Replace these seacocks?

[Max S]

So we ended up buying a 1970 S&S design Deb 33. It's a pretty interesting boat, passed survey with flying colours (minus a number of things we were going to change with any boat in our price range). This includes seacocks.

The thing is, two of the seacocks (in the head) seem to be original Blakes Seacocks made of bronze, these are the ones I am considering keeping, except, it seems they've been sort of semi glassed/puttied in at the bases... Otherwise they're bolted through the hull to the outside.

Next is these two large old style twist valve seacocks, not sure on the material, but they're for the two cockpit drains and they drain to the aft just below the waterline. All the other deck drains in this boat actually don't have seacocks, they're tubes that have been glassed into the hull.

What are your thoughts on these?

I've pictures of the raw water intake and kitchen sink which have regular gate/ball valves. I plan to cut these out and switch to TruDesign.

[s/v Jedi]

The tubes are standpipes, the bees knees as their top is above the waterline.

If TruDesign has all the components you need (don’t forget the supporting collars/flanges for the smaller sizes) then I would replace everything, even the old Blakes.

[Max S]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The tubes are standpipes, the bees knees as their top is above the waterline.

If TruDesign has all the components you need (don’t forget the supporting collars/flanges for the smaller sizes) then I would replace everything, even the old Blakes.

Gotcha man thanks. So are the standpipes somehow inherently safer? I understand how they function but they still open below the waterline as well. I thought the whole purpose of a seacock was to have a ball valve in case of a hose failure so you can stop water ingress. What if there was a hose failure on the lower portion of the standpipe that egresses below the water line?

Thanks

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by Max S

Gotcha man thanks. So are the standpipes somehow inherently safer? I understand how they function but they still open below the waterline as well. I thought the whole purpose of a seacock was to have a ball valve in case of a hose failure so you can stop water ingress. What if there was a hose failure on the lower portion of the standpipe that egresses below the water line?

Thanks

What hose you said they were tubes glassed into the hull. If they are indeed tubes glassed into the hull the top of the tube is above the water line.

[Max S]

Originally Posted by Statistical

What hose you said they were tubes glassed into the hull. If they are indeed tubes glassed into the hull the top of the tube is above the water line.

Yeah you know what, I was just at the yard all day my brain misfired. I for some reason was talking about the seacocks that exit at the transom and have a t-fitting... But now I'm looking and they do have valves... I was for some reason thinking of the exhaust exit which is just above it.

Anyways forget that last post thanks

[s/v Jedi]

Yes, standpipes are always above the waterline because that’s the reason they exist

I did see metal hulls with just small stubs welded to the hull. Those are replacements for skin fittings and get a valve mounted to them. This is for intakes.

Whenever one can pump discharge up to above the waterline then a standpipe is always the preferred method as a leak never leads to seawater ingress.

But many boats have a separate drain with valve and skin fitting for each sink, shower etc. and standpipes wouldn’t work because the discharge is below waterline.