Advice on raising scuppers?

[PNW_Drifter]

My 20 year old original hoses were like that. They have steel wire that rusted...rubber is toast.
If you are reading this and you have a 20 year old boat, you need to change those hoses and probably the fuel fill hoses

Agreed! I learned the hard way but not the hardest way! People always ask me what to look for in a Grady and I say the scuppers but I mean the hoses.

 

[Facially Endowed]

Wow. It is time for sure. At this point, I'd just dive in and make the replacements happen. If I had to cut the deck to do, so be it. Safety first.

I used a sawzall to cut the scupper hoses in the middle for easier removal. Worked well.

 

[DennisG01]

I want to report back on this project.

The new through hulls work beautifully. They are slightly below the cockpit floor yet 1-2 inches above the waterline fully fueled. I moved them up 3" hole center to hole center but in hindsight 2" probably would have been adequate. Accelerating, turning, reversing, etc. - water cannot be forced "uphill" into the cockpit via the through hulls. My impression is that the cockpit drains slightly slower than before but the difference is difficult to notice. I eliminated the livewell hole in the bottom of the bilge (I never used my livewell) so there are now no holes below the waterline.

Why bother? My boat sits in the water 6 months a year so this project brought me peace of mind that she won't sink while unattended due to a failed hose. The old hoses - probably original - dissolved in my hands when I removed them. If you trailer your boat this may be less of a concern. The work wasn't difficult and everything is easily accessible (for a boat).

Glad to see you got it all done and are happy with it. Thanks for posting back, Dan.

"water cannot be forced "uphill" into the cockpit via the through hulls." Just for clarification, that statement is wrong. Water CAN be forced uphill. But in your particular situation, it isn't happening... not yet, anyways... hopefully never.