[C320-list] Waste deck fitting leak

[Dave Hupe]

Jack-
Your comments are well taken.  I certainly don't want to replace everything. However, I recommended that Sara replace all the hoses related to the head and waste tank since I believe once the area is opened up to do what she absolutely needs, it makes sense to me to invest the time/money (not that substantial) to put one aspect of boat problems behind her.  Sara's boat is not as old as my 1994 (27 years old) , but still old enough that I think it is worthwhile if not done already. I doubt anyone does this multiple times in their boat ownership. 
These waste hoses don't just break or split to be a problem.  They ultimately seep/are permeated is what I have learned (and that is why odors occur related to the bigger waste hoses).  You mention your regular water hoses are fine. I recently had a water leak that I finally determined was one of the water hoses going from my galley sink area through the structural grid to my head sink.  That leak surfaced up around my keel bolts which was alarming.  I was not able to pull these hoses out of the structural grid, but instead had to route new hoses through the bilge. 
My boat has had a head odor.  A previous owner installed a bigger waste tank but reused all the original hoses.  He also used a 90 degree pvc elbow in the hose from the toilet to the tank which is a BAD approach. I believe at one or more times, he may have had leaks and I can't get to the areas under the tank or in the structural grid to clean up to get rid of the odor. I am not going to flood the area with a bleach solution or similar to try to get around that.  So, my approach was to replace all the hoses hoping that would help or be the actual cause of the odors.  It helped but has not eliminated some odor. My next attack will be to install a larger tank vent since many have said that was a great success.
I have done several pretty big jobs on my boat and replacing the waste related hoses was not that hard or expensive after all (granted, I did not look forward to it). 
Dave Hupe
1994 C320 #32
Holland, MI

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  On Tue, Aug 3, 2021 at 11:01 PM, Jack Brennan<jackbrennan at bellsouth.net> wrote:   Let me be a dissenter here, Sara.

For many of us, everything on the boat is 15 or 20 years old. If you subscribe to the theory that everything of that age has to go, you will end up with an entirely new boat … and a lot less money in the bank.

Yeah, my fridge had to be replaced when I bought my boat, and my macerator pump, and my shower pump, and my bilge pump, and my rigging, but there are many items on my boat that are functioning quite well despite their age. Take the time to examine them before you replace them.

Hoses will show signs of wear and drip long before they split open. They are designed to avoid catastrophic failure. Carry an old bicycle tube and some hose clamps. If one goes, you can patch it until you get to the next port.

My propane hose is 20 years old and appears fine. So are the hoses to the water heater. My water lines work well. The hose from the anchor locker to the through hull looks like new. The scupper hoses are great, although I had to replace one because the PO cut it before the bank repossessed the boat.

I did replace all of the hoses on the diesel when I bought the boat. And I replaced my fuel system from the tank to the fuel pump. I hated the stock fuel filter. Once I replaced it with a Racor 500, I thought, What the hell, do it all. The old hoses didn’t fit anyway.

And never trust a hose clamp. Even though they claim to be stainless steel, some parts of them never are. I learned this the difficult way, when the clamp broke on the hose leading from the holding tank to the through hull. Yecch. 

I guess what I’m saying is that replacing stuff can become an addiction on a boat. It’s not always necessary.

Jack Brennan
Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
Tierra Verde, Fl.