I listened to several boaters talking about seacocks today. Some close them when they head home and others don't. I thought I would toss this out to the group. Do you close your seacocks when you head home at the end of the weekend or do you leave them open? If you do close them, do you close all of them or just certain ones?
Seacocks
- Thread starter Rob McClain
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I wonder why would folks NOT close them? As the saying goes, more boats sink at the dock than anyplace else.
Close the head intake and discharge. I check my through the hulls, hoses and clamps frequently. However I do not trust "O" rings and valves associated with the head.
Hello,
On my boat I leave the raw water intake for the engine open because it's very difficult to reach. If it were easier to reach I would close it because that is definitely safer. The other ones are easy to reach, so I close them when not in use.
Barry
On my boat I leave the raw water intake for the engine open because it's very difficult to reach. If it were easier to reach I would close it because that is definitely safer. The other ones are easy to reach, so I close them when not in use.
Barry
I leave mine closed until I actually need them, and then I close them immediately after after I'm finished. I also always check the transducer and knot meter through hulls for any signs of moisture or leaking, check the stuffing box, check the bilge, and test the bilge pump before leaving for the weekend. Oh yeah, I shut off the battery switch and disconnect the shore power cord too.
Manny
Manny
Stu- if you don't close the seacocks your boat will still be there, just minus 8 feet of altitude.
Stu- you are in a real bay. Corpus Christi bay was an after thought in god's creation. I could not believe it is only 10' or 12' deep even in the middle. I think I was motoring for 3 hours or so across it and I was concerned a few times I would run aground in the middle of the bay. The depth sounder was pinging at 6' or 7'. The ship channels are 50' or 60' though, the dolphins like to hang out there for some reason.
Re: Close 'em all
One suggestion: Put your engine key on the seacock for the raw water intake when you leave the boat.
(a) you will be less like to forget to open it when starting the engine and (b) it is unlikely to be found by someone breaking into your boat.
One suggestion: Put your engine key on the seacock for the raw water intake when you leave the boat.
(a) you will be less like to forget to open it when starting the engine and (b) it is unlikely to be found by someone breaking into your boat.
Seacocks - Close them All
Rob: I close them all when not aboard. For me its not that many and is simply part of the on/off the boat routine. For the engine raw water intake, part of my routine is to hang the ignition key on the seacock handle when leaving the boat. That way I ALWAYS remember to reopen the engine intake when retrieving the key (from its designated location) prior to start up/departure. Don
Rob: I close them all when not aboard. For me its not that many and is simply part of the on/off the boat routine. For the engine raw water intake, part of my routine is to hang the ignition key on the seacock handle when leaving the boat. That way I ALWAYS remember to reopen the engine intake when retrieving the key (from its designated location) prior to start up/departure. Don
If I ever decide to steal a boat. The first place I am looking is the seacocks for the key.
I close the engine seacock when the engine is not running because I am not sure if water will fill the engine while it isn't running. I wish someone would tell me otherwise so I could relax about it.
I close the engine seacock when the engine is not running because I am not sure if water will fill the engine while it isn't running. I wish someone would tell me otherwise so I could relax about it.
I would recommend closing them. This is for several reasons. First, if a hose is on the verge of failing, a closed seacock will not allow water to enter it and put pressure on it.. 
Second, closing and opening the seacocks each time you leave and return to the boat is a good practice and prevents the seacocks from seizing up as readily. This is especially true of Marelon ones, where, if not exercised regularly, they can seize to the point where you snap the handle off.
Second, closing and opening the seacocks each time you leave and return to the boat is a good practice and prevents the seacocks from seizing up as readily. This is especially true of Marelon ones, where, if not exercised regularly, they can seize to the point where you snap the handle off.I always close all the seacocks before I leave my boat. Then I walk halfway down the docks, turn around, and go back to see if I really did close all the seacocks. I think theres a medical term for that ...somehting like obsessive compulsive or something.
I only have three sea-cocks on my boat so shutting them off is easy; however, this last year I helped deliver a boat to Chicago and asked the owner where the sea-cosks were on his boat. His answer was that there were about 7 or so and most of them were in difficult places to reach and I should just look for the source of the water. After he left, I did look for some of them and he was right, even if you could clear away all the crap hiding them, I can't imagine opening and closing all of the sea-cocks on this boat each time I left or returned to the dock.
Last summer we had a boat in our marina almost sink at the dock because a galley sink drain was acting as a siphon. Not sure of the physics involved but this is not the first time I've heard that a galley sink drain resulted in a boat almost sinking at the dock. A dock mate noticed the boat was about to go under and alerted the pump brigade who saved the day. Another good reason for being on good terms with fellow boaters...
I wonder how many of the big boat owners really give this much thought?
Here's an easy test - how many owners have a bung prepositioned at each sea cock?
Last summer we had a boat in our marina almost sink at the dock because a galley sink drain was acting as a siphon. Not sure of the physics involved but this is not the first time I've heard that a galley sink drain resulted in a boat almost sinking at the dock. A dock mate noticed the boat was about to go under and alerted the pump brigade who saved the day. Another good reason for being on good terms with fellow boaters...
I wonder how many of the big boat owners really give this much thought?
Here's an easy test - how many owners have a bung prepositioned at each sea cock?
We have 7 and it's no big deal. If someone doesn't have time to close a few seacocks, they must really hate tying up all those dock lines.
Our lits:
1. Forward head sink (usually closed)
2. Forward head intake (usually closed)
3. Kitchen Sink
4. Aft head sink
5. Aft head intake (usually closed)
6. Macerator (closed except when doing the M thing)
7. Raw water intake (closed, except when running the engine)
All are closed when leaving the boat.
Our lits:
1. Forward head sink (usually closed)
2. Forward head intake (usually closed)
3. Kitchen Sink
4. Aft head sink
5. Aft head intake (usually closed)
6. Macerator (closed except when doing the M thing)
7. Raw water intake (closed, except when running the engine)
All are closed when leaving the boat.
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