Installing Composite Seacocks
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ค. 2019
- Whilst in the boatyard Ben changed two of the large gate valve seacocks with ball valve composite replacements.
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Ben, while filming this episode you mused that this might not be a very riveting video for your viewers - and I’m sure that may be true for some. BUT, for those of us with a DIY spirit - watching and learning from someone with your knowledge and skill level is both an educational experience and a great treat!
I'm glad you enjoyed it Rusty. I'm no pro, but I think diy is best and the more you do it the better it gets. Anyway, so far so good with them seacocks, we are still afloat at least. Big thanks for all the support and comments. Fair winds and all the best. Ben
...... well done on gathering the footage Ben, bet you are glad that chore is not waiting for you when you get back .... laughing .... of course, just remembered you are back in the water all ready .... have fun be safe, save our oceans ......
Hi Ben
Having had a long association with Tru Design Plastics in Auckland New Zealand, I can assure you their Valves, Skin Fittings etc.. are tested and accredited to the highest standard. Management and R&D staff are extremely innovative and constantly developing new Marine related products. Their web page gives detailed installation suggestions on all their products. Great watching your adventures. Cheers
The joy of (especially older) boats. The engine and associated bits and bobs are often in some pretty inaccessible places. A nice easy (and cheap) upgrade if you fancy making your winches self tail is to fix a length of appropriate diameter fuel hose around the top of the winch immediately below the top overhang. (I used 3/4 inch for my old Lewmar 48 3speeds). I fixed mine by threading a loop of bungie cord through the hose after I had cut it to length. I have seen others fix with silicone adhesive. I was skeptical when someone in my owners association told me abut it, but it works like a dream and saves a fortune in replacing serviceable conventional winches with self tailers.
Actually this was riveting footage.
The most important components are always the least accessible.
I recently endured a 30 year survey,the yard refitted a new prop shaft and bearings plus a drip free Shureseal.
My one hour test under half power failed after 7 min. The boat filled with acrid black smoke.
My wife asked if there was a danger of fire, I said yes but the inrush of water through the burning seal would have doused the flames.
You are so right to check these small but vital things.
I can totally believe how hot and sweaty it was down there. Have kept my boat at Solomon's, on the Chesapeake since 2005, after we couldn't think of a reason to bring her back to the UK. Have spent many a happy hour in those awkward spaces boat builders seem to reserve for the most vital components over the years. Pity you had to rush for flights, etc. The Bay is wonderful place full of variety for those with time to explore. Hope all is going well for you both.
nice little paint job to finish it off
Hi Ben. I just wanted to leave a note agreeing with some of the others here: this is a Great video. I am replacing a couple of my thru-hulls this weekend. More accessible than yours .. but just barely. I hope i am as patient as you. Have been following you and Nicki since your early vids. I find them wonderfully authentic and heartfelt. Many thanks and looking forward to future stories. Fair winds and following seas :) s/v Killarney - O'Day 34
You show the grit of sailing, for sure. I was impressed by the way you made that smooth surface. Thanks for the video Captain.
My very best compliment... the video is to short... 😊
Nice job on that. Thumbs up for taking the extra effort to repaint the area also.
that polycarbonate valve handle on my thru-hulls are flexible and therefore demand even more room, which is not available, to turn them. so much so in fact that it cannot be done. it will demand, if i ever get around to it, a completely destructive removal. they are now open and cannot be closed at all. this is true of the thru-hull for the sink drains and the cockpit drains. they are all open and will stay that way until i replace them (fat chance) or die (descent chance), i sell the boat (little chance) or it sinks (good chance).
BTW, the boat was essentially built around those seacocks. they will, most likely, have to removed from the outside by cutting through the hull.
I think it is riveting footage and enjoy this work alongside the sailing 👍
Thanks - really appreciate you doing this.
What a challenge in such a tight place. That would really take a lot of fortitude. Good job. Preventative maintenance does pay off. 👍👍👍
Interesting video and we felt for you, as we did exactly the same job on our boat earlier this year. Our thru-hulls valves had survived 40 years in Canada and yet, once in Mexico, we had three fail in one season. No doubt about it, corrosion increases exponentially with the high humidity and temperatures of the tropics. We decided it was time to replace every thru-hull valve on the boat (while adding two more for additional scuppers). Had to cut out and replace the thru-hull fittings as well, as they were solid with the valves. That also meant fibreglassing in the old holes and drilling new holes (while thickening the fibreglass for extra strength). Big job! Took us over a week. We would have liked to replace everything with composites (like you did), for anti-corrosion reasons, but could only find bronze in Mexico. Hopefully we wont have to do that ever again but it is amazing how much faster these projects come at you while in the tropics. Safe travels.
