thru hull

[Tranona]

never understood this

having looked at the valves I am not sure where you expect it to break and where you intend shoving the bung

what the chances of the bung being the correct size

has anyone ever had a valvre failure that requires the successful deployment of a bung

a plastic bag with a sponge inside makes excellent bung and does not require a perfectly round hole

D

Think the wooden bung bit is a hangover from the (distant) past when boats were wood and plumbing was lead pipes. Don't think there is any serious evidence they are used in anger, and there are other devices available that were more effective for holes when tested in the YM boat sinking exercise. However, they are cheap and required by various agencies such as the MCA. As it happens I was checking my safety stuff only yesterday and found my pristine packet of bungs, along with my signalling mirror!

 

[vyv_cox]

As it happens I was checking my safety stuff only yesterday and found my pristine packet of bungs, along with my signalling mirror!

I bought mine in 1988 and they are also still unused in the original bag. However, they have been supplemented with a few wine bottle corks that often prove useful for similar bung jobs and are easily cut or rolled to shape.

 

[PaulMcC]

I had a seacock break off the skin fitting on a 5-6 year old charter boat in Sicily last summer (A Beneteau cyclades.) The bungs provided were all too big (even at the narrow end) to fit in the hole as the skin fitting was still there. Ended up hammering a wine cork in from the outside and breaking it off which worked very well.
Looking at the break it was clear that the threaded tail on the skin fitting had corroded almost all the way through (the corroded surface was bright blue so I expect someone will be able to say what ti was made of). The rough weather that day caused the boat to get a bit of a pounding and the weight of the seacock being thrown up and down had caused the much weakened tail to finally snap off.

 

[prv]

has anyone ever had a valve failure that requires the successful deployment of a bung

Not a valve, but I've been on a boat where the MCA-mandated wooden bung was used to good effect when the log transducer popped out and filled the boat up to the level of the bunks.

I've quite often used the smaller sized bungs in the pack to seal off various hoses - generally temporarily while working on them, but Ariam's holding tank breather pipe has been sealed with a bung and a jubilee clip since we ditched the tank last winter. I should really blank off the skin fitting, but the end of the hose only goes below the waterline when well heeled and I just haven't got round to it.

They took out the urinal in the main men's heads on Stavros, because it didn't work properly when heeled. The old pipe from it has been sealed with a wooden bung and some tape for years now.

Pete

 

[vyv_cox]

I don't suppose a picture of it is amongst your holiday snaps?

 

[PaulMcC]

I took some photos at the time so will check tonight and see what I can find.