Here's one for sailing wives.....How do you unclog the galley sink? With numerous meals and cleaning up, food debris slows the draining of dirty water. As much as we try to clean off the dishes before putting in the dish water and use a good drain screen, dirty water drains slower and slower. Wife wants to use Draino, but we worry about damaging the drain valve. OK, sailing wives and skippers, what do we use to unclog the drain??
Coast Rider
Oceanside, CA
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Joe Lucido
1986 Catalina 36
Hull # 0625
M-25 Universal diesel
Oceanside, CA
We have a small size plumbers' helper on board and we use it, time to time. I'd check for a kink in the line(s) and possibly replace them and, scrape/clean out inside parts of the through-hull that are accessible. I'd avoid use of caustics, but for no particular reason.
Marc & Susan Garcia
"Solla Sollew" #1473, Mk.II
San Buenaventura, Ca.
Do NOT use Draino! These are not metal drain pipes. They will quickly corrode the flex hose drain lines. A metal hanger delicately fed down the line can loosen clogs. You can also remove the hoses and blow them out.
Phil L
Southern Cross
Channel Islands, CA
C36MKI #400
True Value hardware sells an nice well made square plastic pail that fits perfectly in the our sink and doesn't hinder the operation of the faucet when it's in place. We wash the dishes in that pail and then over it goes with all the particulate matter. I'm more concerned about grease and food stuffs getting caught in the sink's through hull fitting than anything else.
Of course that works while cruising off shore but in a marina - it might not be considered good practice.
Bill Dolan 1990 Catalina C-36 MKI - Hull #1041 'Williwaw'
Std. Rig, Walk Through, Wing Keel
M35, Oberdorfer Conversion,
Home Waters; Charlotte Harbor & The Gulf Islands of Florida
'You are never out of work if you own a boat'
I also have a 1986 boat and discovered a few things about the galley sink. To begin with the drain pipe arrangement under the sink is pretty mickey mouse. I replaced it all with larger diameter material. But the larger problem is that the sink is pretty close to the water line. There simply isn't enough pressure to allow fast drainage of the sink.