Sea cock torture!

[Sans Bateau]

Like everyone (I suspect) before the boat is relaunced, I check all the seacocks. They are not the Blakes type, so dont need any stripping down, lapping and greasing, they are all stainless ball valves. So what can you do? Check the operation of them? Have a look from below to see if the ball is there? What else?

Well in future I will dismantle the lever, take out the spindle and check the square end for wear.

We relaunched the boat on the 21st of April, I shut all the seacocks prior to launching, then once in the water I went around and opened them one by one, checking for leaks, all was OK.

Thursday night was my first night on the boat since relaunch, and the water would not drain away from the heads basin, I tried the dinghy pump, and a suction pump, to clear any blockage, but with no success.

Friday morning I investigated further, and found that when I closed the seacock prior to launching, it must have taken away the very last bit of metal on the end of the spindle, because it was worn away, the final bit, broken off!

OK, it could be worse, it could have been I needed to shut the valve in an emergency, but having to pay out another £145 for a lift, hold and relaunch a week after the official launch hurt.

Oh, and its lucky I did decide to have the boat lifted, the skin fitting was only 10CM below the water line, a pull on a halyard would have dried it. But as bad luck would have it, after 17 years there was no way that the valve was going to separate from the skin fitting, a disk cutter was the only solution, and a new skin fitting as well.

 

[Wansworth]

This is the third tale of seacock problems in the last few days,,,,I dont have a boat let alone a seacock and I am paranoid I going to sink.....

 

[Martin_J]

Odd isn't it.. I had one like that a couple of years ago.. handle turned fully through 90 degrees as expected with a little bit of resistance all the way but like yours, the ball was not moving.. Stuck about 1/3 open... not good on the heads outlet! We really need to check that the shaft that the handle is bolted to turns and not just the handle itself.

Interesting though that your sink outlets are 10cm below waterline. Mine are 10cm above.. a little drafty when the wind blows in!

 

[prv]

Interesting though that your sink outlets are 10cm below waterline. Mine are 10cm above.. a little drafty when the wind blows in!

If my sink outlet was 10cm above the waterline, it would be above the sink

Pete

 

[penfold]

If my sink outlet was 10cm above the waterline, it would be above the sink

Pete

Er, attached to some kind of pump/holding tank I presume?

 

[rhumbunctious]

I just glassed in 8 through hulls, leaving only two, both of which will have 1 1/2" Blakes seacocks (previously installed in the boat, refurbished). I really like the fact that one can easily service and/or plug Blakes even in the water, and with proper care, they last "forever" (current ones are 30 years old and polished up like new).

When you consider things like the cost of an emergency haul-out, not to mention peace of mind, the cost of the Blakes isn't that much, even if you buy new ones.

 

[prv]

Er, attached to some kind of pump/holding tank I presume?

Yep. KS's cabin sole is not much higher than her draught, as there's no separate fin just a layer of scrap iron in the bottom of the boat. She also has fairly low freeboard. The result is that you stand quite deep in the water if you see what I mean. The waterline is somewhere around the bottom of the sink although I haven't measured exactly. It's emptied by a hand pump.

Pete

 

[boathead]

Must be an epidemic!

Like everyone (I suspect) before the boat is relaunced, I check all the seacocks. They are not the Blakes type, so dont need any stripping down, lapping and greasing, they are all stainless ball valves. So what can you do? Check the operation of them? Have a look from below to see if the ball is there? What else?

Well in future I will dismantle the lever, take out the spindle and check the square end for wear.

We relaunched the boat on the 21st of April, I shut all the seacocks prior to launching, then once in the water I went around and opened them one by one, checking for leaks, all was OK.

Thursday night was my first night on the boat since relaunch, and the water would not drain away from the heads basin, I tried the dinghy pump, and a suction pump, to clear any blockage, but with no success.
Friday morning I investigated further, and found that when I closed the seacock prior to launching, it must have taken away the very last bit of metal on the end of the spindle, because it was worn away, the final bit, broken off!

OK, it could be worse, it could have been I needed to shut the valve in an emergency, but having to pay out another £145 for a lift, hold and relaunch a week after the official launch hurt.

Oh, and its lucky I did decide to have the boat lifted, the skin fitting was only 10CM below the water line, a pull on a halyard would have dried it. But as bad luck would have it, after 17 years there was no way that the valve was going to separate from the skin fitting, a disk cutter was the only solution, and a new skin fitting as well.

