Yesterday, while inspecting the thru-hull drain valves for my icebox and sink drain hoses, I noticed a buildup of rust on the thru-hull metal pipe stub. The metal handles of the OEM gate valves had rusted off, as my old Cat 27 had been sitting in several inches of water for years. Both drain pipes run into a 3/4" PVC "T", then funnel down the 1/2" metal thru-hull pipe out of the hull. Is there anyway to replace the gate valve on the main thru-hull pipe without hauling the old girl out of the water, or sinking her at her mooring? Any advice would help at this point.....
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Sure ya can
Try this. Get a plug to fit the outside hole. In an emergency once I used the rubber tip off my boarding ladder, In any case you have to plug the hole from the outside use a round wood plug, rubber stopper etc. Then you can carefully remove the valve and replace it. The problem is if the threads are bad or the stem of the thru hull breaks off you have to be ready to haul it. now! Idea two. take it to a high and dry with a big lift and have them snatch it out and hold it while you fix it. 15 min to replace the valve if you got your act together. Put a strap around the boat with a pad over the hole. or a tarp, or anything to cover the whole to make water flow slow. then do it. this will reduce the flow when the valve is removed. It is done fairly often and it will pucker you up a bit, but if you are really prepared to do it quickly its not bad. good luck
Try this. Get a plug to fit the outside hole. In an emergency once I used the rubber tip off my boarding ladder, In any case you have to plug the hole from the outside use a round wood plug, rubber stopper etc. Then you can carefully remove the valve and replace it. The problem is if the threads are bad or the stem of the thru hull breaks off you have to be ready to haul it. now! Idea two. take it to a high and dry with a big lift and have them snatch it out and hold it while you fix it. 15 min to replace the valve if you got your act together. Put a strap around the boat with a pad over the hole. or a tarp, or anything to cover the whole to make water flow slow. then do it. this will reduce the flow when the valve is removed. It is done fairly often and it will pucker you up a bit, but if you are really prepared to do it quickly its not bad. good luck
P
Paul F
similar "accident"
Last year I was working on the freash water pump and accidentally touched the valve to the sea water intake for the head. It is like yours a 1/2" pipe. The bronze valve twisted off the broken bronze fitting to the thru-hull. Interesting time, I put my finger in the thru-hull to stop the water inflow and looked around for something better. Used a rope end temporarily until I could find a more permanent plug. After purchasing a new valve and fittings, made a quick change with not to much water getting in the boat. But as Ed says be carefull when you unscrew the valve from the thru-hull because if the thru-hull is gone you have no choice but to pull the boat.
Last year I was working on the freash water pump and accidentally touched the valve to the sea water intake for the head. It is like yours a 1/2" pipe. The bronze valve twisted off the broken bronze fitting to the thru-hull. Interesting time, I put my finger in the thru-hull to stop the water inflow and looked around for something better. Used a rope end temporarily until I could find a more permanent plug. After purchasing a new valve and fittings, made a quick change with not to much water getting in the boat. But as Ed says be carefull when you unscrew the valve from the thru-hull because if the thru-hull is gone you have no choice but to pull the boat.
J
Jim Hughes
question
Are the thru-hulls below the waterline on the side of the hull or towards the centerline of the bottom?If below the waterline on the side of the hull,couldn't you attach your halyard to the dock and tip the boat enough to bring the thru-hull out of the water for a quick replacement,without having to pull your boat out of the water.This is more of a question since I'am only 2yrs. into sailing and have much to learn.Good luck with your fix. JIM
Are the thru-hulls below the waterline on the side of the hull or towards the centerline of the bottom?If below the waterline on the side of the hull,couldn't you attach your halyard to the dock and tip the boat enough to bring the thru-hull out of the water for a quick replacement,without having to pull your boat out of the water.This is more of a question since I'am only 2yrs. into sailing and have much to learn.Good luck with your fix. JIM
S
Stu Sauer
Another Option
I had a broken valve stem on one of the original gate valves several years ago and wanted to replace the valve with a ball valve while in the water. The thru hull was 12" below the waterline boot stripe, but I attached a line to a piling on the opposite sideof the boat roughly 20 feet away and clipped my main halyard to it. I tied the docklines to position the boat away from the dock. Then in order not to have the halyard jam in the mast head sheave, I created a bridle with another line and snap shackle atached to the'uphill' toe rail. when I cranked in the main halyard, the sideways pull with the snap shackle bridle healed the boat over and 'lifted' the thru hull above the water line. I easily removed and replaced the valve, but had the thru hull threads been broken or damaged, I could also have replaced the thru hull from the outside.
I had a broken valve stem on one of the original gate valves several years ago and wanted to replace the valve with a ball valve while in the water. The thru hull was 12" below the waterline boot stripe, but I attached a line to a piling on the opposite sideof the boat roughly 20 feet away and clipped my main halyard to it. I tied the docklines to position the boat away from the dock. Then in order not to have the halyard jam in the mast head sheave, I created a bridle with another line and snap shackle atached to the'uphill' toe rail. when I cranked in the main halyard, the sideways pull with the snap shackle bridle healed the boat over and 'lifted' the thru hull above the water line. I easily removed and replaced the valve, but had the thru hull threads been broken or damaged, I could also have replaced the thru hull from the outside.
T
Tim
Monty Python
I have this vision of the piling all of the sudden getting pulled loose from the bottom, flying through the air and crashing through some nearby boat as if it were a lance that had been catapulted! If only they could catch that video on the web...... Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
I have this vision of the piling all of the sudden getting pulled loose from the bottom, flying through the air and crashing through some nearby boat as if it were a lance that had been catapulted! If only they could catch that video on the web...... Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
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