siezed sea cock

[Guest]

Looking for advice, this weekend I intend to renew the outlet cock on the head of my Westerly 30, which is siezed shut.

I have purchased a new skin fitting and ball valve, I hope to use the existing hole if I can remove the siezed cock. The one fitted (over 30 years ago) seems to be a gate valve, this is or appears to be glassed on the inside of the hull , although on a similar fitting I have seen bolt holes, there do not appear to be any on this one. If anybody has had any experience in removing this type of fitting can they please share any anticipated problems I may encounter.

No wise cracks guys, this job has to be done between tides, "Fingers and Legs Crossed". Thanks in advance.

 

[Strathglass]

If the original fitting has been glasses in then you may need a grinder and small portable generator to drive it. There could well be thro bolts which are countersunk in an external plate then glassed over inside. Arm yourself with the following before you start. Two circular plates of ply with a 10mm central hole, a M10 nut bolt and washers and a tube of mastic. This gives you an out if the tide catches you before you are finished.
Make up a new ply plate for use inside the hull with a hole to match the new fitting. Once you have removed the old fitting and the glassing over its fittings then you can bed in the new ply plate and fitting. I prefer to epoxy all the raw edges but this is difficult between tides. You are fortunate thet it is an older craft which will probably be a solid laminate. It would be a different matter if there was a core. Best of luck with the job.

 

[Guest]

Ian, thanks for advice, sounds pretty good to me.

 

[Guest]

Take a fan heater and a hair dryer to dry out the hull, warm it up a bit and help the epoxy cure before the tide comes in.

Make sure you have some fresh water available to wash away the salt water before drying.

Have a "hoover" ready to take away the dust caused by removing the old fitting.

Try and leave enough time to get a gel coating on and dry (back to the hair dryer) before the tide arrives.

Make sure that if it rains you can keep the area bone dry - and remember that rain can come horizontal when it has a mind! (i.e. take along some plastic sheeting and a few poles to make a small "habitat" if required).

Even on a dry day try and finish the job before 5pm when the dew starts to fall.

Make sure you have a few suitably sized wooden plugs to fill any anticipated hole just in case it's a two-tide job.

Make sure the bilge pump is working and the battery is fully charged.

Get everything ready (tools, equipment and materials) well before the tide starts to fall.

Don't "make do" with a rushed job. If need be plug the hole (and secure it from the inside) and finish the job the next day. (There's nothing worse than sailing with a nagging doubt about something below the waterline!!)

"Hope for the best - but plan for the worst." is not a bad motto when opening up the hull between tides.

Best regards )

Ian D

 

[Guest]

Morrigh, some sound advice has been offered, do you think the zafira will be big enough this weekend???? .
If the tide does catch you, you could "ALWAYS" use some panty liners short term, I have used them in the past and they can be quite effective.

Good luck with the job.

 

[johnt]

Ive read your post twice and Ive read all the replies.........I must be missing something .....I had two gate valves on my boat and they have both been changed for ball valves. Neither required the skin fitting to be touched, they just screwed off and the new one screwed straight onto the fitting...job done in about 5 mins flat ! Ball valves and gate valves usually have a female BSP type thread and are interchangable. Just wrap the male thread in PTFE tape when you refit and you wont have any probs

 

[Guest]

I had a siezed ball valve on my boat and when I tried to remove the valve the skin fitting turned and broke the seal but I still could not get the valve to 'unscrew' off the skin fitting! In the end I had to loosen the nut on the skin fitting so I could puch it down far enough to hacksaw thru the sf! You then need to clean up the hole apply sikaflex, etc, etc

I am glad that my boat was out of the water at the time - there is no way I would risk the worst that can happen by trying to do it between tides but if you have no choice? The suggestion about the plywood was really good advice if you have to do it ... I am not sure where you'd stand with the insurance company if they found out what you did assuming that the worst did happen?

 

[Guest]

John T, thankyou for your reply, however the old gate valve is secretly bolted and glassed to the inside of the hull, there is very little room to move in the head.

The secondhand one that I found in a chandlers is exactly the same as the one I have fitted and did not appear to have any thread on it, I suppose until I uncover the old one I wont know.

 

[Guest]

Sounds like some sound advice padsco, with wings I should "fly" through the job, Nomad Jigsaw will be on hand!!

 

[johnt]

I must confess that some of the things I read on here make me cringe. For a start I cannot for the life of me see why gate valves were ever used on boats, they are notorious for leaking when closed.

And why on earth would anyone want to glass one in... for your own sake, make it removable! you, or someone else, is going to have to change it in a few years , even a ball valve doesnt last for ever !

all it takes is a hole with a ply backing pad bonded in place with flush fitting mounted in it , no screws , no bolts, just the fitting nut tightened properly.

Oh and CHECK THEM FROM TIME TO TIME, you would service a Blakes seacock wouldnt you?..........wouldnt you???

 

[Guest]

First let me say that I do not doubt the veracity of your advice with regard to the effectiveness of panty liners to fill holes in an emergency.

On the other hand let me tell you that I'd sooner let my boat sink than go trawling through Tesco's looking for them!!

I can imagine the conversation now - "Yes your Worship - I was hanging about that aisle but it was all very innocent. I was studying pantyliners because there's this Welsman nicknamed Padsco who says that they're just the thing for blocking two inch holes on boats." This would probably be followed by "Where are you taking me?" and "How long for??" if it was a female Magistrate.

Er ..... just a couple of other questions. How did you discover the marvellous properties of pantyliners? How come you had some on your person when you needed to make the discovery.

I've had a few strange mates in my time but I've never had one that could lay his hands on a supply of pantyliners in the middle of a crisis!!

Best regards ;o))

Ian D

 

[Guest]

I can't make my mind up if Padsco means use the panty liners for the hole in the boat or somewhere upon the person who notices the tide coming in thru the aforementioned hole? I imagine it would be a moving experience?