Help Identify this unusual seacock leak!!

capejt · Mar 19, 2014

my vote... replace it!

I would tend to suggest that you replace the whole valve. It looks like it's seen better days. This operation would give you a good chance to replace the plate and adequately seal everything up. As to the speed indicator. Again, I would suggest removal and replacement with good solid glass. I know some abhor fiberglass work, but think about it this way, Both locations are always submerged, and as such are "sinking at dock" disasters just waiting to happen.

azguy · Mar 19, 2014

I'd like to see a picture of the others ide out of curiosity...

I think capeit is correct, that area needs attention before it gets wet again

centerline · Mar 19, 2014

wesleysherman said:
Thank you for your reply yet I know the truth of what you say about sealing it up...which with a sigh or two I will do... as to the sea cock you have any input to what is below this sea cock.. .. not sure what to expect.. take the sea cock off and pry our dremel out this round plate? any ideas what this threaded rod and nut is secured to underneath.. not sure why but i am nervous penetrating this spot.. very odd to me.. guess end of the day I have to take the plunge lol

the pics arent very clear, and even a relatively good seacock can have a bit of green on it, so we have no idea of what kind of shape its actually in, although, as capejt said, replacing it would insure it to be good. kind of a safe generic response....

some hulls have bolt on seacocks and some are screw on... you seem to have the screw on type

some seacocks have a bronze thru hull fitting that they screw onto to.... some hulls have a glassed in threaded nipple that the seacock screws onto....... some hulls have a marelon or glass nipple that is bonded to a hole in the hull, and the seacock screws onto that.....

i think you have the last option.... and the bonding is becoming delaminated for some reason.

Bill Roosa · Mar 19, 2014

Check the outside of the hull opposite the bolt that is leaking. Bet there is either a trash grate or the bolt head (taper type?) is just turning in the hull fiberglass.
As for the water, that part of the hull should not have any core, should be solid FG so I can't explain where water is coming from. Could it be leaking from the water left in the hose? Try opening the valve and making sure all the water is out of the hose and see if that stops the water.
If you are NEVER going to use the transducer hole again then:
(it is not big enough to be a structural issue so a plug will work)
take out the old tube
rough up the edges of the remaining FG and an area about 1.5 inches around the hole on the inside with 60 grit sand paper
build a dam of stiff paper and tape it over the outside of the hull covering the hole completely
fill the hole with FG putty
finish off the hole with a section of deck cloth (1-3 oz FG sheet) that extends beyond the hole about an inch all around.
take the dam off and fair the hull

capejt · Mar 19, 2014

I think Bill's repair method is sound, but make sure you're using FG putty, NOT bondo (....don't ask how I know!)

charliegrau · Mar 20, 2014

Well, the water is coming from inside since your boat is on the hard. So it could be from a number of sources. It could be leaking out around the hose where it attaches to the seacock, leaking from a hole in the hose or a fitting higher up, or from a completely different source and just finding a low spot by the seacock. I would disconnect the hose and put the end in a bucket or cup or something, dry the area around the seacock and then see where the water reappears...that will narrow it down.
As far as the old depth sounder opening....you could filll it with a new seacock, if you have future plans for making changes that require an additional seacock, like adding a salt water washdown, air conditioning, water cooled refrigeration, an additional drain, etc.

Crazy Dave Condon · Mar 20, 2014

Ditto on water coming from the inside if the boat is on the hard. I would Check the hoses, hose clamps, etc. first.

Ditto on the bondo, never use it on a boat.

When I hear people fiberglassing in a hole in the bottom of the boat, often I see trying to fill the hole with fiberglass and resin. Let me suggest this of course with the boat out of the water which can be done from either side. I will do the repair from the inside. I would remove all the damaged glass and then take a small grinder and bevel the hole in a 45 degree or higher angle on the inside. Then tape a piece of plastic sheet against the bottom of the hull. The first layer of glass should cover the hole and barely lap onto the beveled edge. let it dry and then remove the plastic sheet. The next piece of glass will overlap just a little more with each time tipping the brush after dipping into acetone to tap that layer of glass into a smooth layer and working the air bubbles out. What you are trying to do with each successive layer of glass is cut it a little bigger so it will not lap out of the hole. When nearly even with the inside of the hull, use a resin roller to roll the glass out smooth along with removing the air bubbles. On the exterior, I would spray paint black or gray the repaired area and then sand. It will show you where the valleys are left to determine adding extra glass or two part of epoxy. I know it is expensive, but once you have a smooth surface or a few small depressions, I apply Water Tite which has to dry overnight and then sand. Then you can gel coat, epoxy barrier coat or whatever you want to do.

Now for a hole outside and with no access from the inside to the back of the hole. Again remove all damaged glass and beveling from the inside to the outside of the hull at a minimum of 45 degrees. I then sand smooth the inside of the hull by about 1-2 inches. The key here is to take a piece of cardboard layered with two pieces of glass with resin sometimes with a little extra hardner and a string thru the cardboard and glass
inserting it inside aligning to the backside of the hole overlapping the interior or backside of the hole and hold it until it holds in place. You can then remove the string or cut it off later giving you a backing plate. The first layer of glass should be the size of the hole with the next layer of glass a little larger. Again try to smooth out each layer of glass and remove air bubbles. In essence, you have a backing plate which to adhere to which in a sense is locking the glass in place.

I hope this helps.

Dalliance · Mar 20, 2014

Your raw water seacock looks exactly like that on my '82 H30. Right down to same darker color smear of...sealant, I guess. The "ring" is a cutout in the engine compartment pan. On the outside of the hull is a slotted scoop style strainer held on by four....bolts, I assume....I hope they are not screws. I have not had any reason to take this apart, so I am not sure if the thru-hull and strainer are separate pieces or integral. Take a look from the outside and see if you have something similar.

Anyway....as for the water seeping up from this cutout ring. It may have come from the hose or seacock or it could be water from between the engine compartment pan and the hull.....which might be from the thru-hull, if you were in the water, but you're on the hard, so it must have traveled down from elsewhere between the hull and pan.

Stu Jackson · Mar 20, 2014

If you're on the hard, then the ONLY place water could come from is ABOVE the valve. Unless the entire compartment below is completely full.

Good luck.

Nelsonhow · Mar 21, 2014

My H-30 has e same set up as yours.
Assuming you've pulled the hose off and here is no water in it my guess is that there is a pool of water under the engine pan that collect because your boat might be tipped back a drop allowing the water to collect right under what appears to be some kind of putty covered with gelcoat to make the pan water tight when new. We all know hat gelcoat is brittle and over he years can crack.n that's why I think you see a ring around he thru hull fitting. My guess is that the pool of water is seeping upward through the crack because there's water under the between he hull and the engine pan.

Help Identify this unusual seacock leak!!

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