Blakes Seacock Skin Fitting

[mistralf39]

I was looking at the heads seacocks this morning and I'm a bit confused by them.

They are Blakes seacocks on a Trapper 501 and have presumably been on the boat from new (1982).

The thing that I'm confused about is that there doesn't seem to be a skin fitting on the outside of the hull. Inside there are the usual 4 studs with the seacock bolted to them but on the outside absolutely nothing, just a neat round hole. In fact all the skin fittings (heads, engine inlet, cockpit drains) are the same, No plate on the outside.

This is probably a stupid question but is this normal and if I have to change the seacock and the stud shears off how would I deal with that?

Ian

 

[vyv_cox]

My Sadler 34 is exactly the same. The studs are countersunk stainless steel bolts, mostly untouched since build in 1984.

If you were to take off the seacock and a bolt sheared you could simply tap it out. Your Blakes will be bronze at that age so keep it if you possibly can.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

It may well be that they are glassed into the hull.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Not sure if it is normal or not with Blakes studs to be flush, all mine have the dome head studs sticking out and most I see are like that. However, as pointed out, clearly there are other options.

OEM parts are all dome head studs, square shouldered, through external plates into the seacock internal flange.

Seacocks Spares

 

[Tranona]

Not sure if it is normal or not with Blakes studs to be flush, all mine have the dome head studs sticking out and most I see are like that. However, as pointed out, clearly there are other options.

OEM parts are all dome head studs, square shouldered, through external plates into the seacock internal flange.

Seacocks Spares

That is indeed normal, but as Vyv says some builders like Sadler did not us the external plate but increased the thickness of the hull around the seacock so that they could countersink machine screws and glass over for a smooth surface. Maybe it was a Poole thing as both the Trapper and Sadler were built in Poole no more than a mile apart!

 

[vyv_cox]

That is indeed normal, but as Vyv says some builders like Sadler did not us the external plate but increased the thickness of the hull around the seacock so that they could countersink machine screws and glass over for a smooth surface. Maybe it was a Poole thing as both the Trapper and Sadler were built in Poole no more than a mile apart!

Not only the seacocks, the P-bracket and skeg are attached by exactly the same means. I rebedded the P-bracket when the boat was 20 years old and found the bolts to be perfect. That was 20 years ago and as far as I know they remain perfect.

 

[alahol2]

Maybe it was a Poole thing

Not only Poole. My Stag was built in Emsworth and uses the original bronze bolts countersunk into the hull. No external plate/strainer.

 

[Rappey]

I replaced a Blake seacock on a 501. The bolt heads were glassed into the hull. Replaced with new Blakes seacock and put the plate outside to hold the bolt heads.
From what i remember it wasn't that difficult to do.

 

[Concerto]

From memory the flush fitting outlets were designed and sold by Landamores (builders of lots of Oysters) for racing boats to ensure a smooth hull for less drag. Used them on a number of boats.

 

[Tranona]

From memory the flush fitting outlets were designed and sold by Landamores (builders of lots of Oysters) for racing boats to ensure a smooth hull for less drag. Used them on a number of boats.

But they did not use Blakes valves but a screw and plunger type - brand name escapes me at the moment.