Your boat is full of hoses used for many different purposes, many of which are essential to basic boat functions and can even keep your boat afloat. Dag Pike said, make sure they are fit for purpose

When was the last time you checked the expiry date of the gas hose? Image Credit: Ben Sutcliffe Davies

Looking at the engine compartment of your boat, you will see a network of marine hoses in different styles and colors.

If you lift the board that allows access to the bottom of the bilge, the situation will be roughly the same.

Boats rely on hoses to not only keep working, but also to keep afloat, and these hoses can represent one of the most vulnerable parts of the boat.

Every hose on the ship should be part of your annual inspection, and you also need to consider replacing it at least every 10 years.

When a ship sinks at a mooring, it is usually a hose failure that is the culprit, and I think I am lucky that it happened at the mooring.

A cracked flexible hose is definitely a sign of a problem

In the ocean, hose failures can be catastrophic, and few ship owners realize that many of the hoses on their ships are open to the outside sea.

Planning to replace hoses on a regular basis is the best solution to ensure reliability, but how do you check hoses during the annual refit?

One of the best ways is to squeeze them.

If they feel mushy, brittle, or too hard, they need to be replaced.

Then look at the connection point. If the hose swells around the clamp, it may have reached the end of its life.

Don't be tempted to think that it will last a year. If you want peace of mind, please replace the marine hose.

Remove the hose from the skin connector to check the condition of the hose tail. This time it failed in a catastrophic way. Image Credit: Ben Sutcliffe-Davies

Hoses are used to transport liquids around ships, and since many different types of liquids are used, it is very important to choose the correct type of hose for the job at hand.

There are no such things as multi-purpose hoses. You need special hoses for engine exhaust, engine water intake, hot and cold water supply, sanitary piping, fuel, bilge pumps, and hydraulic systems.

The list goes on, and complete hose replacement can be a challenging task and quite expensive, because some of the professional marine hoses are not cheap.

Complete hose replacement is best left to the shipyard, but if they look a bit rough, there is no reason why one or two cannot be replaced.

One of the most important hoses on a ship is the hose that uses raw seawater to cool the engine.

This must be flexible because the engine is installed flexibly.

The failure of this pipeline will only cause the engine to overheat and water in the engine compartment, but sea water will also be injected into the exhaust system to cool the hot gases there.

If there is no cooling water, the exhaust hose may catch fire.

This engine compartment is equipped with reinforced and fireproof water and fuel hoses. Credit: Graham Snook

This cooling water pipe needs to be reinforced with stainless steel or semi-rigid plastic coils, and it needs to be a heavy-duty hose that cannot be squeezed by hand to withstand the suction of the sea water pump. engine.

If it has a metal coil, it may be difficult to cut and needs to be fixed with a double worm clamp.

Ideally, it should also be a fireproof hose.

Most of the other hoses on the engine come from the engine manufacturer and can only be replaced with suitable engine spare parts, but when we come to the other end of the engine, there is a flexible exhaust pipe.

Check the exhaust hoses near elbows and other stress points for signs of wear and fatigue

This pipeline is under considerable pressure, and there should be no compromise here.

The tube should be reinforced with wire and should be able to withstand temperatures up to 250°C, although there are more expensive silicone hoses that can withstand higher temperatures.

Also in the engine compartment, you will find the fuel hose.

Many fuel lines will be made of metal pipes, but you still need flexible parts to allow any movement of the engine.

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Any flexible parts should be made of approved materials suitable for the fuel you are using. Due to the nature of the fuel, gasoline and diesel fuel pipelines require very high standards; they should also be able to resist fire within a limited time so that you can be on board There is time to disembark in the event of a fire.

If you have a gas supply for cooking utensils, any flexible parts also require high standards.

It is usually orange and marked with BS3212/12 or EN 16436-1:2014.

Once the gas passes through the hose or any exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun, the hose will begin to age. Also in the engine compartment, you will find the bilge pump pipe from the pump to the overboard outlet.

The gas hose is the safest key on any vessel and needs to be replaced regularly. Photo Credit: Graham Snook/Yacht Monthly

The pipe of the bilge pump should have a smooth inner hole so that water can flow easily, and the wiring of the pipe, like most pipes on a ship, should not have any sharp bends that might restrict the flow through the pipe.

In addition, avoid any loops in the pipeline that will restrict the flow again.

You will usually find that the bilge pump piping is reinforced with metal or plastic spirals to keep it in shape and not kinked.

For domestic hot and cold water supply, shipbuilders usually use some semi-rigid pipes for domestic applications, as long as they are fixed in place, the effect will be very good.

There are different materials for hot and cold water pipes, so make sure to choose the right material for the job. If the pipes carry drinking water, you need to get approval for this.

If your tank water tastes stale, make sure you have a food-grade hose for fresh water. Credit: Graham Snook

The temptation here may be to use cheap, transparent plastic pipes, but over time, it tends to become brittle and is not suitable for the hot water end.

Vinyl is usually the material of choice for water pipes.

As with bilge pump pipes, you do not want to use pipes with internal corrugations for sanitary pipes, because you want the waste to flow smoothly everywhere.

If your head smells, is clogged or stiff, it may be time to replace the sanitary hose. Photo Credit: Graham Snook/Yacht Monthly

The flow needs to be carefully planned because you don't want any waste left in the pipe, which will allow the smell to penetrate the plastic.

Hydraulic pipes need to be of the type designed to handle very high pressures.

The hydraulic system requires high-pressure hoses with appropriate metal end fittings, but beware of corrosion. Photo Credit: Graham Snook/Yacht Monthly

These are almost all standard types used on shore and water. The metal fittings at the end are only electroplated metal, which is easy to corrode, so applying a layer of grease may help extend its life.

Finally, any pipes connected to the skin fittings-no matter what it is used for-should be reinforced, because if the pipes fail in any way, the ship will sink.

Unlike the types of radiator hoses you can find in a car, it should be impossible to squeeze a hose suitable for the job.

This kind of semi-rigid hose is difficult to install on the skin fitting, and it can be slightly softened by immersing it in hot water before sliding it over the end of the hose.

The engine intake hose must be flexible and reinforced, and ideally should also be fire-resistant. Credit: Bob Elott

Make sure to choose the right size hose for the connector. Don't try to use a slightly larger hose because it will slip through the socket more easily.

Dag Pike is one of Britain's most famous marine journalists and writers and has been covering sailing and motorboating for many years.

Marine hoses are measured according to their inner diameter. When looking for a new hose, please make sure that there is a suitable quality mark on it.

Don't skimp or compromise on the quality of the replacement hose-your life may depend on it. It is also important to consider what the hoses are connected to and how they are connected.

I introduced the importance of Jubilee hose clamps in another article (YM, March 21), but if the hose clamps are corroded or rusted, or squeeze the pipe in any way, they should be replaced.

There should also be two hose clamps on any pipes connected to the outer skin fittings, as a malfunction may cause the ship to sink.

Similar to the skin joint, it is worth removing the hose from time to time to check the condition of the lower hose tail and the overall condition of the skin joint.

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