Thru-Hull Nightmares

[commanderpete]

I do shut them when I leave the boat, but sometimes I forget. Other times I start driving home and can't remember whether I shut them or not. Must be getting old.

I don't know how it happens, but the thru-hulls can also fail. The previous owner of my boat told me that one of the seacocks had failed while underway and nearly sank the boat. The Coast Guard responded and gave him a bunch of oakum to shove in there (no plugs?). He replaced both seacocks, but maybe his wife didn't like the boat too much after that.

Still have the oakum.

[ebb]

But if you used them all the time, you'ld have a good idea what shape they're in!

[Brightwaters. Is that next to Bayshore?]

[commanderpete]

Ebb you are a worldly fellow.

Brightwaters is a little village right next to Bay Shore.

Too small to show on the map. This shows the Great South Bay on the south shore of Long Island. Access to the Atlantic is through the Fire Island Inlet. Depths in fathoms.

[ebb]

nay, neighbor, not so worldly -
spent my youth on George St in West Islip
and Robbins Av in Babylon,

and we had a town beach on Fire Island,
and you guys didn't, nghaa nghaaa!


But to take care of business: Are seacocks meant to corrode and freeze up or is there a good brand one can depend on that is engineered to be opened and closed for the life of the head?

[Tony G]

Ebb
Sorry, not since the folks in marketing met with the folks in engineering...

[Al Lorman]

Ebb:

I'm no expert on seacocks, but my current boat has Spartan Marine seacocks, which are a vernerable design and are still made. They consist of a bronze body, a slightly tapered bronze plug, a handle, an end plate and two nuts. No gaskets to wear out, etc., like some newer seacocks. You simply tighten them enough that they don't leak but not so tight that they require a lot of effort to open. They require an occasional disassembly and greasing, and that's about it. If they get pitted, you can smooth the plug with emery paper and lapping compound.

Heres' a link to the Spartan catalog: http://www.spartanmarine.com/

Of course, who knows whether even bronze seacocks will last as long as a Commander.

Al

[ebb]

Thanks, guys'
will look into Sparten.
338 intends to have very few underwater thruhulls. One or two will be unavoidable. And I will try to place them where I will have no excuse not to see them and use them.

I've always leaned towards Marelon because of corrosion and the bonding controversy. Was going to ask Forespar at the recent boat show why their Thruhull didn't match their seacock, but they were only flogging spars there along with 17 other spar makers. "Why you got white thruhull that look like cheap plastic for your expensive black seacock?" I would have asked. Also the skinny white thruhull doesn't LOOK like a match for the beefy black valve - to my eye. So I haven't committed yet. I wish they had asked me befor they made such a stupid marketing mistake!

Then too, there are the stories of the hollow 3-sided handles breaking off! That's because of infrequent exercise and lack of lubricant, I read somewhere. Still,,,,

9 (nine) "critical" hose attachment points - those are more worrisome then the thruhulls, for sure....

Brought home some literature for the NICE tidy Airhead from the show. Airhead is the way to go. For 800 smackaroonies.

We have talked this one thru pretty good on previous pages and posts.


Other 'unprotected' no valve shut offs: The two cockpit drains, the two glassed in deck scuppers outside the cockpit that exit at the waterline, the rudder tube the rudder shaft goes through. Damage by hitting something could cause leaks in these places. Depth sounder is open if it gets scrapped
off.
Perhaps a chart of the vessel's every hull penetration could be laminated and tacked to the inside of a locker door or lid to help the panic stricken locate a source when water is over the cabin sole.
If you are refurishing the interior, it would be good to imagine what your access will be to a thruhull or seacock in an emergency will be.

[pbryant]

All through hulls below the water line are evil and should be resorted to only when imagination fails. They are an insidious viper coiled and waiting to strike. They represent one of two things I will never invite inside my boat -- fire and water -- unnecessary through hulls and propane tanks (I cook with a microwave).

One of my "seaworthy" bronze ball valves to the head (the bigger one for the outlet - of course) failed at night in the middle of the SF Bay. The seal around the ball failed. The only good part was that it happened while I was on board - not while the boat was tied up unattended at the dock. I stuffed the hole, from the outside, with plumber's epoxy putty. It sets underwater quickly. I bought the putty at Home Depot. My foresight in carrying that putty, and a wetsuit, saved my boat. Once set, the putty didn't admit a drop of water.

There was no other alternative. The hole had to be sealed from the outside. Although I carry wooden bungs on board, I reasoned that unless I needed to seal a perfectly round hole, and only from the inside (how does one swing a hammer in the dark under water?) that bungs are rather useless. I can't imagine using a hack saw in that tiny space to saw the valve off from the inside before, amid gushing water, I hammered a bung into the hole. The putty worked perfectly, and would be useful for sealing jagged irregularly shaped holes as well.

It took me a while, but I had the through hulls for the head removed and glassed in. The putty held up in the meantime, and was still firmly attached to the ball valve after it was cut out of the hull.

I now have a porta-pottie. It cost less than 40 bucks, and fits perfectly in the space under the V berth. Yeah, some dainty people don't like it, but if they aren't salty enough to use it, they can just stay ashore. It's more comfortable than the traditional marine "head" on the bowspirit.