Grease nipple on Blakes seacock?

[eddystone]

After the usual battle servicing seacocks placed where humans don’t fit noticed the toilet outlet one has what looks suspiciously like a grease nipple - can’t believe I’ve not noticed that in 5 years - how come all Blake’s don’t have these? It’s the only one out of 5 on my boat.
Don’t think I’ll use though because at least taking them apart , and they are around 30 years old, you get to check for corrosion unlike the ball valves which could be about to fall out for all I know.

 

[VicS]

After the usual battle servicing seacocks placed where humans don’t fit noticed the toilet outlet one has what looks suspiciously like a grease nipple - can’t believe I’ve not noticed that in 5 years - how come all Blake’s don’t have these? It’s the only one out of 5 on my boat.
Don’t think I’ll use though because at least taking them apart , and they are around 30 years old, you get to check for corrosion unlike the ball valves which could be about to fall out for all I know.

Grease nipples on Blakes' sea cocks is a relatively new idea ( well new ish) Maybe dates from around the time they changed from being bronze to DZR ? Either your boat was built about then or one has been replaced.

(before anyone asks... no you cannot retro fit them)

 

[macd]

...how come all Blake’s don’t have these?

Before a certain date (buried in the mists of the last millenium) none of them did. Then they all did. Such is the white heat of development at Blakes.

Maybe dates from around the time they changed from being bronze to DZR ?

Judgling by my old Rival (DZR, no grease points), I'm pretty sure that wasn't at the same time, Vic. Besides, two giant technological leaps would surely have laid the Blakes board low with a rash of coronaries.

 

[Tranona]

Think the addition of the greaser was this century's revolution. The one I fitted around 2004 has one and think it was recent development then. Bit OTT in my view. Even my Morgan built that date has only a very small number of greasers - although actually it is a good idea on the Blakes if taking the plug out once a year to clean and grease taxes you and you can actually reach the greaser with the gun.

 

[macd]

Think the addition of the greaser was this century's revolution.

I stand corrected. (Happily so: it beats contorting into a rabbit hole to service them.)

 

[Praxinoscope]

I replaced the seacocks on my previous boat in 1998 with Blake’s and they had grease nipples, a great improvement. My current boat, built in 1981, still has the old non- nipple type but as they are still good and functioning I’ll live with them.

 

[eddystone]

I take it from the tone of the replies that Blake’s was not quite what Harold Wilson had in mind in his “white heat of technology” speech in 1963?

 

[Tranona]

I take it from the tone of the replies that Blake’s was not quite what Harold Wilson had in mind in his “white heat of technology” speech in 1963?

No, just that an almost perfect product does not need change, so more a homage to that.