Skin fitting - replace or keep?

[MikeBz]

It’s looking a bit pinkish near the top, but that could just be from the seacock that came off it.

 

[chris-s]

Well, you’ve already questioned it yourself! Will it now be in the back of your mind when you are back in the water? If so, you might as well change it now for more of mind. They aren’t expensive.

 

[Sea Change]

It's your choice... doesn't look very pink to me though. I replaced some very old fittings on my first boat and they were considerably worse than that. So it was an easy decision.

Hopefully Vyv Cox will along to answer, he knows about this stuff.

 

[MikeBz]

Well, you’ve already questioned it yourself! Will it now be in the back of your mind when you are back in the water? If so, you might as well change it now for more of mind. They aren’t expensive.

Yes that is my default thought process to be honest, but I thought it would be worth getting some feedback here.

 

[Tranona]

No sign of dezincification and having seen your photos of what was attached to them, almost certainly bronze so no reason to change them. Just attach new bronze or DZR valves.

 

[Clancy Moped]

If in doubt it will be on the back of your mind.......

 

[john_morris_uk]

Personally I think it looks absolutely fine. There’s no pinkness there enough to worry about IMHO. Of course if you’re the worrying sort, then replace it, but I’m not sure you’ll be making anything safer.

If you’re really not sure, put an old fitting on it and give it a healthy tap with a hammer. (The old fitting to preserve the threads.)

 

[Thistle]

See Dodged a Bullet? The skin fittings looked fine but ... .

Your choice.

 

[Tranona]

See Dodged a Bullet? The skin fittings looked fine but ... .

Your choice.

But that is a dezincified brass fitting NOT bronze. I would guess that the OP's skin fittings have been in the boat for 30-40 years (hope he will advise) with no indication of dezincification, almost certainly because they are bronze which was what was used for the type of inlet strainer when the boat was built.

While it is good for YM to show this sort of example it is far better to explain what it is actually showing rather than leaving readers to guess. However I have given up on trying to get them to be more accurate when they write on this subject.

 

[ridgy]

While new fittings are not that expensive it can be a bitch of a job if you have to start grinding them off from the outside. That said I tackled it last year and now gain comfort looking at my lovely tru design fittings and knowing I never need to think about it again.

 

[Stemar]

I give my through hulls a good welt with a rubber mallet. If they survive, they're good for the next year.

In the great tradition of safety stickers telling you where not to insert a fuel filler - do this while out of the water, and not between tides!

 

[MikeBz]

… I would guess that the OP's skin fittings have been in the boat for 30-40 years (hope he will advise)….

Yes I’m pretty sure that’s the case. The boat is a 1993 Bowman. I can’t prove that the skin fittings have never been replaced with cheap crap but knowing what I do about the fastidiousness and “belt-and-braces” approach of the original owner (‘93 to ‘21) I think that just wouldn’t have happened. Seacocks in heads are all original Blakes.

Thankyou all for your comments.

 

[ctva]

Did you see this thread...

Eek! Quality Seacock fittings on a Jeanneau...

 

[vyv_cox]

That fitting is perfectly good. It is quite normal to see some copper colour in the threads of fittings but that is far removed from dezincification.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I give my through hulls a good welt with a rubber mallet. If they survive, they're good for the next year.

That is what I do and our safety authority also advise to do that but while the boat is in the water. Which is crazy to me

In the great tradition of safety stickers telling you where not to insert a fuel filler - do this while out of the water, and not between tides!

This is the safest approach not what our safety authority advise

 

[MikeBz]

Did you see this thread...

Eek! Quality Seacock fittings on a Jeanneau...

Yes - I read that when we bought our last boat (2003 Jeanneau) in 2014. I had all the skin fittings and seacocks replaced with bronze and DZR respectively since the originals could well have been brass.

 

[Stemar]

My moment:



Fortunately it happened while I was out of the water and putting a spanner to it to get it off, but it would literally have come away in my hand the handle had been there and I'd made a determined effort to move it.

 

[ridgy]

My moment:

Fortunately it happened while I was out of the water and putting a spanner to it to get it off, but it would literally have come away in my hand the handle had been there and I'd made a determined effort to move it.

Were you surprised, looking at the rest of it?
I assume you had just bought this boat and were refitting it...who in their right mind would take that thing to sea.
If the previous owner had entertained that then what does the rest of the boat look like?

 

[Stemar]

I assume you had just bought this boat and were refitting it...who in their right mind would take that thing to sea.

Not too surprised, but definitely a "gulp" moment.

Your assumption is correct. The previous owner was in his eighties and I knew the boat had "deferred maintenance", but I think I got her at an appropriate price.

It might have been a good thing that I was aware that the standing rigging was original from 1984, so wasn't going to put the sails up until it was renewed. Covid meant supply issues for the wire, so we didn't go anywhere until liftout that winter.