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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Marelon vs. bronze thru hulls

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albert
Captain

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USA
262 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/15/2004 : 02:51:43

Pros and cons for marelon vs. bronze?

Albert Iturrey
al@comhertz.com
Abacus 1984 C25 #4679

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2004 : 07:18:14

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by albert
 Pros and cons for marelon vs. bronze?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
marelon weighs less and is less likely to seize.

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svmoxie
Past Commodore

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USA
331 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2004 : 09:18:21

Plastic parts seem to make sense for a "plastic" boat but not all things are what they seem!

Marelon is tough, fiberglass-reinforced plastic. It is an ideal choice for metal hulls where corrosion is really an issue. It may or may not be a good choice for a fiberglass boat, depending on where you put it and what it is used for.

All below water thru hulls, of either type, must be fitted with a seacock and seacocks are available in marelon or bronze. The problem with marelon seacocks is that it is possible to overload the handle when opening or closing these valves, and possibly break it, and of course, this is most likely to happen in an emergency.

Personally, I can't see any advantage of a plastic valve for a fiberglass boat other than a bit of weight savings and this is really not a factor unless you are mounting it at the masthead!

There is really not much cost savings either; Marelon valves are not cheap. When it comes to below the waterline valves, a stout bronze seacock and thru hull is still the way to go.

If you are talking about an above the waterline thru hull, like a vent for the head or to run control cables to the outboard, in that case marelon works well as it blends in a bit better with the hull and since you are getting higher on the hull the weight savings won't hurt.

Both types of seacocks must have annual maintenence including disassembly and lubrication. Believe it or not a marelon seacock can seize although it is more forgiving to being ignored.

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2004 : 09:21:38

Marelon isn't party to electrolysis like bronze is.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2004 : 10:24:22

This Marelon/Bronze issue is one of those Cetol vs natural wood vs varnish topics...no clear winner because each has its own advantages and tradeoffs.

Just last week, I removed two marelon thru hulls of unknown vintage and installed a new knotmeter also with a marelon thru hull. The old ones still looked decent and I never had any problems with them, and the new thru hull looks just as sturdy and the manufacturer recommended either type thru hull for use with fiberglass hulls.

I would have to assume this type of thru hull (marelon) is relatively safe to use since the industry still markets and sells them. Addtionally, I've never heard of any problems or warnings with marelon/plastic fittings other than they shouldn't be used on wooden hulls due to expansion.

So for the C25, you can go with either bronze or marelon...because there is no wrong choice.

Edited by - dlucier on 04/15/2004 10:34:16

Raskal
Navigator

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USA
162 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2004 : 17:45:28

As Don says, the Marelon/Bronze issue is another one of those near-religious questions. I have yet to ever see a bad marelon through-hull out in the boatyards, while most of the metal ones on even the newer boats look crusty and barnacled after a few seasons. I think the marelon and related materials are actually sturdier than the fiberglass itself(tough but not as brittle), so they certainly make sense on a fiberglass hull.

Rich K.

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Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 02:59:59

The question may well be: "What is the question?" Albert originally asked about "thru hulls." Many answers involved the seacocks. Don't know if that was really Albert's question. Two distinct things: seacocks and thru hulls, although "our" C25 to hulls do add a spice to life!

A few years ago Mainsheet did a story about Marelon seacocks and the improvements made by the manufacturer to their product. Never seemed to have any problems with the thru hull fittings, though.

Stu

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 11:34:01

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stu Jackson C34
 ...Albert originally asked about "thru hulls." Many answers involved the seacocks...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Uh, Stu?...I see only one respondent, besides you, who mentions seacocks after first talking about thru hull materials so where are these "many answers involved the seacocks" of which you speak?

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 22:31:18

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stu Jackson C34
 The question may well be: "What is the question?" Albert originally asked about "thru hulls." Many answers involved the seacocks. Don't know if that was really Albert's question. Two distinct things: seacocks and thru hulls, although "our" C25 to hulls do add a spice to life!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I don't see the two subjects as separable. The thru-hull and the seacock are a unit that lets stuff get out of the boat and prevents other stuff (seawater) from coming back in. You don't replace one without replacing the other, and the seacock is probably the more critical item of the two in terms of reliability.

For me, in salt water, Marelon is great. Salt has no effect on plastic--nor does stray current in the marina.

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svmoxie
Past Commodore

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USA
331 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2004 : 05:48:46

I agree Dave and that is why I answered the question both ways.

My preference, and it is certainly just my preference, is to use bronze thru hulls and seacocks below the waterline and marelon thru hulls above the water line.

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