Carver 355 thru-hull replacement

[jcoll]

I'm wondering if anyone has tackled the replacement of thru hull fittings on the starboard side, aft of a 355 Aftcabin MY and if so how did you accomplish it? I'm currently servicing the rudders and have access to see the 4 fittings. They are impossible to reach from inside, at least as I see it. When I bought the boat I was aware that they would need replacement but now I can see the difficulty in doing the job. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jim Coll
Carver 355 ACMY
Lucky Dog

[mjk1040]

Haven't done one my self, but why do you want to change one. If they are not leaking, I wouldn't mess with them. If I remember ight there are two thru hulls on the starboard side. One for the engine and one for the jenny. If the valves are leaking or won't shut off you can just change the ball valve. Mike

[jcoll]

I'm sorry Mike, I don't think I was clear on my post. I'm refering to the above waterline thru-hulls. There are 4 of them aft of generator discharge. They're for the aft head sink, shower sump and A/C drain, and aft bilge. If you've ever had the cabinet out of the rear stateroom and looked to starboard (after twisting painfully to gain access) you'd see the problem.

Thanks for the input.
Jim

[tomschauer]

Jim, I have not looked at replacing these. On my 1998 they are stainless and still seem to be in good condition. Are yours bad or are you just being an over achiever?

[jcoll]

Tom, Definitely not an over achiever. There's enough work to do on a boat just keeping it in good order. My thru-hulls are plastic and are showing signs of deterioration. I'm not sure but I'm guessing the thru-hulls could have been upgraded as part of the new boat ordering process. I've seen 355's with plastic like mine and stainless like yours. Wish I had the stainless. Looks like I either need a very small person to shove back there or I'm cutting into the boat somewhere to gain access. I don't like either option but, I don't want them to break.

[mjk1040]

Ok, now I know were u are. Well first if you at going to replace them I would go with the SS type and not the plastic ones. Can u gain access thru the aft head sink? It appears u have taken the aft cabinet next to the bed apart to gain access to the starboard rudder and u can see them but can't reach them. If they are not broken and are just a cosmetic thing, have u tried anything that might bring back the luster? A chemical or plastic polish? Other than that u got me swinging. Maybe Viper has been there and can give u some insight. Mike

[jcoll]

Mike, When I do it, I'll use SS with out a doubt. It's not cosmetic I'm concerned with. By the looks of these thru-hulls they've been exposed to a lot of sun/UV rays. The concern is the nipple where the hoses attach will weaken and possibly break. If I ever have a need for the bilge pump to discharge large amounts of water I'd prefer the water to exit the boat and not just pump it back inside due to a broken fitting. With my luck this would happen at the worst possible time. I don't think the sink / cabinet will work but honestly I haven't studied it enough yet. I thought about removing the head - that might give me enough access but I wouldn't be sure until I actually did it.
Thanks for the input.
Jim

[waybomb]

I replaced all the through hulls on our 3697 with stainless.
The plastic didn't look too bad, but were very brittle, breaking in my hand without even torque n them
I even changed the tank vents with the new flush vents getting rid of the ones that stick a half inch out of the side of the hull.
Some were very difficult to get to, but then again, I have a small wife.

[mjk1040]

Lucky u, with a small wife! LOL But Jim our '98 thru hulls look chalky too, but I guess I'm not that concerned yet. I kind of a polish them the best I can in the spring and check them. If I thought the outer ring was to the point it would fail, I would be concerned and consider getting them changed. I guess it's your call n the end. Good Luck. Mike

[tomschauer]

I removed my aft head cabinet to rebuild, I wasn't looking for the thru hulls, and I didn't see them. There is a "double wall" under the sink. I bet the thru hulls are behind it. If I am correct, it would be good and bad. Bad, because you would need to cut a hole(s) in your boat interior. Good, because they would be under the cabinet. I thought I had pictures but I don't.
Sorry I cant be of more help.