Hi all, I'm quite new to sailboat owning, and am just starting out on a Grampian 26' at a live-aboard marina. We took the old broken toilet out today to replace with MSD potty, and found out that the fitting for the through-hull (the one we don't need anymore) is super corroded, so much so that the top snapped off when we were cutting the old house. The valve seems to still be working, in so far that there is no water coming in. I'm pretty sketched out by it though and also supposed to go out of town for a week soon. Any ideas for fixes that don't involve a haul-out, etc. just yet? Or advice for how serious it is?
What to do about this corroded through-hull fitting?
- Thread starter saltyfriends
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As long as no one touches it or something heavy slides into it I think you're okay to leave the boat alone till you can get a repair organized. I mean look what you had to do to break it, using the leverage of the pipe and hose.
But, if you're going to worry about it all weekend anyway, try bracing the through hull on the inside with a few blocks or foam or wood and some duct tape. If you can go under the boat you can insert a wooden plug into external hole and seal it with a polysulfide sealant like "BoatLife - Life Calk" or Sikaflex 295. The clerk at the store can help. The polyurethane sealant/adhesives like 3M 5200 and 4200(fast cure) will work well, but are more difficult to remove in case you're considering a more permanent repair later, when the boat's out of the water (i.e. fiberglass). There are others, I'm just suggesting those I have experience with.
Good Luck, have fun on the weekend and don't fret.
But, if you're going to worry about it all weekend anyway, try bracing the through hull on the inside with a few blocks or foam or wood and some duct tape. If you can go under the boat you can insert a wooden plug into external hole and seal it with a polysulfide sealant like "BoatLife - Life Calk" or Sikaflex 295. The clerk at the store can help. The polyurethane sealant/adhesives like 3M 5200 and 4200(fast cure) will work well, but are more difficult to remove in case you're considering a more permanent repair later, when the boat's out of the water (i.e. fiberglass). There are others, I'm just suggesting those I have experience with.
Good Luck, have fun on the weekend and don't fret.
Great example of why you should always close thru hull when leaving the boat!
But in this case, if the boat is in the water…DONT TOUCH that valve. It looks like it will self-destruct if you mess with it.
Best thing to do is to haul the boat and replace the thru hulls (all of them if they all look like this). Or, if you are not going to use this one ever again, then glass it over and eliminate the hole in the boat.
Greg
But in this case, if the boat is in the water…DONT TOUCH that valve. It looks like it will self-destruct if you mess with it.
Best thing to do is to haul the boat and replace the thru hulls (all of them if they all look like this). Or, if you are not going to use this one ever again, then glass it over and eliminate the hole in the boat.
Greg
My exact thought!
If you are not planning a haul out very soon, drive an appropriately sized wooden plug into the thru hull fitting from the bottom of the boat. You can do it yourself or hire a diver. Initial friction & the plug swelling in water will keep it in place. Based on the appearances of the snapped fitting & the existing valve, I wouldn’t advise trying to put a plug into the valve from inside the boat. on haul out, I would replace the thru hull fitting & put a bronze cap or plug on it in the event that you want to revert back to a marine head in future. Probably should plan on replacing all thru hull assemblies & hoses.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,349
Based on the image of the hose and the snapped off report, It appears that the valve corrosion is at the near to failure status. It happens when the zinc in the bronze degrades at a molecular level. It leave the bronze looking pink.
In comparison you could look at the valve like a tire on your truck. You can see a nail in the tire, but at the moment the air is not leaking. If you had to go away for a week would you leave the truck sitting in the driveway or take the tire off the truck and carry the tire to a shop for repair.
Making sure your bilge pump is working on automatic would buy you some time if the leak was small. Putting a plug in the hole as @kloudie1 suggest would certainly delay the problem. You may find other issues appear.
It is the nature of boats. Sometimes they demand immediate correction to a problem. I can attest that a little leak is no fun.
Hmm how do you mean bracing it? I'm hesitant to touch the inside parts at all, I feel like not touching it is my best bet till haul-out. I'm considering cancelling my week away to deal with it...
For the external wooden bung: can I insert this without 'messing with' the valve? And can I seal it while it's below the waterline?
Would you recommend putting a bung through the outside while I figure out the repair, or do you think that could make the problem somehow worse?