Revive skin fittings prior to coppercoat?

[Sea Change]

Our boat is currently sporting the last remnants of a coppercoat job applied back in about 2008. Definitely time to renew.

I'd like to pull all the valves and skin fittings while we're hauled out, for inspection and replacement as necessary.

Which leads to a question: should I reinstall the skin fittings before or after I do the new layer of coppercoat? It seems like it would be neater to do CC first, but is it safer to bed the fittings directly against the gelcoat and then apply CC around them?

Am I, as usual, overthinking this??

 

[Tranona]

Refit after coating. I expect many of your seacocks will be Blakes which really do not need removing, particularly as replacement bolts are so expensive. Just service in situ. Skin fittings are a different matter and if original are probably bronze, but if you want to change the valves you will probably disturb the seal as you remove them so dismantle clean and re-use.

 

[Sea Change]

Refit after coating. I expect many of your seacocks will be Blakes which really do not need removing, particularly as replacement bolts are so expensive. Just service in situ. Skin fittings are a different matter and if original are probably bronze, but if you want to change the valves you will probably disturb the seal as you remove them so dismantle clean and re-use.

Thanks. They're all ball valves. I may switch to Marelon ones, they're cheaper out here than bronze. Or I may just reuse if they look ok.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks. They're all ball valves. I may switch to Marelon ones, they're cheaper out here than bronze. Or I may just reuse if they look ok.

Much the same as bronze here but 40% more expensive than DZR. 1 1/2" Forespar £110, Bronze £104 DZR £72. If your old ones are bronze then should not need replacing but they may be brass if they are not original.