[C320-list] Messenger line

[Jeff Hare]

Waxed Whipping twine is plenty strong enough.

You may find (as I did) that you don't end up needing the messenger lines on
the new hose vent.  The vent hose that goes between the tank and the
thru-hull snakes into view quite easily.

You'll have to remove the vacuum breaker vents and push the 4 hoses down
into the wall in order to pull the medicine cabinet out.  It's these hoses
that would benefit from some messenger lines but only at the point where
you're ready to reinstall everything. I think there's very little risk of
having any hoses fall into the wall out of reach.  The space is not even a
whole arm's length in depth and the hoses are rigid enough that they won't
go far and it's all visible once the medicine cabinet is out.

The thing you may find tricky is feeding the vacuum breaker vent hoses back
up through the holes in the medicine cabinet when you're all done.  I
believe the easiest way to feed these back up is to cut the hose ends at a
45 degree angle before you install the medicine cabinet.  Poke a hole at the
pointed end of the hose and tie a piece of whipping twine through that hole.
If the holes are a tight fit, you won't use this line to pull the hose all
the way through, just enough so that you can grab the hose with a pair of
pliers and work it the rest of the way up through.  Then you'd have to
square up the hose just prior to reinstalling the vacuum breakers.  The hose
clamps can be snugged up to keep the hoses from falling back down until you
get the U-shaped vacuum breakers reinstalled.

When I started this project I was prepared for a really difficult job, and
it never really materialized.  However on my boat I did have to unscrew and
remove the plastic guard that keeps things from rolling off the counter
because it was in the way of removing the medicine cabinet.  I found the
cabinet had to pull straight out horizontally. It was too tight of a fit to
tip out and lift up.

Good luck, you'll be glad you did this project.  Be sure to use a little
caulking around the inner seal of the new forespar fitting to prevent fumes
(or water) from finding their way back inside.

At the same time I did this, I installed the "dry-roll" toilet paper holder
that I originally saw on Allan Fields' boat.  It's a really nice addition.

Check out my photo gallery for some  pics if you haven't already.

-Jeff Hare
#809

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf
Of Doug Treff
Sent: Wednesday, September 2, 2015 9:11 PM
To: C320 List <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com>
Subject: [C320-list] Messenger line

 

All, 

This weekend I will be attempting the holding tank vent line fix using the
Forespar fittings. I've also purchased a length of 3/4" hose to replace the
19 year old line that is there. I am thinking I should pull a messenger line
through using the old hose and then use the messenger line to pull the new
hose through. 

Any suggestions on the type of line to use? Ways to attach the messenger
line so it doesn't slip off? 

Any other suggestions / lessons learned from someone else who has done the
job successfully? 

--
Doug Treff
Catalina 320 - 1996 - September Song - #350 http://savvysailor.blogspot.com/
doug at treff.us