Association Forum - Sea Cock Etiquette

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Sea Cock Etiquette

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
3462 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/21/2006 : 05:41:43

I am curious as to what most people do with the sea cocks during the regular season. I have not really made it yet to a regular season having bought my boat in the fall. However, I have been sailing just about every week thru the winter. The previous owner supposedly never used the sinks and therefore I believe he never opened the sea cocks. Also, I am a bit leery of leaving the valves opened when I am not on the boat. The hoses, etc appear secure but just has me a bit concerned as to what is the proper thing to do when not on the boat. So far, I have not fully opened the sea cocks but have cracked them open part way to see if they could be cycled. One was at first stuck but it opens freely now. the other appeared okay. I also believe the PO never filled up the water tanks and so I will check that out when the weather gets a bit warmer - Hope no surprises ! If a sink faucet does not pump, i can handle that but hope the tanks are intact.

The Catalina Manual indicates regularly cycle the sea cocks every month to keep them operable and to close them when going to be away from the boat for an extended period of time. So...what do most of you do with the sea cocks during the Spring, Summer & Fall ? keep them open and close at end of season or do you open and close every time you go out sailing ?

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2006 : 08:07:56

While in the water, seacocks should be closed to both prevent a mishap should a hose fail and to keep gunk from building up within the valve which could possibly prevent the valve from closing.

When on the hard, after draining all systems, the valves should be closed to prevent critters from building nests inside.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3462 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2006 : 08:15:39

Don,

So does that mean you only are opening the sea cocks when you use the sinks or every time you go sailing.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2006 : 08:20:16

Larry,

I commend you for being concerned about the status of your boat's seacocks. According to BoatUS, "In 50% of the dockside sinking claims, water found its way into the bilge through leaks at underwater fittings" I have a few real quick questions/suggestions.

Be sure you have real seacocks, and not something from the hardware store better suited to controlling irrigation water. If you're in doubt about what a proper seacock installation should look like and include, there's a very good section on the topic in Nigel Calder's book, "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual" with excellent illustrations. If you've got hardware store plumbing of unknown condition, be very careful about tinkering with it while in the water. I'm not sure what the '89s have, but the earlier Catalinas came with some shakey looking stuff where one would expect to find seacocks.

The conservative conventional wisdom is to close all seacocks when not in use. That obviously includes when the boat is unattended. My practice is to close some and leave some open, depending on convenience and likelyhood of causing a problem. I keep closed seacocks for offshore discharge, head intake, and head sink drain. I leave open the galley sink/icebox seacock for convenience. (I really should close that one more often.) By design and modification, my C-25 has four(!) thru-hulls at or below the waterline which don't/can't have seacocks. Those are: two cockpit scuppers, swing keel cable, and a swing keel position indicator I added. As I recall, the '89 boats don't have any of that last goup.

Be sure to have two healthy hose clamps on each end of any hose which could admit seawater. Carefully inspect the condition of all hoses, clamps, and under water fittings at every haulout. Have spare hose clamps on board, and a way to plug a failed thru-hull, the soft tapered wooden plugs being the most popular.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

takokichi
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
321 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2006 : 08:39:33

Close em all, whenever you're not using them! Always better safe than sorry.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2006 : 08:52:07

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OLarryR
 Don,

So does that mean you only are opening the sea cocks when you use the sinks or every time you go sailing.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I only open them momentarily when I need them. If I'm using the head, I first open the seacock, use the head, then close the seacock.

One other thing...In our neck of the woods we have a problem with Zebra mussels and they have a knack for getting into everything. Last season, the intake strainer on my friends C30 became clogged when a handful of Zebra mussels grew inside the strainer. Just another reason to keep valves closed.

The Zebra mussel issue is also the reason I keep OB out of the water at the slip...Don't want barnacles growing inside all the water passages.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3462 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2006 : 18:37:43

Thanks for the inputs !!
I'll keep the seacocks closed. Open them only when using the sinks. Have a porta potti so...guess no need to open the seacocks for it. Don, just one thing, when you mentioned the process by which you use the Head....I guess you have to remember in what order you do things or....well I won't go there.

Leon, I have that book, "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual", I'll take a look tonight and see what it says about seacocks/thru-hulls.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2006 : 21:37:06

"Open them only when using the sinks."

I recommend opening and closing them every time you go to the boat otherwise they tend to get hard to operate.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3462 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2006 : 22:23:36

I go to the boat fairly often (been sailing this winter average twice a week but been on the boat averaging 4 days a week doing maintenance, etc - it's a max 10 minutes from work), so don't think I need to open them each time to ensure they operate easily but....not really sure how often I will wind up using the sinks...so agree that it is a good idea as preventative maintenenance to frequently cycle the valves on a regular basis. I'll see how it goes. Given the PO did not use the sinks at all for 4 years, I was expecting the seacocks to be frozen shut.

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2006 : 11:41:08

I keep the seacocks closed for all those reasons too. Had the original gatevalves until a crew member took the top off while underway, exciting time but we prevailed and now there are two ball valves. I did add brass pipe to raise the connection to the hose fitting as high as possible to the waterline (use as few fittings as possible and two hose clamps at each fitting). During the cruise last season installed on the sink ball valve a brass rod up into the cabinet so you can see if the valve is closed without having to remove the cushion and hatch. It has a round loop at the end to use to open and close the valve. I want to do the same for the galley sink ball valve, it's on the list.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2006 : 11:51:45

Jim,

When you replaced the old gate valves did you replaced the to-hulls too?

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2006 : 16:49:54

Don, no but have looked at and read the forum on the to-hulls and keep an eye on any signs of leak around the edges of the piles of resin putty at the pipe edges and right at the hull. First sign of any moisture they get replaced, good reminder. What has anyone else done with these weak spots and when?

Edited by - on

Phredde
Navigator

Members Avatar

125 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2006 : 18:50:50

I've got an even dumber question, made extra dumb becuase I think I've asked it before:

which way is open and which way is closed? I've got two handles, one attached to the drainage from the galley sink and ice box. then another from the sink in the head that is alos the water intake for the toilet (I think). Should the handles go up and down when closed or side to side?

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3462 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2006 : 19:13:46

On ball valves, the orientation is that when the handle is in-line with the valve (in same direction/parallel with how water flows thru the valve), then the valve is open. When the handle is perpendicular to the valve (perpendicular to the direction water flows thru the valve), then the valve is shut. Picture it as a hole in the ball. The hole has to be aligned with the valve inlet and outlet to allow water to flow and that is when the handle is directly over/parallel with the valve inlet and outlet.

By the way, I was on the boat today. Had to replace the stern light lightbulb which went out the last time I sailed. Decided to replace both the stern and bow lightbulbs. Also decided to cycle the seacocks. The one up near the bow turns easily. The one near the companionway was stiff to operate. I need to work that a bunch more.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.