A scary leak

[Graham_Wright]

I found the engine space full of water. "Full" = 7 minutes to pump out with a powerful bilge pump.
Once cleared, it appeared there was a leak around one of the engine cooling water hull intakes. As the sea valve is pretty difficult to access and needs to be removed to tighten the hull connection, we needed to be out of the water. Quickest and cheapest solution was to dry out.
A trip from Cardiff Bay to Jackson's Beach at Barry took a couple of hours but was ill timed. We still had a couple of feet of water around us at low water.
Resigned to waiting a full tidal cycle, we took advantage of the sun and lazed. In the meantime, the mate decided the leak was from the exhaust hose. Explaining that that was unlikely, I examined where she was pointing. The source of the trickle down the hull was difficult to determine due to the murky surroundings, but it eventually turned out to be a minute jet from the hose itself. This was spraying onto surrounding items thus concealing its origin.
Even "minute" and a few days action can equal a LOT of leakage.
Easy fix and home for dinner!

The hose was a plastic reinforced jobbie which admittedly does not succumb to the Jubilee clip ideally.
What would be better? There is suction but probably nominal.

 

[Bilgediver]

The hose was a plastic reinforced jobbie which admittedly does not succumb to the Jubilee clip ideally.
What would be better? There is suction but probably nominal.

Maybe some Marine Exhaust Hose Jut be sure to get the correct size and it doesn't usually stretch very much.

Something like this.

Marine Exhaust Hose 55mm (Superflex / Per Metre)

 

[Tranona]

It is unclear whether your leak is from the exhaust hose or the water inlet. If the latter, which seems more probable, either reinforced or spiral PVC is the correct stuff to use - likely 19mm for engine intake.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Maybe some Marine Exhaust Hose Jut be sure to get the correct size and it doesn't usually stretch very much.

Something like this.

Marine Exhaust Hose 55mm (Superflex / Per Metre)

ASAP do also offer 25mm ID which is what I need. I imagine the suction pressure would be minimal but would reinforcement also be necessary? Being fireproof would be good as the two hoses are major flood risk items.

 

[Graham_Wright]

It is unclear whether your leak is from the exhaust hose or the water inlet. If the latter, which seems more probable, either reinforced or spiral PVC is the correct stuff to use - likely 19mm for engine intake.

It wasn't clear! The inlet hose.
The spraying orifice was below the waterline and I confess to leaving these sea valves open. Not anymore!
Spiral pvc was the culprit and the pinhole was actually a crack along one of the spiral reinforcing rings.
Perhaps standard automotive heater hose would be a good choice (cheaper too!).

 

[MikeCC]

Perhaps standard automotive heater hose would be a good choice (cheaper too!).

I'd still go with the metal spiral reinforced type. How long since last one was replaced?

 

[Tranona]

My boat has heater hose,, but reinforced PVC hose is widely used, not least on many new boats I have seen.

 

[Graham_Wright]

The fact that the pinhole appeared in a crack on the pic reinforcing ring puts me off. The other consideration is the Jubilee clip must exert a varying force on the spiral.
The leak was a couple of inches from the sea valve and there is no vibration at that point.
I think I'll go for heater hose. It is a similar environment.

 

[Alfredmylne]

It’s essential that sea cocks are closed when boats are unattended. Most insurance companies won’t pay out if a recovered sunken boat did not have the sea cocks closed.

 

[Tranona]

It’s essential that sea cocks are closed when boats are unattended. Most insurance companies won’t pay out if a recovered sunken boat did not have the sea cocks closed.

Do you have any concrete evidence of this? First whether boats have sink because a seacock was left open AND insurers unwilling to pay out? There is nothing in the terms and conditions of any insurance contract that I have seen that requires seacocks to be closed on unattended boats.

 

[Tranona]

The fact that the pinhole appeared in a crack on the pic reinforcing ring puts me off. The other consideration is the Jubilee clip must exert a varying force on the spiral.
The leak was a couple of inches from the sea valve and there is no vibration at that point.
I think I'll go for heater hose. It is a similar environment.

Then use reinforced PVC hose (not spiral) as commonly used by boat builders as in post#7. Has the advantage of being translucent so you have a chance of seeing if air is in the system. Lass than £3 a metre for 19mm.

 

[MikeCC]

The point of the spiral metal reinforced type is that it doesn't collapse under suction. The internal bore is smooth enough to give a good seal on hosetail especially if you use the recommended two hose clips.

The mesh reinforced type is not so resistant to suction. OK for bilge pump because the water is being pushed not pulled No idea regarding heater hose but I suspect it's also more likely to collapse.

 

[andyc352]

It’s essential that sea cocks are closed when boats are unattended. Most insurance companies won’t pay out if a recovered sunken boat did not have the sea cocks closed.

Not so. Many boats have deck and cockpit drains which terminate at seacocks below the waterline. If they are closed when the boat is unattended the boat will flood in heavy rain.

 

[john_morris_uk]

It’s essential that sea cocks are closed when boats are unattended. Most insurance companies won’t pay out if a recovered sunken boat did not have the sea cocks closed.

If I closed all my seacocks and given enough rain etc our boat would sink. (Centre cockpits with cockpit drains vertically down through engine bay and through seacocks. )

 

[john_morris_uk]

Not so. Many boats have deck and cockpit drains which terminate at seacocks below the waterline. If they are closed when the boat is unattended the boat will flood in heavy rain.

Beaten to it. (I should have read the whole thread!)

 

[penfold]

Baffled why anyone would want metal reinforced hose on a cooling water intake, except maybe on a mobo with larger engines, spiral reinforced PVC quite adequate and has the bonus of being cheaper.

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

Baffled why anyone would want metal reinforced hose on a cooling water intake, except maybe on a mobo with larger engines, spiral reinforced PVC quite adequate and has the bonus of being cheaper.

Had reinforced fireproof hose required for coding by the surveyor. As with everything, your surveyor may vary.

 

[dankilb]

^^^Yup same. The short length of hose between our through hull and strainer is fireproof EDPM (Lloyds cert). Wasn’t particularly expensive (it’s short) but if that area goes on fire at least it won’t sink us as quickly as PVC. It’s also right in the line of fire of a belt failure.

Not to criticise, but I inversely don’t understand skimping on critical hoses like this. I just sourced some 2” Lloyds/ISO exhaust hose at £20 per m. Another recent post on here asked about cockpit drain hose (after the PVC once collapsed) and I’d definitely go for reinforced EDPM here too. The lengths were <1m. But despite the fact the OP’s hose had failed, the ‘PVC is fine’ posts soon followed. For a few quid, it seems unnecessarily cheap to me. Fine for sink drains in well protected heads cabinets though.

 

[penfold]

The OP does not elucidate but I will be surprised if the broken hose isn't rock hard and well past due replacement; inspection of hoses for condition & retention of flexibility is routine maintenance.

 

[Neeves]

The OP does not elucidate but I will be surprised if the broken hose isn't rock hard and well past due replacement; inspection of hoses for condition & retention of flexibility is routine maintenance.

Every one knows that rigging has a finite lifespan, or insurance companies think so. Everyone knows that sail drive seals have a finite lifespan, or not.

Many items slip through the net.

Where is the list that an owner can peruse.

Its the sort of thing where PBO used to excel - offering a free check list on a card.

Jonathan