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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Thru hull fitting leak

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bradminda
1st Mate

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USA
45 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/13/2011 : 06:58:33

Having just put my boat in the water I noticed a small drip comming from the thru hull that drains my galley sink. I think it is the valve handle that is leaking . Any ideas on how to fix or replace it, while the bopat is still in the water.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2011 : 07:45:10

Your post doesn't make it clear which type of valve you currently have, but, in the following thread, there is a discussion and photos that will help you identify the type of valve you have. Click on the hyperlinks that are included in some of the posts, for photos and more detailled explanations. That information will help lead you to the answers to your questions. After you have read it, let us know what type of valve you have, and our members can give you better guidance.

http://catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21744& SearchTerms=gate valve

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2011 : 08:28:46

You could insert a hull plug from the outside while changing out the valve.

Here's a professional tid bit on marine seacocks and thru-hulls (it is two pages.)

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/replacing_thruhulls&page=1

Good luck!

Edited by - on

bradminda
1st Mate

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USA
45 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2011 : 13:02:10

Thanks for the response. I have the type that if pictured first in the link you provided. I think it is leaking around the valve handle. Being that it is a small slow drip is it possible to put a form of sealer around it from inside the boat to stop the leak and hold me until end of summer? How far under the water line is the thru hull opening? My trailer and I live about an hour and a half away from the marina and pulling it out would be doable but a hassle.

Thanks Brad

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2011 : 13:38:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bradminda
 . . . Being that it is a small slow drip is it possible to put a form of sealer around it from inside the boat to stop the leak and hold me until end of summer?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> I don't think anyone is going to give you advice on this - too risky. This could be a prelude to a catastrophic failure.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bradminda
 How far under the water line is the thru hull opening?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> Measuring from the bottom edge of the waterline to the thru-hull opening, I'd guesstimate 12"-18" . . . you would certainly keep your head above water.

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jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2011 : 13:40:30

Finding the thru-hull from the outside is a hassle too, even when on the hard...IMHO, I'd get the trailer and then once out, you can upgrade to the current style through hulls - instead of the OEM volcano style threaded pipe... as well as change the valves.

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Tomas Kruska
Admiral

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Czech Republic
522 Posts

Response Posted - 06/14/2011 : 00:21:50

It reminds me when we once wanted to see status of the keel on one boat. We pull by some of the lines from the top of the mast and heeled the boat to the side while in dock. Doing this you will have the thru-hull above the water.
You can try it, but I think its risky.
If its just dropping then leave it to the next haul out.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5416 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2011 : 20:52:55

Last week I went down to the marina where we have a boat launch area for trailer boats. There are six ramps side by side.

One guy with a very old 22-24 foot sail boat with a full keel brought his boat in at high tide (our tidal range is about 6.5 feet). He set up seven poppets (jackstands) under the boat and waited for the tide to go out.

Six hours later he was working on his through-hulls, paddlewheel knotmeter and patching the iron keel.
I thought it was absolutely brilliant! The boat was old, the poppets were old, but everything was fixed and working as he intended once the tide came back in six more hours later. He floated her off and came back to collect the jackstands. With 15 hours of daylight this month and next, this is a great way to work on the bottom of the boat.

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2011 : 05:53:23

Bruce, I saw a guy do the very same thing inside of Huntington Harbor, Tied the boat to a pier and waited for the tide to go out. As the tide went down he slapped on a coat of bottom paint.

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2011 : 13:19:40

If I really couldn't haul the boat, I would be reasonably comfortable with the rubber plug approach if you don't have gate valves, they look like faucet handles. Have the new marlon or bronze ball valve ready to go and a soft internal plug at hand, disconnect the lines, cautiously partially open the valve a little to verify that it isn't leaking, then quickly remove and replace the valve. Have somebody watching the valve when the plug is removed. Several owners have reported removing the original gate valve and having the pipe its attached to come out with it. If you try it with gate valves, you better have somebody in the water with an underwater epoxy patch when you remove it!

Edit: I wouldn't leave the boat in the water with a leaking thru hull; little leaks can become big leaks with no warning.

Edited by - Dave5041 on 06/19/2011 13:24:59

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2011 : 13:37:14

That doesn't look quite like the original (1970s) mushroom and bronze pipe "to-hull" fitting, but it also doesn't look like the flush thru-hull on my 1985, which had a collar that screwed down against the hull on the inside and had a counter-sunk, flat disk on the outside.

The valve probably isn't the issue--the thru-hull is. If that is a version of the bronze pipe screwed into the hull, with no exterior flange (either a dome or a flush disk), it could very well let go when you try to remove the valve. It also could be ready to disintegrate and sink the boat, as some have done. A proper thru-hull has a backer inside the hull (Starboard would be best), a collar screwed down against the backer, and a flange out the outside (dome or flush), bedded with caulk under the flange and around the neck. To get it bedded properly, I'd say you need to have the boat out of the water.

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