Ben, you are the man!!! OMG that was a beast of a place to work but it looks as if you’ve got it all sorted out beautifully! Fantastic job, well done! I hope all is well and I will miss you two!
Nena
The joys of it all! Awesome effort.
Looks like a great job Ben
Great video
Congrats on a job well done, Ben. Hey, it's fun watching someone else suffer while doing jobs like this! :-)
Well done looks a good sturdy job. Will keep that process in mind to create a flat mounting surface.
Good job, smart to do it
Love the video and, you do great work. Not entirely comfortable giving advice about something I've never done so, do with it as you will. Anything thru-hull is a mission critical component and bronze might be better suited for such an important part. Another commenter mentioned fire; not sure which would fail first in a fire,, the gelcoat around the composite or the composite. Guess it depends on the type of composite. Anyway, love watching you guys!
i`d stick with bronze, you never know what might hit those brittle valves when working down there,.......nice job on the epoxy cast !
Nice job!!. I think for a sealing compound you might consider Formagasket #2. It is a gasket sealing compound suitable for many different materials - gasoline, diesel, water, plastic, compressed air, etc. It makes a durable, non-hardening seal and can even be used in place of gaskets if needed in a pinch and the parts can be disassembled when needed without the need to cut them up. It is available in auto parts stores so it doesn't have the "marine" price tag. Also I am curious as to the composition of the ball valve you installed. During the 70s and 80s I worked at a sailboat mfg. company and we went from bronze fittings to a composite named Zytel which is nylon reinforced with fiberglass. It is a very strong and durable material and reasonably priced - cheaper than bronze and with out the worry of electrolysis.
Great job,and I must say u have a lot more patience than myself.I hope u treated yourself to some COLD beer after that.
You have my sympathy.... tight places, poor designs and extreme heat ! Welcome to my nightmare of two years my own boat!
Good job, how have they held up and who manufactured them. Thank you
Maybe play something off the Beyond good and evil albulm.......Fire Woman.....didn’t think I’d catch that....
If it was bronze it will show pink in some color , but we found all cocks now plastic and some times a bit of cooking oil down them keeps them moist
Great choice imo on those thru hulls. While a great quality bronze sea cock like a spartan or groco is good, after having one sink my boat due to electrolysis, I went with all marelon and was happy with them. The ones you picked are even better. Is your engine space not accessible from above? Would have been somewhat easier and less hot I would think. Gate valves are the worst kind of valve as you know for that application. Good you got rid of it. I liked that you painted the space to after. Looks ship shape!
Looking good Ben, when do you leave on your trip.
The Atlantic crossing took 23 days, as all this was filmed last season! Sorry for the confusion...as we were behind on editing the videos the next one will actually be of that crossing so stay tuned! It also means that new up to date videos will be coming in the next week or so, with no 10 month gap!
Hemp rope is better than PTFE and will swell in water.
Since TruDesign says you can put their valve on a bronze or stainless thru-hull fitting, can I ask why you needed to replace that part?
Are these fittings fire resistant? If you ever have a fire in there and the hoses melt you could at least close off a bronze fitting, perhaps these seacocks might melt too, then what? I'd also be worried about them becoming brittle perhaps due to high ambient temperatures, or just with age. I've yet to find any plastic component that is as reliable as a metal one, but perhaps I'm just too old fashioned. Nice job anyway, glad I wasn't doing it!
Could you send me the specification of theses valves?
Are CPVC material?
TKS
Best regards
They are by a company called Raritan and called Tru-design fittings. They are made from a glass re-enforced nylon I believe. I would not use them without the support collars they would not be strong enough, but with them and a properly prepared surface for them to sit against they are very sturdy and you have zero corrosion concerns.
TKS
Good Winds!
Best Retards
Paulo S/V Tukurá
Are you filming your crossing home?
Yes! Video will be up soon
Just curious as to why you would choose to stay on the hard, do a refit in a US bloat yard? With questionable labor, EPA nonsense, high prices and war zone locations it seems that there would be much better places to have left your boat.
At least they didn't go to the pirate trash further up the bay.
Boy.... This is a real nail biter .....
Leverage not leeeeeeeverage.........
To-mar-to/to-may-to 🤷♂️
That was not fun watching for me.I was thinking that you must have been mad as hell at who ever designed that setup.
You should have sold the boat for what ever you could get, my be trad it for a good hunting dog and go on with your life