Closing Seacocks

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

So while underway you can’t use your head, shower nor the galley. Sounds like fun passages

At least he'll be sailing since he's listed his engine intake too.

[AJ-SeaChange]

I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding some people's sense of humour or whether the tone is just not coming across correctly because of the written word. But I get the feeling that some replies to this thread are either deliberately trolling or just plain ass hats. Either way I find not responding to such comments my best approach.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by AJ-SeaChange

I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding some people's sense of humour or whether the tone is just not coming across correctly because of the written word. But I get the feeling that some replies to this thread are either deliberately trolling or just plain ass hats. Either way I find not responding to such comments my best approach.

Well Jedi has a sense of humor and me, well sometimes I'm just a smart A**.

Sorry if you didn't appreciate being ribbed.

But seriously, do you really close all those thru-hulls when you go to sea?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by NYSail

Why can’t he use those facilities??

Because he closes the seacocks. I assume one would like to flush the toilet, empty the sink etc.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by AJ-SeaChange

I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding some people's sense of humour or whether the tone is just not coming across correctly because of the written word. But I get the feeling that some replies to this thread are either deliberately trolling or just plain ass hats. Either way I find not responding to such comments my best approach.

Don’t worry. It’s a well known phenomenon that humour, particularly irony, does not always translate well in writing. I’ve not seen anything trollish here.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by AJ-SeaChange

All of them when we're healing and tacking.


If the water surface was smooth glass three of them would be above the waterline.

That’s a lot. I’ve got my boat down to five, and for the next slipping I think I can get it down to three below the waterline, with two having the potential to get wet if sailing hard.

I really don’t like potential points of failure such as these.

[GILow]

Not a seacock particularly, but how often do we remember the log impeller as another through-hull to be managed?

Then there’s the shaft seal.

It’s a wonder our boats float at all.

[NYSail]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Because he closes the seacocks. I assume one would like to flush the toilet, empty the sink etc.

Im sure like me once he's on the boat the ones needed are opened.

[AJ-SeaChange]

I'll respond to several comments at once here.


We were taught in Gibraltar on our 17 day RYA intensive sailing course that closing all seacocks (except the engine raw water intake) was standard practice when on a passage of any distance.



A prime example of why was recently highlighted on a YouTube sailing channel. A couple set off on a 6 hour passage and after 3 hours one of them went below to use the head only to discover sea water ankle deep above the sole. In this instance it wasn't a seacock or hose that failed but the log speed impeller fitting had failed due to being damaged during the lift process to splash the yacht. The point is that when on a passage we don't tend to go below much, we sit at the dual helm positions and watch the world go by. Closing our seacocks is part of our routine and it takes 3 minutes max. Not really a hardship.


Should we want to use the head/shower/galley on passage then again it's not a hardship to open the required seacock, do what we need to do, then close the seacock.


Of course these are our rules on board our vessel for our peace of mind and safety, what you do or do not do on your vessel is your prerogative.


The OP of this thread asked this question "How religious are you about closing the seacocks if you leave your boat for a week or two?" I was simply answering that question.

[Tillsbury]

The solution to that isn’t to close the seacocks (and obviously it would have made no difference anyway). It’s to test your bilge alarms more often, and install further independent ones if you only have a single alarm or one that can be switched off.

I usually have the forward shower and forward head seacocks closed, just because we rarely use them. I usually have the aft head/shower and tech room seacocks open, along with the engine one and the galley inlet. I cycle all the seacocks at least weekly back to their “Usual” positions. The day head outlet tends to get used more often as I open it over 3nm from shore and close it when nearer than that. Four under the waterline that are normally open, two normally closed.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by AJ-SeaChange

We were taught in Gibraltar on our 17 day RYA intensive sailing course that cloning all seacocks (except the engine raw water intake) was standard practice when on a passage of any distance.
[...]
The point is that when on a passage we don't tend to go below much, we sit at the dual helm positions and watch the world go by. Closing our seacocks is part of our routine and it takes 3 minutes max. Not really a hardship.

Should we want to use the head/shower/galley on passage then again it's not a hardship to open the required seacock, do what we need to do, then close the seacock.

Please don’t feel you need to defend your routine; it is mostly the difference between how things are taught and the real world. Also, there’s a big difference in how the words “passage” and “cruising” are interpreted.

Like others wrote, most boats are not designed for blue water cruising (most are charter designs) and that limits what you can do with such boats until they are modified and improved to expand capabilities. Bilge pump alarms and bilge high water alarms are one of those items. Your own example of the failed speed log thru hull shows that the routine of closing the seacocks is flawed, while the pump and bilge alarms would have worked.

Also, when both crew are enjoying the passage in the cockpit behind steering wheels, for many of us that is what we call a daysail. On passage, most of the time you’re on watch, the other crew member is sleeping and there is a lot of time spent in the galley, head etc. Life needs to go on or it’s impossible to do longer passages.

I recommend you make a list of what I call the primary systems aboard. These are the things that must work correctly to be able to continue a passage. Examples: autopilot, seacocks, sea strainers, fresh water pumps, watermaker, power generation and storage, sails and rigging, rudder, electronics etc.
When that list is done, research each point and determine what improvements are possible (not that you must do that at that point, just identify them). Ask questions here (keep what you learned with the courses you did in mind but be open for the reality that is different) and get to know which members have been offshore cruising long enough to filter information. In this thread you thought I was just fooling around but I can assure you that even though I make bad jokes all the time, the info and recommendations I give are solid, time proven and mostly the consensus of experienced offshore sailors.

I have owned Jedi since 2002 and am still working on that list of improvements so don’t feel rushed, take it easy and take point by point off the list and enjoy the immediate results which is the best incentive to tackle the next point.

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by Tmacmi

Yes it is absurd and it is on this winter's must do list. Is there a specific type/brand of hose you use on yours?

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...583&id=3058043

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...583&id=3057989

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...701&id=3058016

Here are some options depending on your application.

also don't forget to use the proper type of clamp and to double clamp below water line

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...584&id=3997053

[s/v Jedi]

To all reading this and wondering how seacocks ought to be done, start with this authoritive primer: https://marinehowto.com/seacock-thru-hull-primer/

Next, realize that the best thruhull is one that is eliminated. It’s very easy to fiberglass old openings closed. Many drains can be done with a fitting above waterline or with a sump, pump and best of all, standpipes.

Pay particular attention to the part about the Groco Flanged Adapters in the primer I linked above. If you do not have the proper bronze seacocks as shown in the primer, then choosing these flanged adapters is the way to go. Rod Collins has articles on how to install those, on which backing plates to use etc. all top of the line. I like the Groco bronze valves to install on the flanged adapters as well and they are affordable. Carry some spares

[Delfin]

It's cheap and easy for many boat builders to slap another thru hull on, a.k.a. failure point, rather than designing the requirement for raw water or discharge with safety and ease of use in mind. I have two thru hulls, one for water in (H2O maker, shaft lubrication, genset water lift muffler) and one to discharge gray and black water tanks. Not closing them when not needed would require a level of laziness even I can't sink to.

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Next, realize that the best thruhull is one that is eliminated. It’s very easy to fiberglass old openings closed.

I agree that one that is eliminated is best, but the thought of doing that kind of glass work scares me. Could you elaborate or reference info that better explains the process to glass an old opening?