My 1980 C27 has gate valves. It is recommended that I replace them with seacocks. The questions I have are: Is the through-hull fitting different from the valve? Will I be able to keep the through-hull fitting and just mount the seacock? From diagrams I've seen I will need to counter sink two bolts/screws into the uncored hull in order to secure the seacock to a backing plate. How do I go about counter sinking into a thin sheeting of fiberglass? How can I tell how thick the figerglass is before I start drilling holes?
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Change the thru hulls too
The thru hull is different from the valve. See the picture on the link below The valve screws to the thru hulls nipple. Use bronze or marelon. Not brass or stainless. build a mounting block of marine plywood to fit over the through hull and seal it to the hull with 5200, then you can thread the valve down over the nipple and screw the flange to the wood instead of the fiberglass hull. While you're at the West Marine link surf over to the west advisor and read up on bronze vs. brass seacocks and thru hulls so you'll understand a bit more about these important fittings.
The thru hull is different from the valve. See the picture on the link below The valve screws to the thru hulls nipple. Use bronze or marelon. Not brass or stainless. build a mounting block of marine plywood to fit over the through hull and seal it to the hull with 5200, then you can thread the valve down over the nipple and screw the flange to the wood instead of the fiberglass hull. While you're at the West Marine link surf over to the west advisor and read up on bronze vs. brass seacocks and thru hulls so you'll understand a bit more about these important fittings.
More Questions...
So when I go to do a new thru hull I drill the hole out of the hull and then mount a block. Do I "glass" it in place, or epoxy, or just use 5200? I have never done this before and I need to put in a thru-hull for a new depth meter. It gives me an ulcer to think about putting a hole in my boat!
So when I go to do a new thru hull I drill the hole out of the hull and then mount a block. Do I "glass" it in place, or epoxy, or just use 5200? I have never done this before and I need to put in a thru-hull for a new depth meter. It gives me an ulcer to think about putting a hole in my boat!
Don't drill for Depth Finder
Dan - Drilling a through hull is not your only - and (in my opinion) not the best option for installing a depth transducer. Many people have installed an "in-hull" depth transducer. Check out the archives here on CatalinaOwners.com for lots of discussions and how-to's. In essence, the transducer is bonded inside the hull and has the capability to shoot through the solid glass hull on your C27. Works like a charm. I installed the transducer in my 1986 C27 just forward of the waste tank, under the V-berth - and had it worked fine for the 15 years I owned it. Beats drilling holes in your boat! Good Luck! Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 (was Inamorata C27 #6111) Seattle
Dan - Drilling a through hull is not your only - and (in my opinion) not the best option for installing a depth transducer. Many people have installed an "in-hull" depth transducer. Check out the archives here on CatalinaOwners.com for lots of discussions and how-to's. In essence, the transducer is bonded inside the hull and has the capability to shoot through the solid glass hull on your C27. Works like a charm. I installed the transducer in my 1986 C27 just forward of the waste tank, under the V-berth - and had it worked fine for the 15 years I owned it. Beats drilling holes in your boat! Good Luck! Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 (was Inamorata C27 #6111) Seattle
Replacing thru-hulls
When you're using Marine plywood use at least 3/4" so you have enough thickness to safely accept screws. If you use 5200, put a little weight on the block of wood and let it dry overnight. You dont want to squeeze the 5200 out too thin since it's acting as both an adhesive and a gasket. The same applies for the thru-hull installation. Also, before installing the wood base be sure to seal the hole edges with epoxy to close the grain to water absorbtion. This is also a great time to seal the edge of the hole in the fiberglass too.
When you're using Marine plywood use at least 3/4" so you have enough thickness to safely accept screws. If you use 5200, put a little weight on the block of wood and let it dry overnight. You dont want to squeeze the 5200 out too thin since it's acting as both an adhesive and a gasket. The same applies for the thru-hull installation. Also, before installing the wood base be sure to seal the hole edges with epoxy to close the grain to water absorbtion. This is also a great time to seal the edge of the hole in the fiberglass too.
