Drying out on a slope

[thomashoebus]

I need to replace a seacock. Instead of hauling the boat out off the water i want to dry out.

I did it already 2 times with my boat oceanis 440 but that was on a level slope. On a level slope the boat definitely heels aft. I stop this by firmely securing the lines aft and fore to land. I have no idea if the the boat would sit on her rudder with loose aft lines.

The places with no slopes around here are not available anymore. Now there is a wall where i can dry out but it is on a slipway. Has anybody experience with this? Should i Move in with bow first or stern? Because I think moving in bow first would make the boat even heel more aft.

thanks for advice

 

[Kelpie]

Hmm, sounds a bit dodgy- if you backed onto the slope surely you would damage the rudder?

 

[LadyInBed]

What sort of keel do you have, is it a 'bulb keel with winglets'?

Drying out against a wall should make life easier as you should be able to control your fore / aft elevation with bow and stern lines up the wall to bollards / rings or whatever they have at the top.

 

[William_H]

Fore and aft trim standing on fin keel

This is a real concern as many boats are really stern heavy despite the fine keel being angled backwards to reduce this effect. At least you are aware and concerned. Holding the stern up with lines seems a bit dodgy for anything but slight stern heavy on a small boat. You would need something like an ACRO prop under the stern but that would be dodgy if the boat is leaning to one side. A box frame (Scafolding ) that can be sat under the stern would seem to be the best arrangement to keep the boat level fore and aft even if it does lean into the wall. Or perhaps just spend the money and lift out to a proper cradle.
If you do ground on a slope (ramp) then t go in bow first will exacerbate the tip backwards as the weight will be on the front of the keel. Go in stern first will pt the weight on the back of the keel so help to balance it. But as i said very dodgy. good luck olewill

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

How deep underwater is the seacock? Is it readily accessible? I recently changed the seawater cooling intake on my Centurion 32 while afloat. Less than half a litre of water came in. It is a normal 1/2" ball valve and the old one had the lever snap off leaving the sphere in the closed position. If you plan your work well and have everything to hand it should not be a problem. You'll need a spanner, thread tape, old toothbrush, wooden taper plug and the new replacement valve in the 'open' position. If you decide to try it, here is how it is done:

Disconnect any pipes from the hose tail.
Loosen old valve with the spanner
Water will only start to trickle in when there are still two or three turns left.
Remove the valve and immediately plug the fitting with the taper plug.
Some water will still trickle in but it is only a minute amount. If necessary tap the plug lightly to keep it firm.
With the old toothbrush clean any residual muck from the threads of the fitting.
Wrap three or four turns of PTFE thread tape around the threads of the fitting. This can be a bit tricky as the tape tends to curl up into a string upon contact with water.
Remove the taper plug and place the new valve in position. This being 'open' allows the water to flow through it rather than push it away.
Once you have threaded the new valve through three turns you can safely close it to stop the flow.
Tighten as normal and use the spanner for the final nip.
You can then either take a short break (to recover) or else proceed to replace the hose tail and the hose.

Job done!

Really, it probably takes longer to describe than to actually do it.

 

[Reptile Smile]

Puffthemagicdragon = ferrous cojones

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Puffthemagicdragon = ferrous cojones

Not much different from withdrawing the sender unit for the echo sounder or the log impeller for cleaning. The bore is also much narrower. The key lies in knowing exactly what to do and keeping calm. If I can do it at age 65 I don't see why others cannot.

 

[Vara]

I did exactly as Puff describes for changing my heads inlet cock.

Didn't use PTFE but some gungeite (Fernox LS-X) from plumbers merchant to seal.

Went very well with very little water entering boat. The crucial thing is to avoid disturbing the skin fitting.