Dodgy through hull picture - should I panic?

[westhinder]

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Sorry for being late in keeping up, there is this dreadful thing called work that gets in the way of my sailing ambitions! Anyway, here is a photographic update. I've been down in the bilge with a wire brush and a camera and have taken a close up picture after the clean up, see below.

And thanks for all of your interest and comment, it helps in making the decision to replace or not. I have in my mind a plan to replace all through hull fittings and attendant valves but am not finally decided. Having done the clean up exercise on this particular valve I'm feeling less inclined as it looks in good shape to me. Any thoughts on that?

And to answer a few of the questions above:

1) The boat is a Nauticat 39
2) She is eighteen years in commission
3) Afloat until Easter then out for hull blast and potentially seacock change
4) Away sailing for whole of next summer so keen that any issues like this are resolved

I have been in contact with the manufacturer of the valves (this type now discontinued) and he states that the valve is brass. However I am finding that a little odd given Vyv's comments above and also Nauticat reported to me that the valves were "something like saltwater resistant brass" which points to DZR. There is also the language issue as both aforementioned companies are Finnish so there is some detail lost in the translation.

Thanks again for all your input here is the photo:
]

To me that looks as sound as the day it was installed. But do not take my word for it, I'm not in that field of business. I will be interested to read what Vyv Cox thinks of this.
Happy New Year and good sailing!

 

[omega2]

Nothing there to worry about, the first picture i.e the discovery was probably caused by water inboard rather than coming from outboard. Clean the rest of it up and then smarm sikoflex around it.

 

[prv]

Oh, that's a worry, I can see it fine here.

Comes up fine for me. And as I said originally, nowt wrong with the nut at all. Just remains to be seen what the actual fittings are made of.

Pete

 

[prv]

smarm sikoflex around it.

What for?

Pete

 

[nimbusgb]

From that picture there is NOTHING wrong with that fitting. It's been like that since the internal Gelcoat was applied ( in the factory? )

Move on to something else!

 

[ghostlymoron]

dont put any sika on it, that will just make it more difficult to remove in the future and not contribute to the seaworthiness.

 

[Lakesailor]

Looking at your updated pic it looks in excellent condition. The fact that the flowcoat seems to have missed encapsulating it all is probably what gave the opportunity for some dirt and staining to occur.

 

[pyrojames]

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/seacock_primer

Proper seacock.

I can't agree. The whole assembly relies on the maintained strength of 3 bolts of unknown quality. The failure of any 1 of these may lead to catastrophic failure of the fitting. The non-preferred is my preferred on the basis that only severe corrosion of a large portion of corrosion resistant metal (either DZR or bronze) will result in a catastrophic failure.

 

[sarabande]

a picture is worth a thousand words

 

[Spyro]

Oh, that's a worry, I can see it fine here. Here is a direct link to Dropbox: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/64249185/SC closeup.jpg

Rob

Probably something to do with my work's firewall.

 

[GrahamM376]

To me it has a pink tint just above the nut which means it needs changing. Changed all mine to TruDesign composite which, for through hulls seacocks and tails, worked out cheaper than bronze or dzr.

 

[VicS]

To me it has a pink tint just above the nut which means it needs changing. Changed all mine to TruDesign composite which, for through hulls seacocks and tails, worked out cheaper than bronze or dzr.

Leave off!

A pink tint is no worry .

If the OP has any lingering doubt he needs to assess the extent of any zincification on the inside of the fitting. ie where it is in contact with the water.

 

[vyv_cox]

I agree that it all looks to be in good condition externally. I would clean up the external flange to be certain there is nothing serious there.

Thinking on the valve type is as follows: bronze and DZR valves are not normally chromium plated, which suggests that the OP's is one of these. DZR valves are normally marked as such with the CR logo. Bronze is not normally marked but its colour is a clue, it will look quite reddish by comparison with a plumbing compression fitting.

18 years ago there were probably no DZR skin fittings or hose tails. They might be bronze but more likely brass. Again, the colour is a good clue.