Seacocks (once again)
Some time back I posted one of the longest pieces ever on the forum. It was a detailed explanation of removing the gate valves on my Cat 27 and replacing them with sea cocks. It is in the 2001 archive at: Thru Hulls Submitted by Garry @ S/V TASHTEGO on 07/13/2001 at 11:39AM regarding Catalina 27 Enjoy!
Some time back I posted one of the longest pieces ever on the forum. It was a detailed explanation of removing the gate valves on my Cat 27 and replacing them with sea cocks. It is in the 2001 archive at: Thru Hulls Submitted by Garry @ S/V TASHTEGO on 07/13/2001 at 11:39AM regarding Catalina 27 Enjoy!
Not sure you need to replace through-hulls
I did the same thing you're contemplating; replacing gate valve with ball valve. My through-hull fittings were in fine shape, solid, no leaks, etc. As such, I essentially just unscrewed the old gate valve and screwed on the new ball valve - while the boat was floating in my slip. Have a wood bung at the ready. In sum, about 1 quart of water made it inside the boat. Below, I've copied in the steps I followed and previously posted to the archives. Good luck! The new valve is in! Submitted by Paul on 06/09/2004 at 06:18AM regarding General_interest It's done! With the tips provided, I replaced the seacock without hauling the boat. It was a relatively simple process, once I screwed up my courage (and double checked the bildge pump was working). Here are the steps I took: I spayed the through-hull threads and old valve with Liquid Wrench then let it sit for about 10 minutes. With a wooden plug at the ready, using a small pipe wrench and minimum torque, the old gate valve came off rather easily. (To anyone who tries this method, go slowly to ensure you don't torque loose the through-hull fitting. Also, Chris was right; first "tighten" the valve by a hair, then unscrew it.) Once the valve was off, I jammed a wooden plug into the through-hull fitting. The water that did come through was minimal and at low pressure. The plug worked like a champ. With the plug in place, I used a wire brush on the through-hull fitting's threads, dried everything, then wrapped a few layers of Teflon tape around the threads. With the new BALL valve in hand (and in the "closed" position), I yanked out the plug and screwed on the new valve. Less than a quart of water made it into the boat during the whole process. The new valve is in place, new hose is double-clamped to the valve, and the trusty wooden peg is tied near the valve. Thanks for all the helpful advice from everyone who responded to my question. Together you saved me about $100 in haul out fees. If you lived in my area, I'd buy you a beer. Paul
I did the same thing you're contemplating; replacing gate valve with ball valve. My through-hull fittings were in fine shape, solid, no leaks, etc. As such, I essentially just unscrewed the old gate valve and screwed on the new ball valve - while the boat was floating in my slip. Have a wood bung at the ready. In sum, about 1 quart of water made it inside the boat. Below, I've copied in the steps I followed and previously posted to the archives. Good luck! The new valve is in! Submitted by Paul on 06/09/2004 at 06:18AM regarding General_interest It's done! With the tips provided, I replaced the seacock without hauling the boat. It was a relatively simple process, once I screwed up my courage (and double checked the bildge pump was working). Here are the steps I took: I spayed the through-hull threads and old valve with Liquid Wrench then let it sit for about 10 minutes. With a wooden plug at the ready, using a small pipe wrench and minimum torque, the old gate valve came off rather easily. (To anyone who tries this method, go slowly to ensure you don't torque loose the through-hull fitting. Also, Chris was right; first "tighten" the valve by a hair, then unscrew it.) Once the valve was off, I jammed a wooden plug into the through-hull fitting. The water that did come through was minimal and at low pressure. The plug worked like a champ. With the plug in place, I used a wire brush on the through-hull fitting's threads, dried everything, then wrapped a few layers of Teflon tape around the threads. With the new BALL valve in hand (and in the "closed" position), I yanked out the plug and screwed on the new valve. Less than a quart of water made it into the boat during the whole process. The new valve is in place, new hose is double-clamped to the valve, and the trusty wooden peg is tied near the valve. Thanks for all the helpful advice from everyone who responded to my question. Together you saved me about $100 in haul out fees. If you lived in my area, I'd buy you a beer. Paul
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