Blakes Seacock - instructions.

Do you mean when the boat is in the water? Otherwise its obvious.
Here is how you do it IN THE WATER!!!!.
Get a softwood plug about 15cm long measuring 32mm dia at one end and 46mm dia at the other. (this is for the larger size of Blakes)Undo the two retaining bolts after loosening the locking nuts.
Now take a deep breath and pick up the wooden plug with the left hand and then whip out the core of the seacock with your right hand and in one smooth motion you ignore the spout of seawater and plunge the plug into the hole. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Now you give the plug a LITTLE tap with a hammer and set about cleaning up and greasing the core.
Then after another deep breath you reverse the procedure and remove the plug and replace the core.
Its scary the first time but then again most things are!!
(Lastly , make a note to fit a couple of grease nipples at the next refit) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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[/ QUOTE ] Quite agree. Although it would take a while to sink the boat, the panic that would surely ensue if there was a problem with the plug could shorten your life by a considerable amount. Re nipples ( I knew that would get your attention!) I don't think you can retrofit grease nipples to the older Blakes units, but maybe you could drill and tap the seacock body to take a nipple. Perhaps another job to delay until out of the water!
 
Hi Tosca, well,
if the boat is out of the water you can practice the "in the water" routine until perfect.
We have been afloat for two years and you simply have to engage in the procedure periodically.
Dramatic as it is, very little water comes in. It is of course essential to have the correct wooden plug to hand but otherwise its quite routine.
PS, according to Rule Pumps, a 25mm dia hole, 300mm below the waterline will let in 2,700 litres per hour.
That is equivalent to about 5 buckets per minute.
Say it takes a total of 10seconds (5sec each way) to grease the valve, then thats just less than a bucketful into the boat.
No worries!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Tip, when plugging holes in boats that are in the water :

Wrap a single piece of thin towelling (cotton) - like an old nappy - around the plug and the cotton will take up any inaccuracies in your plug, the cotton swells and seals off the hole.

With a twist or two you will clean the inside of the stopcock as well.......
 
Don't you have to unscrew the sea-cock to grease it and if so is there any particular grease to use or can I use stern gland grease? Or can I do it from the outside without having to remove any pipes?
 
Really easy if it is a Blakes cone type. Undo the screws holding the plate down. Take the cone out. Clean everything with paraffin. Dry. Buy a tub of "Blakes Seacock Grease" from any chandler. Smear cone with grease. Re-assemble. Tighten plate until you can turn handle with one finger. Tighten lock nuts and its done. If worn you may need to lap the cone into the body with valve grinding paste, but don't bother if they don't leak.

Tub of grease lasts a lifetime!
 
Point to emphasise (as stated above by Tranona): when doing the plate back up DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!!! I did this and now it's stuck open. Tighten cautiously in stages making sure you can swing the handle in both directions at all points.

I'll have to free it off when we eventually come out next month (as I imagine I'll need to hit it with a mallet form the outside).
 
Something you can add to Saltwater_Gypsey reply. I lived aboard for three years and when visitors did the inevitable i.e babywipe or worse !! (not ours) down the loo and stuck in the ball-valve type sea cock I used the dinghy to get to the outlet it's about 35/40 cm below waterline and insert the correct sized plug into it with a gentle tap. Then remove valve inside to clean. For extra peace of mind have a spare plug for inside just in case or better still a screw on cap, available from most plumbing merchants for little cost. This ensures no panic ensues and you can do what you like i.e repair/service or replace the cock with complete peace of mind. You obviously need a selection of different sized plugs and caps depending on your boats fittings and as Tosca is out of the water now would be a good time to assemble the required bits for possible future use. Hope this is of some use to somebody somewhere sometime.
 
My Blakes seacocks are the age of the boat, built 1985. As such the bolts and locking nuts have imperial threads and sizes and there is no convenient metric size that fits them. Because access to mine is very tight I was finding it very difficult to get an old imperial AF spanner in to tighten the nuts. So I filed all the bolt heads and nuts down to fit a 15 mm spanner, which has allowed me to buy a cranked version of the spanner, making life far easier.
 
Well you certainly believe in doing things the hard way! All kinds of spanners are still readily available in Imperial sizes; either new or in second-hand tool shops.
 
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