Threw hull fittings

[craig shaw]

How do you check your threw hull fittings? We have a 1985 28.5 Hunter and all the fittings are factorty. At what age should they be changed or resealed. Thanks Craig

 

[Terry]

Hi Craig, if it were my boat as long as they're...

not leaking, the seacock still works and the two SS band clamps and hose are still in good condition I would leave them alone. Check them thoroughly on the outside at the next haulout to make sure the hull material around the through hull is solid.Terry

 

[Dan]

If they are gate valves..

you may want to change them as soon as practical. My Hunter is an `85 and when I bought it 2 years ago it had gate valves. While in the process of changing them over before I splashed the boat the large gate valve for the galley sink drain disintegrated. If I had been opening or closing that valve with the boat in the water she would have surely sunk.Dan

 

[Mike H]

get rid of them soon

If you do a search in the archives here for seacocks or gate valves, you should come across a wealth of discussion on this topic. I won't re-invent the wheel here, but I recommend, on the STRONGEST possible terms, that you replace any gate valve type seacock with a modern ball-type seacock NOW. It's hard work, but it will save your ship. In short, gate valves tend to fail from the inside out. There is a very very high probability that original gate valves on a 1985 boat are either already shot or near death. I am not being over-dramatic on this topic.