Do you close your seacocks??

[Timo42]

I have a buddy with a stinkpot,

Don't hold it against me. We were down making new battery cables today and, thinking of this thread, I asked if he closed his seacocks, he said he never closed them, in fact he didn't even have the handles attached to the raw water inlets *yks We will work on that next time Tim

 

[Tom S]

This has been asked many times before on this site

I'm sure they are posted away in the archive.

Its no surprise that almost all the posts are of those that religiously close their seacocks and loudly proclaim such. Ross being the brave contrarian.

I will admit to not always closing my seacocks, but regularly checking my boat and always keeping a close eye on things (and everything is double clampled.) If I was gone for a long time, I would most likely close them. I know my boat pretty well, and just because i don't close my seacocks doesn't mean I don't inspect and know whats happening with hoses and such on my boat When there is any anomoly, how ever small, whether a sound or whatever, I never let it go. I will investigate until I know whats going on with ever inch of my boat.

 

[Jim]

Tom, you don't close them???

I wouldn't expect you not to close the. Isn't good maintanence to close them to keep the marine growth down?

 

[Warren Milberg]

For mpmaxman and others.

I check my packing gland, after opening the raw water seacock, as follows: visual inspection of the gland/hose/clamps. Run my hand under the rubber hose to feel for water. Look at the throw-away rectangular aluminum baking pan I keep under the gland for water. I have tightened by conventional bronze gland with flax packing not to drip at all when the shaft is not turning and to drip a few drops per minutes when it is. This only takes a few minutes and is really worth it to me.

 

[Ross]

I make a point of checking every posible place on

my boat where water could enter and I feel safe leaving the seacocks open. I wonder how many of you inspect your homes for potential water damage from corroded brass pipe nipples, rusted tank to bowl bolts on the toilets, leaking water heater relief valves, corroded sink traps. The dish washer drains into the kitchen sink drains before the trap. The tank to bowl bolts are all that keeps the gasket tight and keeps the water where it belongs. Most metal plumbing has a brass nipple between the supply valve and the copper plumbing. I have had them break off in my hand at a touch. How many of you shut off the main valve from the city water supply or shut off the power to your well pump?

 

[Tom S]

Jim, I'll check them when I'm on the boat

Especially when I am rummaging around for things. I inspect them and turn the handles once in a while. They are not "Out of sight, Out of mind". I can feel when there is something amiss with the seacock(happened to me last winter). So the seacocks do get used, its just that I don't always close them when I leave the boat

A curious observation is that there is been no noticeable growth on my seacocks, even after leaving the boat in the water 2 seasons. If there was growth it would be on the inside of the ball in the seacock anyway (since I leave it open most the time )

Like I said earlier if I had a questionable boat or area that I thought was not 100% I would close them and make the boat 100% again.

 

[BobM]

Intake hose on my new boat

It seemed well maintained, but when I prospectively changed my water pump impeller (pumps opening face is aft on a 2QM15)I removed the engines water intake hose. To my surprise it easily split in half right above where the top of the nipple was when I flexed it a little. Visually that hose had looked fine and the rest of the hose looked like it was in decent shape. If I hadn't of removed it I never would have noticed it. It took no effort at all to split it open. Now it was probably original to the boat, but whew...I am glad I replaced it and will keep on closing all my seacocks just in case.

To avoid running the engine with a closed intake seacock I keep the engine key on a hook in the cockpit locker I have to open to open the seacock. Others say to hang it on the seacock, but I have to use a boathook to open mine if I don't want to remove stuff and crawl in.

 

[Tom S]

Yes - There is always the possibilty of something happening

I am not naive about that and keep my eyes wide open. *pop

As a boat gets older there are just more and more things that you've got to keep your eye on, but I have learned sometimes brand new boats can be just as bad or worse. I think I might keep my "eyes wide open" especially on brand new boats

I have heard many stories about new boats sinking or having major issues. Usually what happens is the boat has never been out on a sea trial or tested in heavier conditions and then thats when one finds out that someone at the factory never tightened down a hose clamp or forgot a split pin in the rigging. I think the more a boat is used the more you can rely on it (to a point) and then there will come a time where the reliability diminishes with age unless and until you start replacing "whole systems" (ie. not just a hose clamp - the whole hose end to end, etc).

Also when something "new" is added (e.g. like the hose for the head in MaineSails old boat) then you insert another point or system that wasn't tested yet. (in this poor womans case it sounds like it was on a mooring and the constant surging up and down was enough to 'pop' the single hose clamped hose off its thru hull)

I think if I was keeping my boat on a mooring I would be a little more concerned about the thru hulls.

 

[Jim]

Tom S, didn't you have a problem with a seacock?

I test mine by shutting them and making sure water doesn't flow in or out of the boat.

 

[Big Windy]

Seacocks/House

I always close the seacocks when leaving the boat and turn off the whole house water when spending the night away from home...even one night.