Questions about Deck Drains

thanks guys for the tips. i think i should have good access to the port side as i have the "pull out bin" on that side. for the starboard, i plan to remove the batteries, go down on the port side, crawl across where the batteries were and hopefully get the access i need.

i will definitely report back and let everyone know how many 4 letter words it took. it will probably be a january or february project
I cut a hole and installed an inspection plate on the swimstep. This took very little time compared to what removing the batteries would have taken.
 
On a 25 year old saltwater boat I would just replace the through hulls while you are in there replacing everything else. In this case I think It will be much easier to break things to get them apart then trying to futz around with old parts to try and save them to re-use.
 
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I did the hoses and deck drains in a 04 232 and the access was very good. I used the drains from boat outfitters which seem sturdy and look nice.



A hose removal tool is also very handy to get the old hose off the thru hull fitting.

 
I did the ones on my 95 Marlin while I was doing a couple refit and paint. I had the bilge completely empty. Port side was easy good access. Starboard was difficult at best. Later on I had to cut an 8" hole in the euro (inside) in order to reconnect/bed the grab rail. That would have made it much easier to do that side in retrospect. Mine were original plastic and I used an inside pipe cutter to separate them. Went back w Marelon in the cockpit and gemlux stainless through hulls. Also high quality waste/sanitation vacuum hose. Double clamped of course.
 
If your thru hulls are really shot, forget taking the nut off. Like Mindskew did on the interior drains, take a small cut-off wheel and cut the outer flange free from the ID. Take a punch and whack the inside of the flange. It will likely pop off. If not, hit it with a heat gun.
A mallet removed all the bonded legs on my hardtop. I only need to heat a few. To be honest, I'm not sure if the same sealant was used on the top as the thru hull.