Tough enough?

Kelpie

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Isn't part of the reason for using softwood bungs that they will swell up a bit and become a more secure fit?
 

14K478

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Isn't part of the reason for using softwood bungs that they will swell up a bit and become a more secure fit?
Yes, but you still want the bung adjacent to the skin fitting to start with. Looking for them in a cockpit locker while the sea pours in is not ideal!
 

Neeves

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Going back to the original question

We had the same or similar fittings to the one you proposed to use, domestic plumbing. I found the valves 'sticky' not tacky but sticky and often needed a big wrench to get them moving. I don't know if it was the environment, salt water, or whatever (does not matter) but in reality when you want to open or close a valve you want to do it, preferably, NOW! - not when you have found a tool to lever the valve handle round.

We lived with them, as we very seldom needed to close them, but I did break the flange off half of one handle.

Jonathan
 

Gsailor

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In many applications for many reasons you need to think outside the box. Many ideas are outdated its good to explore options. One's thoughts then tend to be focussed and brain storming (call it a forum) is as good a vehicle as any to explore the idea.

I admire people who are willing to test boundaries - that's how we learn and develop. Sadly this idea did not gain much traction - if good and novel ideas came easily ....

Jonathan
Hear hear !


All my boats had bilge pumps that emptied above the waterline.

I used to crew on a very old and long wooden boat that needed pumping every time anyone visited it. It pumped the water onto the deck and thence over the side.

I don’t like holes in boats (below the waterline)
 
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fisherman

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Some of the old French FVs had all the water outlets spilling into a hopper on the side of the engine room casing on deck, piped overside, above or just under the deck. Fewer, or no holes in the hull, and easy to check what was coming out of where and how hot it might be.
All boats are only afloat courtesy of jubilee clips of varying quality. Especially the one on the stern gland flexi tube. I had to change them all when I bought the boat, and double them up. Some gave up at the first touch of the screwdriver.
 

Poignard

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I prefer not have a stern gland flexible hose .

One of the first jobs I did on my boat when I bought her 26 years ago was to get rid of that and fit a traditional stuffing box/bearing and a Centreflex coupling.

I have never had any reason to regret it.
 
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RupertW

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Hear hear !


All my boats had bilge pumps that emptied above the waterline.

I used to crew on a very old and long wooden boat that needed pumping every time anyone visited it. It pumped the water onto the deck and thence over the side.

I don’t like holes in boats (below the waterline)
I’ve 11 of them below or close enough to the waterline to be immersed when heeling and apart from one very silly incident I think they are well worth having for the convenience.
 

john_morris_uk

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I’ve 11 of them below or close enough to the waterline to be immersed when heeling and apart from one very silly incident I think they are well worth having for the convenience.
Counting the stern gland, echo sounder and log we’ve got 18 through hull fittings below the waterline plus six above the waterline. They’re all bronze with bronze or DZR valves below the waterline and all double clipped and maintained. I sleep very easily.
 

RupertW

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Counting the stern gland, echo sounder and log we’ve got 18 through hull fittings below the waterline plus six above the waterline. They’re all bronze with bronze or DZR valves below the waterline and all double clipped and maintained. I sleep very easily.
I raise mine to 14 with your additions and the major leak incidents then to two after a stern gland leak a couple of years ago.
 

john_morris_uk

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I raise mine to 14 with your additions and the major leak incidents then to two after a stern gland leak a couple of years ago.
We used to have 14 but we added a generator and a watermaker. Our generator has a water separator that discharges below the waterline. Dry cooled exhaust gases through a fitting above the waterline. (Makes it super quiet.) Another five holes in the hull. We’re obviously in mortal danger… (I’ve realised I miscounted and the 18 in my previous post was wrong.)
 

RupertW

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We used to have 14 but we added a generator and a watermaker. Our generator has a water separator that discharges below the waterline. Dry cooled exhaust gases through a fitting above the waterline. (Makes it super quiet.) Another five holes in the hull. We’re obviously in mortal danger… (I’ve realised I miscounted and the 18 in my previous post was wrong.)
Have you found you need a generator in the Caribbean. So far our solar has been plenty.
 

john_morris_uk

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Have you found you need a generator in the Caribbean. So far our solar has been plenty.
We use It occasionally (yesterday it was for Mrs M’s hair dryer curler thing) and we’re thinking of adding a microwave. We have some more solar on order to go with the current two on the rail but even now our existing panels just about keep up. We’ve more panels on order but apart from the Bimini we’ve nowhere else to put them.

I know people will say ‘use an inverter’ for all these 230v things but I like redundancy. For example we’ve got four different ways to charge our batteries.. (main engine’s alternator, Superwind generator, diesel generator & Solar)
 

Neeves

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I'd consider an extra battery and, large, inverter, for the microwave, rather than turn on the generator. They rather ruin the peace of anchoring. You must have room on the rails for more, temporarily attached, solars for when at anchor. Though where you store them when they are not 'solaring' is a different issue.

I think you demonstrate my misuse of Parkinson's Law for a yacht that states something like - 'the demand for power (amps) increases to just beyond your ability to make and store them even if you upgrade your resources'

Think big.

Jonathan
 

RupertW

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We use It occasionally (yesterday it was for Mrs M’s hair dryer curler thing) and we’re thinking of adding a microwave. We have some more solar on order to go with the current two on the rail but even now our existing panels just about keep up. We’ve more panels on order but apart from the Bimini we’ve nowhere else to put them.

I know people will say ‘use an inverter’ for all these 230v things but I like redundancy. For example we’ve got four different ways to charge our batteries.. (main engine’s alternator, Superwind generator, diesel generator & Solar)
Like Neeves mentions we have a bunch of flexi panels we put on the rails - in fact as they were fairly cheap we used them as dodgers on the crossing. But hairdryers are not a thing although I’d love to be able to run microwave and induction hob and definitely can’t on solar alone.
 

john_morris_uk

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Like Neeves mentions we have a bunch of flexi panels we put on the rails - in fact as they were fairly cheap we used them as dodgers on the crossing. But hairdryers are not a thing although I’d love to be able to run microwave and induction hob and definitely can’t on solar alone.
We’ve been married nearly 40 years.
Mrs M comes sailing (more than many spouses do!)
We spend months at a time on the boat.
If Mrs M says she needs a hot brush, then hot brush is what she gets.
Generators are cheaper than a divorce.
Besides which it runs my power tools (or power tool battery charger) etc.
 
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