Blakes seacocks - aren't they usually fitted with bronze bolts????

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West Coast

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With all this discussion regarding suspect seacocks, I was smug in thinking that the Blakes seacock for toilet waste is fine - but then noticed that the securing bolts appear to be stainless, certainly not bronze! Why they are not bronze, when Blakes supply the bolts with the seacock?

Sadler built starlight, so would have expected better!

Should I be concerned? I reckon so, will likely have to consider refitting this with the correct bolts?:disgust:
 
West Coast said:
Sadler built starlight, so would have expected better!
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Indeed you might, however a fellow club member found out the hard way that the genoa turning blocks had been fitted without any nuts on the bolts, one failed under load, and fortunately no-one was in the way of a flying lump of metal/plastic. Investigation showed the other was the same.
 
I replaced all mine last year, had a tiny weep in one so removed cone and tried to grind a decent surface but failed so replaced. I did find though that when trying to remove bolts they sheared with hardly any effort which was worrying and i wonder how many others out there are in a similar state. Replacement bolts are not cheap !
 
I bought OEM parts for my Blakes and they are a bronze or whatever, not stainless. I don't know what the issues would be with stainless, crevice corrosion is mentioned a lot with threaded stainless, so you could have an issue with this.

http://www.asap-supplies.com/search/blakes
 
From experience I don't think it's anything to be worried about as long as they are A4 stainless.
My boat has its original Blake's seacocks, 12 in number, and they were all fitted by the builder using A4 stainless bolts.
They've lasted 30 years without sign of degradation: I pull one or two each year and they look as good as new, in fact I put the same original bolts back in.

A2 stainless would be a different matter of course.
 
West Coast said:
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With all this discussion regarding suspect seacocks, I was smug in thinking that the Blakes seacock for toilet waste is fine - but then noticed that the securing bolts appear to be stainless, certainly not bronze! Why they are not bronze, when Blakes supply the bolts with the seacock?

Sadler built starlight, so would have expected better!

Should I be concerned? I reckon so, will likely have to consider refitting this with the correct bolts?:disgust:
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They are like gold parts mate, I replaced all of mine four years ago, parts are available from Yacht parts http://yachtparts.shop033.com/p/5491432/blake-seacock-bolt-m8-x-75mm-cup-square-head.html

I am not sure how or which ones you want but the big ones are M8 X 75mm @£12.82 'each' plus the nut @£3.22 'each',all other parts are available if you need them, BUT they sure are not cheap BUT you need the right nuts and bolts etc., on the plus side they will last for years and do not forget to get the Blakes grease.

http://yachtparts.shop033.com/b/2215385/6/blakes-lavac-taylor.html

Otherwise they are easily maintained and will outlast you!

Mike
 
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I had to replace one seacock on my Contessa and like the rest of them it was secured with stainless bolts. I guess the huge cost of bronze was too much to for the yard to swallow.

The stainless was in fine condition as was the seacock, so I replaced with similar but was careful with the sealant and used fibre washers under the nuts.

I understand that most Jeremy Rogers boat's were produced in this way so you will have fair warning of any trouble. So far I have not heard of any problems.
 
MikeBz said:
Seems to be common for Sadler 34s to have stainless bolts in bronze skin fittings.
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On my Sadler 34 the 1.5 inch toilet skin fittings and the P-bracket are secured with stainless steel bolts. They are countersunk into the hull with plenty of sealant, which presumably overcomes any galvanic effects. I have never removed the seacock ones but when I changed the P-bracket at around 20 years the bolts were perfect.

As said, the bolts sold with Blakes seacocks are intended to be phosphor bronze, at £50 per valve. The consequences of using domed brass bolts are shown at http://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Corrosion.aspx Not sure about aluminium or silicon bronzes, they could well be a suitable alternative but need to keep an eye on them.
 
vyv_cox said:
On my Sadler 34 the 1.5 inch toilet skin fittings and the P-bracket are secured with stainless steel bolts. They are countersunk into the hull with plenty of sealant, which presumably overcomes any galvanic effects. I have never removed the seacock ones but when I changed the P-bracket at around 20 years the bolts were perfect.

As said, the bolts sold with Blakes seacocks are intended to be phosphor bronze, at £50 per valve. The consequences of using domed brass bolts are shown at http://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Corrosion.aspx Not sure about aluminium or silicon bronzes, they could well be a suitable alternative but need to keep an eye on them.
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Thanks Vyv, given our boats were made by the same builder, chances are a similar approach was taken with mine.
 
The Blakes and Stuart seacocks, and the Brookes & Gatehouse transducers, in my 46-year old Twister were glassed in place by her builder (no bolts at all). This has been a perfectly trouble free arrangement.
 
LittleSister said:
I think Blakes sell replacement bolts together with the outside hull plate (two versions of this - one with a 'strainer', the other a clear hole) to which the seacocks are clamped.
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VicS said:
According to the BLT website the bolts supplied are phosphor bronze. http://www.blakes-lavac-taylors.co.uk/blakes_seacocks.htm

Stainless is Ok but the shanks should be well sealed , as always with stainless steel fastenings, to keep them dry and avoid crevice corrosion.
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parsifal said:
Anglia Stainless Ltd sells cup square bolts in silicon bronze.

http://angliastainless-stanton.co.uk/services

I would think they would be cheaper than Blakes.
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I should have made explicit my thinking that if one is looking at checking/replacing the bolts, one should probably do likewise for what they are bolted to.
 
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