camera access?
My panels are 3 part - port, center and stbd - assume yours are similar.
Even with the access hatch at the deck ftg my discharge hose was impossible to remove. Unfortunately MS installed the clamps so the screws were away from the access - obviously done prior to mating the hull & deck?

 

[Brooksie]

Wire ties should break if yanked hard enough even plastic clips. Don't forget to tie a light line on one end before you pull out so new hose can be pulled in. Drill a hole through it and tie line near end.

 

[sseltzer]

Thank you everyone for the great suggestions. I will be at the boat Saturday morning and with luck I will have the discharge hose replaced and enjoying a cold one before sundown.

Steve

 

[porman]

Wire ties should break if yanked hard enough even plastic clips. Don't forget to tie a light line on one end before you pull out so new hose can be pulled in. Drill a hole through it and tie line near end.

In my case the waste hoses were zip tied to other hoses too. Bilge hoses, shower sump hoses, air conditioning drain hoses, etc. So pulling on the waste hoses would have damaged other hoses. Obviously they were put in place before the deck went on. Not a good practice in my opinion as it makes any kind of replacement very hard.

 

[Comodave]

It is too bad that boat manufacturers don’t give a thought about maintenance when they build a boat. The waste hose obviously would need replacing at some point in the boats life so why make it almost impossible to do?

 

[HeadMistress]

To boat builders, holding tanks are just an added expense that adds -0- value to the boat, so they do what costs 'em the least and rely on the knowledge that buyers are unlikely to find out how bad a job they've done until well after the warranty has expired.


I guess I shouldn't complain about it...they've provided me with a very good living for a lot of years!



--Peggie

 

[porman]

To boat builders, holding tanks are just an added expense that adds -0- value to the boat, so they do what costs 'em the least and rely on the knowledge that buyers are unlikely to find out how bad a job they've done until well after the warranty has expired.


I guess I shouldn't complain about it...they've provided me with a very good living for a lot of years!



--Peggie

I think an exception to that was the Camano Troll. I thought they were ugly boats at first. My wife kept at me and we looked at them for a couple years at the boat show. Being a mechanic, the more I looked the more they impressed me. Every wire, every hose, every system on them was accessible. We had ours for 9 years and there wasn't anything I couldn't do myself.

 

[Bacchus]

It is too bad that boat manufacturers don’t give a thought about maintenance when they build a boat. The waste hose obviously would need replacing at some point in the boats life so why make it almost impossible to do?

Boy ain't that the truth.
I helped a friend with a Vac-U-Flush problem. When he called the factory to inquire about how to get to the unit they told him he would have to cut his teak & holly sole and build a hatch. Their only concession was to offer to send him some wood for the rebuild.
We got someone much younger, smaller to help and was finally able to remove the unit in a couple of pieces. We re- engineered the system layout by relocating a FW pump and mounted the VuF system on a base plate that made removal simple.
The whole time we worked on it we just kept saying WHY DIDNT THE BUILDER DO THIS..??

 

[keith c]

I know this may be off subject but if you are changing hoses because of smells it may not solve the problem. I changed hoses and smell returned. Peggie correctly suggested smell coming from raw water intake hose. I close sea cock,place hose in a bucket with vinegar and water and flush.. Smell is gone for 1 to 2 months and I repeat.

 

[HeadMistress]

I know this may be off subject but if you are changing hoses because of smells it may not solve the problem. I changed hoses and smell returned. Peggie correctly suggested smell coming from raw water intake hose. I close sea cock,place hose in a bucket with vinegar and water and flush.. Smell is gone for 1 to 2 months and I repeat.

Odor from permeated sanitation hoses is rarely if ever confined to the head area and doesn't emanate from the toilet when it's flushed. Sea water intake odor always emanates from the toilet and is confined to the head. However, that doesn't mean you can't have both.


--Peggie

 

[PM]

You could set it on fire at the low end and it would self destruct.

Oh wait, maybe not such a good idea.

pete

 

[sseltzer]

Thank you Keith. Fortunately I was not trying to eliminate odor just hoping to prevent a future issue. Already a fresh water system so I should be good for a while.

Peggie, sorry about misspelling your name on an earlier post.

Steve

 

[HeadMistress]

Peggie, sorry about misspelling your name on an earlier post.
Steve



That's ok, everyone else misspells it too...I've gotten used to it. Maybe I should start signing everything just "Peg."



--Peggie

 

[Oldersalt]

Sell the Mainship and get a Grand Banks. Impeccable, professional installation of all systems, especially electrical and plumbing. That's just one reason they still sell at a premium compared to other 'similar' trawlers!
Oldersalt

PS I deeply apologize for the above snarky remarks! I just couldn't resist. Probably sitting at home to much these days for obvious reasons...
Oldersalt

 

[Oldersalt]

To be honest, even my Grand Banks did have a manufactured problem. The pickup tube inside the holding tank was metal (brass or bronze) and after 25+ years corroded to the point I could only pump out the top few inches of the holding tank. Had to cut a hole in the cabin sole (fortunately under a set of drawers) to get at the access hatch on the tank that holds the pumpout tube and vent (existence of the removable hatch for these tubes is a sign of GOOD manufacturing!) Fairly easily fabricated a new pickup tube out of pic, installed it, replaced the sole section, and totally solved the problem, happily. But on that day I was NOT happy with GB's manufacturing!

 

[HeadMistress]

Looking at your last two photos...What type of hose is the short piece of white hose in the next to last photo and why is it a short piece of hose? What kind of hose is the brown striped hose in the bottom photo?


--Peggie

 

[Oldersalt]

Peggie,

You might remember we talked a couple of times on the phone about my holding tank problem in the summer of 2018 when I was cruising the PNW. You were very helpful, but this did not really get figured out until we returned to California (boat traveled by truck). As I recall, I found someone on the GB Owners Forum who had the very same problem and gave very detailed directions on how to solve it by fabricating a new pickup tube. As I recall I had to search a bit to find an adapter connector between the PVC right-angle and the sanitation hose (slightly visible in next-to-last photo). If you want I can probably track down the exact part. Since we had tried everything else without success, I figured this had to be the problem and started cutting the hole in the sole, etc. Success at last! Can now essentially empty the holding tank via the pump-out. Hurray!

To answer your questions..
short white hose connects the pickup tube to the deck pump-out fitting, just a few inches away. Don't remember what brand, but I assume I bought the best sanitation hose I could find..

Striped hose is the air vent. Again don't remember the brand. Top quality air or water hose, I assume. Vent is located just under the rub rail, also a very short run.

Thanks again for all your wisdom and advice, both on this and all the usual plumbing questions I have had over the years. Between your wonderful book and your participation on several forums, I have always found the answers to my questions!
Best Regards,
Oldersalt (aka Mike Bennett)