Turning off sea cocks

doris

doris

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In the post about catamaran thieves there is much mention of turning off engine seacocks.
How many peeps here always turn their sea cocks off when they leave their boats. And is it all cocks or just the engine one. Does having a saildrive with integral sea cock make any difference??
 
Never having bothered much previously, this year we've recently started turning off the engine and heads seacocks when leaving the boat. More to stop them seizing up than protecting the boat.

However, it's all a bit illogical and inconclusive as we still leave the cockpit drain seacocks open, my logic being that fresh (rain) water freezes at a higher temperature than sea water.
 
Like Sgeir, my system is a bit illogical and inconsistent, but:

heads: off unless actually in use (this has quite a lot to do with the lack of anti-syphon loops - /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif shock, horror).

sink drains: off under way (to stop the gurgling) or when the boat is left (precautionary, sort of).

engine: almost always on, but operated every couple of months and at beginning / end of season to make sure it works. Your point re. whether a saildrive make a difference: it does for me; Mr. Volvo's nasty circular plastic handle gives such a poor grip that turning it on and off is really quite difficult, which encourages me not to bother. I've thought about modifying it by maybe attaching a piece of square bar to give a better grip, or replacing it completely with something more ergonomic - but it's never reached the top of the "to do" list.

cockpit drains: always open, valves checked over winter.

gas: off at bottle by solenoid valve when cooker not in use, and by manual valve when boat left.

[forgot some of them]
 
Like Sgeir, I've always drained the cockpit. Now have a routine for the heads, but only due to pong when returning later. Engine only when being maintained, Exhaust unfortunately unreachable (and currently seized.....)
 
I'm with DaveWarburton on this....engine seacock turned off at end off each day. Toilet inlet & holding tank seacocks turned off at end of each cruise (Holding tank closed in port too!).
The sink/basin ones I tend to leave open as they are above the waterline.....but you've made me think now!!
 
We turn ALL seacocks off when we leave the boat for more than a couple of hours, otherwise all left open except in heavy weather when all closed except the saildrive.

We also turn the gas off at the cylinder as well as under the cooker overnight - does everyone do that ?
 
Turn all off ex cockpit drains when leaving boat.

Turn all off underway ex engine intake/exhaust, drains and bilge outlet. Turn others on/off for use/after use.
 
Oh dear. This is embarrassing. Ignoring the seacocks above the waterline, I have at least three which are almost impossible to reach without risking a hernia and I'm afraid the loo inlet and engine cooling seldom get closed, though I do excercise them from time to time when the relevant space is available.
 
Actually I confess, I have never closed the exhaust seacock - I located it in case of large following seas, but havent needed it yet. No seacocks on the cockpit drain with an open transom /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
As you , plus we turn them all off including the gas when we retire at night.

I find that I sleep much better knowing that all is safe.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Oh dear. This is embarrassing. Ignoring the seacocks above the waterline, I have at least three which are almost impossible to reach without risking a hernia and I'm afraid the loo inlet and engine cooling seldom get closed, though I do excercise them from time to time when the relevant space is available.

[/ QUOTE ]


Just a thought about engine water inlet seacocks.

My raw water volvo diesel has coolant hoses with an odd copper pipe attached to them. One day I noticed lots of water in the bilge. Turned out to be water coming out of a fractured pipe where it's screwed to a lug on the block. Vibration I suppose.

Could have been nasty if I had left the seacock on.
 
On my previous boats I've always religiously turned off all seacocks when leaving the boat. However on my current boat I leave on the two seacocks which drain the cockpit and sinks as they mean virtually dismantling eack cockpit locker. I turn off both seacocks for the toilet but do leave on the engine seacock as it's a b***** to get at easily(I have fitted a new seacock and hoses however).
 
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Turn the lot off when leaving the boat. All but the engine sea cocks turned off whilst at sea, except whilst using the bog etc.

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Its the only way !!
 
Just returned from a 10 day cruise ~ got on board turned on all sea cocks and gas cocks ~ shut them when we left the boat back on its mooring 10 days later.

What's the problem?

Does shutting the engine sea cock but leaving the heads & sinks open guarantee safety?

The boat is fitted with a gas alarm - why turn the gas off?

If the boat is being used I can see no reason why service cocks should be closed, after all how many of us shut off gas and water every time we stop using them for a couple of hours at home?

IMHO it's a matter of faith - do you trust 1 jubilee clip and a piece of plastic pipe!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Peter.
 
I didn't realize boats even had cockpit drain sea cocks. I don't think mine (Sigma 362) does. Don't they slow down cockpit draining unaccpetably?

Must go and look...
 
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