Sea cocks advice please

[c_j]

A routine check yesterday found the sea cock for the starboard engine has seized in the open position. I cannot budge it by hand but am uneasy about putting leverage on the handle because I dont want to break it or even worse break the valve and the boat to sink on its berth! I did think of taking off the handle and putting a spanner directly on to the valve but again what am I letting myself in for? A suggestion was made to me to get a wooden bung for emergency use if the feed pipe broke, and then just carry on until next time out of water.

Any experience anyone, would you go for it or wait?
Or even lift out and fix it?


<hr width=100% size=1>CJ
chris@stone.uk.com


<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.stone.uk.com>http://www.stone.uk.com</A>

 

[longjohnsilver]

My main concern Chris would be the state of the skin fitting. If it's all ok then not too much of a problem, just get your bung and carry on. Presume you looked at it during the winter, and the rest of the seacock is ok. Also carefully check the jubilee clips and pipe coming from the seacock, cos if that splits.........................

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[DepSol]

Chris
can you dry out somewhere at the weekend? Can a boat your size indeed dry out? If so buy a spare sea cock then dry out and try it. I had same trouble with mine and had a bung ready. I put slow and even pressure on it and managed to crush the barnacles inside it and free it up. Lost the skin off the top of my knuckles doing it tho. . Now I check it fortnightly by moving it back and forth.

If yours breaks then re-plumb in a new one whilst dried out.

Good luck.


<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

2003 is going to be a good year for me

 

[Guest]

You have a nice boat there, I would certainly have it seen to sooner rather than later. should be able to have done if pre prepared in a lift & hold situation. have it done for peace of mind alone out of the water please.

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[ccscott49]

Dry her out on some nice sandy beach and do it properly!! Don't mess aroiund with seized seacocks, when the boat is afloat, what if it breaks off? Do it right, and do it right now!!

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[tcm]

Re: drying out in a t48?

ooh this ain't an option, it's a 50 foot planing boat.

ljs is right, dodgy to risk not having the lift available, and i had summink like this. We got everything ready with dirty big spanner extension on the valve handle, slings around and just befoe the lift i had a big go at the valve, and it opened with no probs. And the lifty peeps didn't charge at all, quite good really.

as depsol says, the wassernames need opening and shutting. Stuart says every time you catch sight of them you should open and shuttem.

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[andy_wilson]

If it's a proper seacock get some Blakes seacock grease (or Keenol) in a good quality grease gun with an extension hose and give it half a dozen hands-full first to see if that breaks the bond.

If it's a ball-valve type get the spanner on it. They are always made of monkey metal so the shaft will be the first bit to give. Just ensure you don't shut it completely until you are sure you have got it free otherwise you may well be hauling out to change it unless you can do without that engine for the season.

Strange isn'ti it, how they seize despite operating all skin fittings several times at the start and end of each period aboard.

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[Guest]

Strangely enough I've got exactly the same problem at the moment. Aft heads outlet seacock seems to have sheered inside somewhere in a semi-closed position - I've wired the thing up so that the spindle can't pop out and ruin my day. From a visual inspection during the lay-up it looked okay, it is regularly opened and closed and I have never needed to apply excessive force. I just went to close it recently and it kept on turning! Could it be electrolytic corrosion?

Anyway, my engineer has offered to change the offending seacock in the water - a scary-sounding exercise that he has carried out successfully before. Bit like swapping out the log impeller, only a tad bigger!

I fitted lever-action ball-valve sea cocks to my previous (sterndrive) boat, but I'd deferred replacements on this one because at the last count there are nine of the buggers! It will be a priority next winter however.

ce la vie

Nigel

<hr width=100% size=1>Medway Motor Yacht Club
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[ccscott49]

When you do replace them, there are some italian made ones, with stainless handles, I'll try and find out the name and who stocks them for you, they are far better quality and I've had no trouble with them, I don't use them as seacocks, as all mine are blakes, but I do use them with seawater and they have been fine over three years.

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[c_j]

Thanks for all the advice. I am going to get the valve and get a lift and hold and change it. The idea of running around all summer unable to close it is too much.
My new regime will check them every time in the engine room (twice a day )

Thanks again.

<hr width=100% size=1>CJ
chris@stone.uk.com


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