Blanking old seacock

Lazy Kipper said:
This winter we re-routed the forward sink drain and don't have time before launch to remove the old blakes through hull fitting. We can close off the valve and plug the hose that's on it but for a belt and braces before we come out of the water again next September, is there a way of plugging it from the outside?
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Boo2 said:
Don't think that will work with the OP's Blakes seacock ?

Aiui, the preferred method is to file or grind out the hull inside and out with a 12:1 conical taper (ie width is 12 times the GF thickness) then lay up GF inside and out so the plug formed is self-bonded and cannot fall out even if it does not stick to the hull's older layup. Process is described in the West Systems book which is a free download on their website.

I would not use a wooden plug in the hole left by the seacock because I'd be scared of unseen rot eventually finding its way through.

Boo2
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Yes Yes Yes
re read the OPs post he is launching this week, all antifouled up & wants a temp fix.

How`s the tiller
 
Thanks everyone. Based in the recommendations the plan is to close the fitting, leave a foot or so of flex pipe, stuff an old rag down then fill up with grease and stick a bung in and tape up. Proper fit and forget :)
 
sailorman said:
Yes Yes Yes
re read the OPs post he is launching this week, all antifouled up & wants a temp fix.
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Well, he wants a blanking plug then, doesn't he ? Like I linked in my post...

...<DRC>

sailorman said:
How`s the tiller.
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Coming along. I've scraped it all over once but in daylight you can still see there's a fair amount of the old varnish left on. I will try again with more attention the still varnished areas then sand it with my orbital sander. I have decided on Le Tonkinoise and have received two half litre tins so I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Boo2
 
sailorman said:
bung & jubilee clip would be better
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I'm going to go crazy and use two.

alahol2 said:
Belt and braces would be to shove a bung in from the outside too.
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I thought about that but part if it would protrude outwards and that might slow the Kipper down. Less importantly it's on the forward strop line and if the strop goes over it, the force might push the hull fitting through the boat!
 
Years ago I slightly overtightened the keeper plate on a Blakes seacock (finger-tight). Had to haul out and wack the cone out with a sledgehammer, so I second this as a safe option. Tighten it with a spanner and it'll never come out - NEVER.

Rob.
 
sailorman said:
i have an "Elanco" skin fitting blanked off with a compression blanking cap
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So does the Elanco just happen to have an outlet spigot that fits a copper olive? And what size? I would think that the spigots on my old Blakes seacocks were much bigger than any standard domestic copper tube like you'd find in B&Q. Not that an olive would seal to them anyway, as they're corrugated to make a better grip on the hose, and the olive is designed to seal onto smooth tube.

Pete
 
Lazy Kipper said:
This winter we re-routed the forward sink drain and don't have time before launch to remove the old blakes through hull fitting. We can close off the valve and plug the hose that's on it but for a belt and braces before we come out of the water again next September, is there a way of plugging it from the outside?
Click to expand...

prv said:
So does the Elanco just happen to have an outlet spigot that fits a copper olive? And what size? I would think that the spigots on my old Blakes seacocks were much bigger than any standard domestic copper tube like you'd find in B&Q. Not that an olive would seal to them anyway, as they're corrugated to make a better grip on the hose, and the olive is designed to seal onto smooth tube.

Pete
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cant remember i done it 15 yrs ago, the skin fitting is a nominal 3/4"

Elancoseal-cutaway.gif
 
rob2 said:
Years ago I slightly overtightened the keeper plate on a Blakes seacock (finger-tight). Had to haul out and wack the cone out with a sledgehammer, so I second this as a safe option. Tighten it with a spanner and it'll never come out - NEVER.

Rob.
Click to expand...

We'd never had seacocks before so when we bought LK, SWMBO asked how to service one. No idea says I but make sure it's done up tight. It took the yard an hour and a half to release the cone. We did them a bit looser after that.
 
One of the seacocks for the sea toilet I removed (replaced with Porta Potti) is a Blakes. I closed it, removed all the pipe, tapped in a sotwood bung & removed the handle (which is safely stored)...
 
sailorman said:
It is not actually "under water" is it.
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It is from an electrolysis point of view if the plug has seawater in contact with it (shouldn't have if the seacock is working properly!)

The fact that it is inside is irrelevant, there could still be action through seawater (the electrolyte) and the two dissimilar metals.

FWIW, i've got a 'spare' seacock too... its closed, fitted with a pipe with a bung, and hoseclipped.... works for me... and i'm paranoid after nearly sinking her last year after a hose failure!
 
Phoenix of Hamble said:
It is from an electrolysis point of view if the plug has seawater in contact with it (shouldn't have if the seacock is working properly!)

The fact that it is inside is irrelevant, there could still be action through seawater (the electrolyte) and the two dissimilar metals.

FWIW, i've got a 'spare' seacock too... its closed, fitted with a pipe with a bung, and hoseclipped.... works for me... and i'm paranoid after nearly sinking her last year after a hose failure!
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Little different to new AWBs & their manky 5 year lifetime fittings is it
 
The Kipper's are all Blakes 1979 originals and still looking good. We started with 9 and already we're down to 7 with two more to come out next autumn.
 
A few replies talking about a short length of pipe so I thought I should say a long bit of pipe above waterline is better because even if the bung and the sea cock fail it still won't flood :) Obviously you'd need room but if you're bodging for a season then may as well put up with the mess.
 
Boo2 said:
... the preferred method is to file or grind out the hull inside and out with a 12:1 conical taper (ie width is 12 times the GF thickness) then lay up GF inside and out so the plug formed is self-bonded and cannot fall out even if it does not stick to the hull's older layup. Process is described in the West Systems book which is a free download on their website...
Click to expand...

Got a link or title for the book you are referring to, there are loads!
 
lustyd said:
A few replies talking about a short length of pipe so I thought I should say a long bit of pipe above waterline is better because even if the bung and the sea cock fail it still won't flood :) Obviously you'd need room but if you're bodging for a season then may as well put up with the mess.
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If the seacock opens itself, the bung falls out and the waterproof grease is dissolved by the seawater then I figure that even having a pipe above the waterline won't be enough!
 
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