 

[Heckler]

Sorry for being late in keeping up, there is this dreadful thing called work that gets in the way of my sailing ambitions! Anyway, here is a photographic update. I've been down in the bilge with a wire brush and a camera and have taken a close up picture after the clean up, see below.

And thanks for all of your interest and comment, it helps in making the decision to replace or not. I have in my mind a plan to replace all through hull fittings and attendant valves but am not finally decided. Having done the clean up exercise on this particular valve I'm feeling less inclined as it looks in good shape to me. Any thoughts on that?

And to answer a few of the questions above:

1) The boat is a Nauticat 39
2) She is eighteen years in commission
3) Afloat until Easter then out for hull blast and potentially seacock change
4) Away sailing for whole of next summer so keen that any issues like this are resolved

I have been in contact with the manufacturer of the valves (this type now discontinued) and he states that the valve is brass. However I am finding that a little odd given Vyv's comments above and also Nauticat reported to me that the valves were "something like saltwater resistant brass" which points to DZR. There is also the language issue as both aforementioned companies are Finnish so there is some detail lost in the translation.

Thanks again for all your input here is the photo:

Looks good to me, hint of pink from slight surface degradation where the gel coat didnt cover. The one I changed on mine was exactly the same but when I sliced with the Dremel was perfect inside.
Now for the da da di da da!
Nylon nut? Nah!
Shouldered nut? Yeh!
Busted nut? Nah!
Rust! Nah!
Does it look OK? Yeh!
Old eyes rule! Yeh!

How many tenners for the RNLI from others?
S

 

[Heckler]

Probably something to do with my work's firewall.

is the word cock stopping it?
S

 

[VicS]

Now for the da da di da da!
Nylon nut? Nah!
Shouldered nut? Yeh!
Busted nut? Nah!
Rust! Nah!
Does it look OK? Yeh!
Old eyes rule! Yeh!

the correct advice was given very early in the thread, long before you joined it.

namely, "I'd take a closer look or take a clearer photo of the area in question."

You should stick to writing magazine articles ....... you have saved me far more than your miserly £10

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>

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I stopped buying the magazine! .......

 

[Heckler]

the correct advice was given very early in the thread, long before you joined it.

namely, "I'd take a closer look or take a clearer photo of the area in question."

You should stick to writing magazine articles ....... you have saved me far more than your miserly £10

>

>

>

I stopped buying the magazine! .......

"It appears that the back nut holding the skin fitting in position may be severely corroded"

"looks like one face of the nut has gone" "thats how some of us see it"

Need I go on?

Now Vic, enough is enough! I kept my new years resolution going for two years!
S

 

[Heckler]

I positioned my camera around the back of a through hull fitting (which I can't physically see the back of) and took this photo - see the circled area. Should I panic?

To bring the thread back to seriousness. I think it has been proved the fitting is ok. Apart from anything else, this isnt an AWB we are talking about and if the manufacturer was relying on the 5 year "get out if jail free" malarky why would it gel coat over the fitting. I think that was put there for the duration!
S

 

[pvb]

You should stick to writing magazine articles ....... you have saved me far more than your miserly £10

>

>

>

I stopped buying the magazine! .......

I stopped buying it too!

 

[VicS]

"It appears that the back nut holding the skin fitting in position may be severely corroded"

"looks like one face of the nut has gone" "thats how some of us see it"

Need I go on?

Now Vic, enough is enough! I kept my new years resolution going for two years!
S

You can go on and on and on in your usual way for as long as you like, I dont give a monkey's. You just become boring in the end

Some saw it as o possible problem som did not..


The best and correct advice was given in #2 and elsewhere, which was to look more closely or take a better photo. Advice which the Op sensibly followed

Yopu can stuff your new year resolutions ...... The forum is a far far better place with you on ignore. Although it would be even better without you.

I though you were in spain ...isn't there a Spanish boating forum yoiu could use?