Down2TheC wrote:
T397 wrote:
I have to replace my cockpit hoses too. They look marginal right now and I might be able to get away with another year or so but I'd hate to have a failure. I wonder if West Marine carries the correct size hose?
My local marine was prepared to order replacements at a crazy price per foot. I went to Ace and got some hose designed for hot tubs. It's structured but without any metal so they should last a long time. Since there's no pressure to deal with, I can't see paying top dollar for a 1.5" ID hose.
The reason they quoted you that price is probably because they were replacing what the factory put in there originally. That was wet exhaust hose which is very very expensive and lasts a long long time. Although your cockpit outlets are theoretically above the water line, this is just theoretical because in any wave action or when sailing, the cockpit through hull fittings are submerged. The reason exhaust hose is so expensive is that it is virtually oil and rot proof and has a monel wire in the casing to stabilize it. Other hoses will degrade much much faster if you happen to slop a little diesel, teak cleaner, solvents or acetone down them and from general aging of the rubber compounds in them. You may be OK if you watch it, but probably the old hoses would have been safer than if they were not weather checked. Admittedly, the exhaust hose is probably overkill, but this is not an area most of us check often. FWIW.