Lifted back in about 3 weeks ago, I wasn't there but went down following week and 'felt' something was wrong. Stood about looking, thinking and feeling uneasy. She felt wrong underfoot and looked wrong............... wait a moment, sluggish underfoot? waterline mark....... oooooohhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Up to the floorboards, engine compartment like a swimming pool with assault course fitted.
The engine fresh water inlet (ball valve type) was closed as should have been, but it had a fracture and was merrily sinking my boat. I had checked all this before lifting in, just shows how well I checked doesn't it, I felt so, so foolish. One and a half hours of pumping, and mopping, got rid of a weeks water. Then I see the top of the filter chamber is also fractured..... don't say 'frost damage' don't mention 'winterising' please. I do it myself and last year I spent about 9 weeks absolutely frozen into a berth by ice no problems at all, this year out of the water and ..........

I changed ball valve in the water easy enough but got plenty wet for my failings, wife watched, smiling happily as big spout of water appeared to follow every avoiding tactic I could think of to keep blasting into my face as I fitted new valve. LET ALL THIS BE A LESSON TO ME PLEASE.......... DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED, A CURSORY LOOK ISN'T ENOUGH. There are times when I feel that after over 40 years sailing I am still only one step beyond a complete idiot.

At least you folks have an excuse, my situation was caused by my own failings, no excuses, I nearly sunk my boat....... the more I think about it the more it is inexcusable.

Ho Hum!

 

[tidclacy]

Had similar experience in Holland a few years back. Blocked toilet outlet which I could not clear. Decided to take hose off valve to poke through from that end. Could not get hose off so decided to cut just as I started water began to flow in. Ball valve completely gone. quick repair with duck tape and then three days wasted while got lifted out and new valve and loo hose fitted.

I suppose the only way to check is to take hose off valves and inspect or is there a reccommended time when we should automatically replace.


Another problem I had was that although I replace standing rigging at regular intervals forgot completly about the wire on my steering quandrant. Snapped half way across the North Sea, so now always carry spare wire and replace at the same time as my rigging.

 

[greenalien]

Just a quick tip, if you do need to work on seacocks while afloat, a bin bag carefully stretched over the hole (on the outside) can significantly reduce the inflow. As well as the binbag you need 4 lengths of string / cord to keep the corners pulled apart, then just ease it around the hull until it's over the hole. I've used this method when unblocking a heads outlet seacock (Blakes 1 1/2") that needed the central plug/tap removing to clear it.

 

[boathead]

'Man the Liferaft'!

Just a quick tip, if you do need to work on seacocks while afloat, a bin bag carefully stretched over the hole (on the outside) can significantly reduce the inflow. As well as the binbag you need 4 lengths of string / cord to keep the corners pulled apart, then just ease it around the hull until it's over the hole. I've used this method when unblocking a heads outlet seacock (Blakes 1 1/2") that needed the central plug/tap removing to clear it.

It was alovely sunny day, all bits to hand to replace the ball valve,"I'll put two lines over the stern, we'll lead them under the rudder, past the prop, no problems, then that nice square of tarpailin tied by its corners, that'll stop the water coming in...." She (wife) looked at me and offered one of my many soft wood plugs and pointed to the drysuit and smiled threateningly. "By the time you've got the lines to sink low enough to clear the rudder you could have gone down and put this in." She waved the wooden plug. Over went the first line, bubbles of air lazily rose upwards, fifteen minutes later one line in place, wife waving tarpaulin which was stiff as a board I gave up, and told her in no uncertain terms that I would "wipe the smile off your face". The rest is history, lovely water spout, comprehensively wet but triumphant except wife now laughing and me drenched.

What 'Greenalien' says is true of course, but the demon impatience and pride got in my way, if I'm sinking off Orkney holed at the bow then I'll wave the piece of tarpaulin at the wife and say, "Revenge is sweet my dear"

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Often thought that a pal has the ideal set up. His boat ios a Yank design ( Freedom 39 schooner) and was fitted from new with marelon re-inforced nylon fittings. Tough as old boots, no risk of electrolysis and never need servicing but satill operate easily. Ideal.

 

[snooks]

Yachting Monthly has a big story about the corrosion of seacocks in the June 2011 issue out soon. Turns out some seacocks sold in chandleries are a type of brass not bronze. If they are brass they'll corrode in time. I haven't read all of it as mine are either Blakes or bronze.

 

[blackbeard]

June 2011 YM article on seacocks and skin fittings

Yachting Monthly has a big story about the corrosion of seacocks in the June 2011 issue out soon. .....

Makes interesting reading. Brass may be de-zincification resistant (DZR) -or not. If not, will be OK in fresh water plumbing ... might last 5 years in a boat. Maybe.
But, just how much of a problem is it? YM has a photo of a yacht, or rather, just the top of its mast ... but how many readers have had a boat sink, or come close to sinking, due to corroded seacocks? How big a risk is it, compared to (say) having a boat with good seacocks but neglecting to close them?