Seacocks: your Operating Procedure

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by scotty c-m

I close them all when I leave the boat overnight.

Ditto (except deck drains!!!).

Not that much trouble on my boat, and good exercise for the valves even if it's a bit of overkill.

I also close seacocks when sailing in rough seas and/or sailing with a lot of heel, other than engine raw water intake and waterlift drain (in case I need the engine urgently). If you do this, however, don't forget to open toilet seacocks before someone uses a toilet! Don't ask me how I know!

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Helbent

I am wondering how long people need to plan to be away from their boats before they would go through the trouble of closing their seacocks. Trying to figure out what is normal and what I am comfortable with. Of course, I would hate to have her sink because I couldn't be bothered. Thanks in advance for the input on what you do.

Everything stays closed save for the cockpit scuppers. I also shut off the fuel feeds.

[Hudson Force]

Sometimes I close my seacocks when I'm set in a position with a dramatically new waterline!

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by HopCar

I shouldn't admit this because I'll catch a lot of crap for it but I never close my seacocks. I do exercise them several times a year.

I've never had an unpressurized hose fail and I doubt one ever will.

I keep a good eye on the condition of my hoses and I use good quality hose.

I avoid using hose with wire in it. The wire will rust and damage the hose.

I use high quality type 316 stainless hose clamps and keep an eye on them as well.

If I was worried about it and they were hard to get to, I'd probably install remotely activated seacocks.

Boats sink in the slip all the time. Great standard procedures, BUT, (crap coming) I have been surprised at the number of hose clamps I have discovered broken or that parted on the first re-use or inspection. I also don't expect to see a burst low pressure hose but clamps will go. When I trace where the water can go after the seacock and the number of clamps & joints & other devices, the odds go up.

I always close all of them when we leave. The only exception is the deck and cockpit drains and they are above the waterline.

This is cheap insurance. If you have a disaster and your insurer finds an open cock to blame, you may have trouble.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

My speedo has a dummy replacement plug, in the drawer right next to the hole.

Never thought about the depth 'ducer, seems a permanent mount, not removable.

A CAL 40 I used to race sunk in its slip in a lightning storm. The electricity exited the hull at the depth transducer, melted the plastic bushing and it popped into the boat.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

I'm more worried about transducer and speedo paddle wheel with no sea cocks than I am about hoses with sea cocks. What do people do about the possibility of leaks or failure there, aside from tapered wooden plugs?

I have three wax toilet bowl rings available to be shoved into holes where wooden plugs won't work.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by poiu

5 minutes. I'd do it for that. Takes me 2 hours each way, so 4 hours round trip to do mine. I timed it. Never again. Cut skin and a bucket of sweat to boot. That's the downside of having 34 (24 under water) and many deeply buried.

It's a risk/effort calculation. If the hoses and clips are good the risk reduction with a closed valve is very small.

That they don't build boats with just a few seacocks is pretty foolish.

Wow, that's crazy. I thought I had a lot (15 below the waterline). But I only shut off 8 - 6 are deck drains, and one is permanently closed (holding tank discharge). It only takes 5 minutes, if that.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Wow, that's crazy. I thought I had a lot (15 below the waterline). But I only shut off 8 - 6 are deck drains, and one is permanently closed (holding tank discharge). It only takes 5 minutes, if that.

Ditto for me, 15 below the waterline that is. All reasonably accessible. In my case, 4 are deck & cockpit drains that stay open, and 2 are head discharges that remain closed. I'll close the remaining 9 if I'm away from the boat overnight or longer, but otherwise don't worry about it.

I have slowly but surely replaced all of the hose clamps with high quality (and expensive!) ABA brand ones that don't have the open teeth. Like nuts & bolts, hose clamps are technically only designed to be torqued once, and I try to adhere to that for anything below the waterline.

That's the second time I've read a reference to using wax toilet bowl rings as an emergency plug. Never heard of them but sounds like its worth checking out.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

I will continue to double clamp my hoses with quality SS hose clamps; however, at almost all times that I have a purpose to remove a hose I have great difficulty removing it even after both clamps are off. I sometimes end up cutting the hose from the barb so I wont risk damage by twisting, pulling and heating the hose! I believe many failures are due to corrosion of fittings other than the clamps or use use of clamps to hold an improperly sized hose,- even tape wrapped over the hose barb to adjust for a larger sized hose.

I agree. Accordingly, I slather some Lanocote on the barbs first. While I still may have to cut as you describe, it makes removal of most of them much easier. And the clamps hold the hoses on quite well.