Falky foo wrote:
Hi, I've been fiddling around with one of my seacocks. I've never fiddled
with them before. It's the one that the sink drains through. Anyhow it's
old and could use replacing, but I can't really afford that. So I went to
replace the plastic tube that the sink drains down through into the seacock
through the hull because it was old and nasty, and when I took the tube off
the seacock water stared gushing up through it. I put the tube back on and
the water filled the tube about 4-5 inches and then it stopped. So it seems
that 4-5 inches of water is nessary to keep the through-hull from letting
water in. Is this normal? Because if so it means that the little metal
bands holding the drain tubes on to the seacocks are the only thing
preventing the boat from sinking, and that seems a little scary.

Thoughts?




Terminology problem?? A "seacock" is a thru hull tap, gate valve, ball
valve, etc so when you leave the boat you turn all the seacocks off,
just in case one of the hoses, clamps you are already worried about fails.

When on board you can leave them open because hopefully you'll be aware
if there's a failure & then turn the offending seacock off.

The way you're talking you make if sound like all you have is a "skin
fitting" which is a thru hull fitting which allows the hose to be
clamped on, but has no tap or other means of closure.

Save the boat is in commercial survey where extra "rules" apply to the
type & material of seacocks, for a private pleasure vessel the new
plastic ball valves are very good, don't rot corrode etc.

K