Through hull wooden plugs

[Roberto]

I was replacing the engine raw water intake hose and happened to check if the textbook wood safety plug could be of some use.

I found that for each seacock I would need three plugs /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif : one suitable for the hose diameter, another one suitable for the seacock, and maybe a third one in case the through hull fitting was popped out (as sometimes described as an effect of lightning stike).
The three diameters are so different that despite having a couple of dozen cones it was impossible to find an appropriate single one; the required taper for the three diameters would ask for an unpractically long plug, or a useless blunt one

So, which is in your opinion the safest approach ? Which of the three potential failures should be protected first ? A split hose, a broken seacock or a broken through hull ? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif


thanks

 

[stevebrassett]

Why do you need one for the hose diameter? If the hose splits, then you would need to cut across it to block it with a plug, so you could cut it across the end of the seacock fitting and then plug that. Then you would only need two sizes - the seacock size and the through hull size. Then you would need to decide if you want to plug the actual through hull fitting itself (if, say the seacock broke off near the hull), or the hole in the hull (if the through hull fitting itself broke up).

Personally I would (and have) gone for blocking the seacock itself.

 

[snowleopard]

If you really want belt and braces, get a friendly wood turner to produce a bung with a series of steps to cope with all your needs.

I turned all my own bungs to suit the different sizes of through-hulls on my boat.

 

[Malcb]

Surely, if the hose splits then you just shut the sea-cock, assuming that they are checked and work. Therefore you just need two; the most likely failure, I would have thought, would be the seacock coming off the through hull fitting, for what ever reason. In the event of a lightning strike then you may be in the realms of holes too big for wooden bungs.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Or alternatively, tie an appropriate one to the seacock for the failure of the valve... (IMHO, the most likely) and then keep a series of them, appropriately sized (and in my case marked up in permanent pen) for the through hulls in a central, easy access location... I found that several through hulls were the same size, so rather than buy a load the same, I bought a couple and keep them ready to hand....

 

[Sheff]

[ QUOTE ]
Why do you need one for the hose diameter? If the hose splits, then you would need to cut across it to block it with a plug, so you could cut it across the end of the seacock fitting and then plug that.

[/ QUOTE ]

If a hose splits pleeaasse don't cut through it, the increase in water ingress will make your eyebrows curl.......... literally! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just apply duck/gaffer tape round the pipe and live with any seepage until you are tied up safe and sound.

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[Roberto]

thank you all for the interesting suggestions !


cheers /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Turning your own plugs

Which wood should be used for making plugs? "Softwood" covers a multitude of sins.
I have assumed that balsa isn't on the list

 

[Roberto]

Re: Turning your own plugs

I tested two different kinds of wood by firmly pushing them by hand into the metal body of the seacock: one bung wood was somewhat "marked" by the metal body and was waterproof, the other one instead was of harder wood and to be made completely waterproof I would have needed a hammer, not the most convenient thing to use if the seacock is hidden at the bottom of a locker or under the engine..

I reckon the proper wood is one you can "mark" with your nail

 

[stevebrassett]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why do you need one for the hose diameter? If the hose splits, then you would need to cut across it to block it with a plug, so you could cut it across the end of the seacock fitting and then plug that.

[/ QUOTE ]

If a hose splits pleeaasse don't cut through it, the increase in water ingress will make your eyebrows curl.......... literally! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif



[/ QUOTE ]

Good point - even more reason not to have a plug hose-sized.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

FWIW.
Whenever I use silicone sealant I always seem to have part of a cartridge left, and this invariably goes off leaving a useless solid lump. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
NOT so useless if one thinks about it /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I slit the plastic case of the cartridge with a craft knife and keep the slug of solidified silicone on board for use as an emergency bung.
It is soft enough to force into an opening, yet firm enough to stay put. Easily cut to a smaller diameter and easily padded with a towel for forcing into larger openings.

 

[pvb]

Now that is a PBO answer!

That's an answer in the true spirit of PBO. If there was a PBO equivalent of the Blue Peter badge, I'm sure you'd get one! (But you'll probably have to settle for the old "reward in heaven" excuse).

 

[boguing]

Re: Turning your own plugs

True story.

We built a one-off racer at a yard that I ran. Asked one of the chaps to make a set of plugs to suit. He made a beautiful job of them, holes drilled in the tops for lanyards which were made of thin multiplait. Gorgeous - but teak.

Aktcherly, I reckon balsa would be better than softwoods.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Re: Now that is a PBO answer!

[ QUOTE ]
That's an answer in the true spirit of PBO.

[/ QUOTE ]

Glad someone likes the idea, PVB! Can't really expect PBO to reward every idea unfortunately (though it <u>would</u> be rather nice if they did) /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I believe that nowadays the original PBO spirit of the early years (60's) is somewhat lacking. Instances when somebody would write to tell how he had bought some Tufnol mouldings from Thomas Ffoulkes and cut them up to make cleats remain very vivid in my memory.
Some people would say that standards are much higher now; I sometimes think, however, that there is more money around than there is seamanship!
I'm probably wrong of course (invoking old age /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif) but I still believe that actually <u>making</u> things for my boat is a good part of the attraction.

 

[pvb]

Re: Now that is a PBO answer!

Remember the Thomas Foulkes catalogues? They had a "rogues gallery" of grim pics of their staff - I always found it difficult recognising anyone from their pic! But maybe my brain was fuzzy from the noise of the trains going over!