A25 Headliner Question

[WillieC]

It's all common. The forward bilge goes under the engine pan with no (built in) obstructions on my 1973 version. Pump the Whale until you hear the Giant Sucking Sound and subsequent backwash. Just drained my water tanks yesterday in time for the first frost last night. I replumbed the elaborate A25 supply system last spring and added a drain valve accessed under the galley table. I use a garden hose pre-primed connected to my plain old hose bib to siphon the bulk of the water out of the tanks. (I'm on the trailer in the yard.) The rest I drain into the bilge and Whale away on it.
Having a dry boat certainly helps with repainting the headliner. Carry on (topic).

[kerrye]

Mine has a glassed in tube which runs under the engine compartment and exits into the bilge under the prop shaft. Easiest way to see if it's there is to stick your cellphone camera with the flash on pointing backwards into the aft most portion of the forward bilge and take a picture. It's a small tube so easily plugged. Certainly no larger than 1" in diameter. If you're on a trailer the tongue has to be raised quite high in order to get all the water to drain into the center bilge, at least on my boat. If you're on a trailer, there's no need to pump it out, just remove the drain plug in the keel a few feet forward of the prop and let the water run out. That hole is really small so is also easily plugged. I keep about a 4' section of 1/4" fiberglass rod from an old bicycle flag pole so I can stick it into the hole and clean it out while the water is draining without having to crawl under the trailer.

[stxray]

Thanks guys,
When I finished last night, I left water in the forward cabin bilge thinking I would pump it out today. Just checked and it's dry. I do have the plug out so, it must have drained out slowly overnight. Right now, I've got way too much stuff stacked in the cockpit so, looking for a tube or passageway will have to wait. I did raise the trailer tongue.

[WillieC]

Thanks for the info Kerry. I knew it was common but only a 1" tube? Will have to keep an eye on that. And lifting the tongue is key as well. Sounds like Ray got it drained. Mine has a bump on the port side of the keel that I assume must have been where the drain USED to be. It's been filled and painted over.
As to the headliner, I will likely be removing my BC hardtop when I swap over to the 17C engine. It will be nice to have it upside down in the shop for refinishing. I'll drag it outside for sanding, scraping, weather permitting.