Thru-hull strainer replacement

[b_arrington]

I suppose it's time to start thinking about spring projects.

Last season my thru-hull strainer got fouled pretty badly with barnacles. The scoop integrated with the thru-hull pipe, so there's no easy way to remove it for cleaning or using antifouling paint. This spring I plan to replace it with strait thru-hull fitting and a new type of strainer. There are a couple options (all from Groco)- does anyone have any of the below types, and can you comment on how well they work / don't work?

My idea is to be able to clear the raw-water intake more easily, as well as get anti-fouling paint on the fittings more easily.

This is what I have now:

Replacement Option 1

The ring attaches to the hull, and the scoop attaches to the ring. The scoop can be unscrewed any number of times. But I expect it would not be practical to remove while in the water.

Option 2:

The rear opens to clear the thru-hull. The screen can be removed via bolts for cleaning and painting. I think it would be hard to remove the screen in the water though. And the small size of the screen might promote growth. I'd also expect that the design would introduce a considerable turbulence because of the edges.

Option 3
Same as Option 2, but slotted. The slots are not removable. But it might be more hydrodynamic.

Any thoughts / recommendations?

 

[PascalG]

only the nr 2 and nr 3 are true strainers designed to replace basket strainers. i've never use them myself but i know people who have and removed their standard basket strainers, they're happy with it.

nr 1 is pretty standard for everything except gensets (never use a scoop on a genset...) when you have strainers inside the boat.

seems to me you're trying tyo fix something that's not broken. any scoop will get barnacles and stuff growing in, it's pretty easy to clean with a blade in water.

 

[Robyns Nest]

I have the 'South Bay' type strainers made by Algonquin mounted over standard thru hull fittings on my boat, they do work as advertised. The screens can be unscrewed to be removed for cleaning.

How bad do yours get fouled? Can't you just put back what was there?

 

[b_arrington]

Pascal: I'm definitely not looking to replace my internal basket strainer. I found it very difficult to clean the scoop strainer last year. The fouling in Long Island Sound was the worst in memory, with mussel growth for the first time I've ever seen. Even after haul-out, cleaning the fixed scoop of barnacles inside the scoop was very difficult.

Robyns: The Buck-Algonquin line looks interesting. Fouling was very bad this year, to the point at the end of the season I was worried about adequate water flow. I suppose I could clean and replace what's there. But the problem is that the current scoop strainer is screwed into the seacock assembly inside the bilge. This means I basically need to remove the seacock to clean the scoop. That's certainly not something that can be done without a haul-out. I also don't want to be removing the 4200-bonded seacock assembly on any kind of regular basis. It seems to me that it would make more sense to be able to remove just the external screen for cleaning and application of anti-fouling paint.

 

[Sea Gull]

I can't think of any reason to have the external strainers on Long Island Sound.

 

[Bob J]

b_arrington, In Barnegat Bay we must have what we call eel grass strainers which fasten to hull. Like your Option #2. If you go this route; make sure you get the type that allows you to remove screen. I have this type & no internal strainer. Been this way since my first boat in '76. Zero problems ever !

 

[surprise]

If you put the kind on that goes over the thru hull, doesn't one need to be sure to get it bonded some kind of way? We just re-did the seacocks on Bella and ended up re-using the existing exterior scoop strainer which was still perfect after 33 years in salt water. We also have an internal strainer. We haven't had much build up inside the external strainer, that would be a bit of a nuisance to clean, but I'm not sure it would be that much easier to clean the other type underwater.