Replacing a seacock whilst afloat: too good to be true?

Neat, but in what circumstances could you use it. Most sea cock failures involve jamming usually shut or half open or complete shearing off which, when it happened to me, involved a wooden bung a hammer and a rapid move to a quayside to dry out for the replacement.
 
At least 2 things wrong with that ...

1) The tail never comes off that easily
2) The seacock never unscrews from the skin fitting that easily

and then there's the question of why you're replacing the seacock in the first place ...

But it's a neat and simple product that has a place in a mechanics toolbox - not sure I'd bother with one (if I still had a big boat)
 
Too easy by far !

Most involves a lot of lost skin & swearing,in a much more confined space.

Getting that hose off is never like that, or removing the seacock itself, they are always in a deep hole, locked solid, where it is impossible to get a spanner on & you can never get in a position to apply the neccesary force without doing yourself a michief.

And, that is if the through hull is good, if it shears off, would that gadget survive a trip to the boatyard ?

But, a good idea, I normally use my foot ...
 
Got the tee shirt, did the engine gate valve after it was turned off by a n other & sheared off the spindle thread.
replaced with a ball type, all gear to hand inc tapered s/w bung that was used once the defective cock was removed, then clean up the skin fitting thread, sealant & fit new, took a Ltr of water o/b total
 
I changed three sea cocks while in the water using a bundled towel and wooden bungs, probably took on about a couple of litres a cock, but it was a high anxiety project...anything to save the cost of a lift out.

Those widgets do look pretty handy though.

A bit like tension gauges, would be an ideal cooperative purchase.
 
Same thoughts. Having changed a few valves and fittings, regularly the valve does not let go of the fitting without it turning or unsealing in some way. And, even if it does come away without breaking the seal, when the new one goes on, it is very easy when seating the new valve on the thread to twist that bit too hard and dislodge the fitting that way - maybe a Pro might not if he does it all the time, but it could happen. Having said all that, its a nifty device.
 
Only done it once on the Berwick. Raw water seacock (gate valve) failed closed on the mooring. SWMBO was not a happy bunny and looked ready to leap into the dinghy. Not much more water came in than when removing the log but, had it failed open, wouldn't have been as easy.
 
It also assumes that the outside of the thru-hull and the hull around it are reasonably smooth - a mussel stuck to the thru-hull would stop it working altogether and any roughage would make it leak. It looks like something to buy when you have a simple change and when you've checked that the hull is reasonably clean, especially since the web site says the rubber only has a 4 year shelf-life.
 
I serviced one of my 3 piece ball valve sea cocks by sending a diver down to hammer a wooden bung in from the outside. When I took the valve apart I was very surprised at the amount of water that came in.

Found out after the job was finished the diver had hammered the bung into the wrong skin fitting.

If you want to job done properly do it your self.
 
I've done it quite a few times, including once right in the middle of the Atlantic. A tip: first off, try tightening the seacock very slightly by tapping with hammer and chisel. This is the best way for breaking the grip of the seacock on the skin-fitting, rather than the grip of the skin-fitting on the hull. If the skin-fitting then moves, forget it, you'll need a lift-out.
 
Rogershaw said:
I serviced one of my 3 piece ball valve sea cocks by sending a diver down to hammer a wooden bung in from the outside. When I took the valve apart I was very surprised at the amount of water that came in.

Found out after the job was finished the diver had hammered the bung into the wrong skin fitting.

If you want to job done properly do it your self.
Click to expand...

LOL!
Why does that remind me of "Only Fools And Horses" and removing the chandelier?

 
Had to do it once (with my son) when the sphere detached from the spindle of a globe valve on he cooling water intake. We removed the hose by cutting it off. Wooden taper plug of the correct size to hand I unscrewed the valve body. Water starts to seep in when there are two or three threads left. Unscrewed the rest of the way using left hand with the plug in my right. Quick insertion of plug when valve removed. Wallop with soft-head hammer stopped the water. Clean threads with stiff toothbrush. Tricky bit is to wind new PTFE tape around the cleaned treads. Any water tends to curl the tape into string.

Reversing previous method the plug was removed and the new valve - in open position - threaded on fur two or three turns. The valve then closed and the body tightened firmly.

The new valve is threaded in the 'open' position so that the water can enter freely without displacing the valve before it is threaded.

I had no qualms about the skin fitting becoming dislodged because on the Centurion these are moulded into the hull and not bolted.

The gadget could not have been used because the spindle had sheared off in the 'closed' position. A bung could not be inserted from the outside because there is a grill over the intake; this also would prevent the use of the gadget shown in the video.

During the whole operation of removal and replacement less than two glassfuls of water came in. It was a 1/2" BSP valve.

No big deal.
 
Changed one for our syndicate in the water about nine years ago. Head outlet-ARGH!-pretty $H1tty job!

The handle rotated but the ball did not turn. I was fortunate that the tail/seacock thread was free.

Unscrewed the old one-jammed shut remember-had the new one to hand-in the open position, so the incoming water ran through it, and screwed it on. Once on a couple of threads it was turned off, then fully tightened. About 3 litres or water came in-soon cleared with a bucket and sponge. A bung, hammer and high volume pump were all to hand, but were not required.

Simples.
 
Rogershaw said:
I serviced one of my 3 piece ball valve sea cocks by sending a diver down to hammer a wooden bung in from the outside. When I took the valve apart I was very surprised at the amount of water that came in.

Found out after the job was finished the diver had hammered the bung into the wrong skin fitting.

If you want to job done properly do it your self.
Click to expand...

:D
 
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