seacock type

Joef · Post by **Joef** » Mar 5th, '08, 22:10

guys - over this winter i had the port engine removed from my boat -...3208T engine (boat is a 31 North coast , not bertram...please don't hate me)

there are (2) 3/4" seacocks that sit basically UNDER the front of the port engine. These sea cocks are the type with a t -handle on one side that you loose before you can turn the large yellow handle. Ii think they are called "expanded plug" type seacocks.

...anyway - they work reasonably well and even though they are tough to reach...they ARE reachable. I have no idea what sort of maintenance should be done on these things...and whether or not i should consider replacing them with the more modern ball valve type of seacock. Replacing these with the engine in place would be nearly impossible...but with the engine out it probably pretty easy to do.

...i kinda just convinced myself...but...not looking for extra work here...and for all i know, those "expandable plug" type seacocks are the best kind...

thoughts?

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Mar 5th, '08, 22:33

To the best of my knowledge, the only "approved" type of valves are the ball/lever ones. I had to change all of my old style gate valves after a survey. Walter

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Mar 5th, '08, 22:44

Just do it now. Not that much work in the whole scheme of things. Pulling engine again to change a valve would be work in my book.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Mar 6th, '08, 10:51

The Groco ball type seacocks are really nice! I have one of those and one Apollo. The Groco is nicer. Make sure that you use a real seacock which has the flange on the bottom and not just a valve on the stem of the thruhull.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Mar 6th, '08, 11:09

"Reachable" is a term that frightens me. Would they be "reachable" in heavy seas with a broken hose pouring water at a prodigious and boat-sinking rate with a terrified crew screaming all at once? Replace and move them to a real accessible location. Like Kevin said, "Not that much work in the whole scheme of things."
Also agree with Rawleigh, Groco from Maryland and the flanged type. www.groco.net
Deal direct, good people.

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Mar 6th, '08, 12:00

They should be moved to where you can get at them and at the same time you should put in crash pump valves. My two cents is listen to Mikey

randall · Post by **randall** » Mar 6th, '08, 12:53

mine are hard to reach and ive been thinking about moving them. what i want to know is how would it affect the water inflow if i moved them back about a foot. they would be pretty close to the strut then.

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Mar 6th, '08, 13:43

Randy,

Wouldn't hurt the intake of water at all, but could cause some distrubed water at the top of the props resulting in cavitation. Any way you could move them back the same foot but also inboard close to the centerline?

br,

Patrick

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Mar 6th, '08, 14:31

The Groco I got has a built in "Crash Pump Valve". You close the handle and twist out the plug on the side and the motor can suck from the bilge.

http://www.groco.net/07-scks-valves/07-sbv-fs.htm

I see it also has a square hole in the handle so that you can use a ratchet as an extension if it is hard to reach. Both of my thru hulls are next to the stuffing boxes for easy access.

JGomber · Post by **JGomber** » Mar 6th, '08, 15:23

Obviously there was no "standard" location for the intake seacocks. Mine are under the companionway step on either side of the keel. Pretty good access even though there's a strainer right above them. Now I'm looking into crash pumps.
If one was relocating theirs, where would be the best location for both access and water flow considerations?

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Mar 6th, '08, 16:38

Jerry,

I prefer the engine raw water pickups aft of the engines & aft engine bulkhead as comfortably close to the inboard stringers as possible. Access is immediate through the hatch opening behind the engine box without having to deal with the companion way hatch & step box...

Br,

Patrick

randall · Post by **randall** » Mar 6th, '08, 19:24

CaptPatrick wrote:Randy,

Wouldn't hurt the intake of water at all, but could cause some distrubed water at the top of the props resulting in cavitation. Any way you could move them back the same foot but also inboard close to the centerline?

br,

Patrick

partick...they would be inboard of the struts...right now they are as close to centerline as possible on each side of the stringer......so if they get water and wont disturb water flow to the props .........why the hell didnt bertram put them where you could get at them to begin with?

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Mar 6th, '08, 19:38

..why the hell didnt bertram put them where you could get at them to begin with?

Bertram did a lot of things that have puzzled me over the years. Like puttin' gen sets in the cockpit bilge...

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Mar 6th, '08, 22:02

Capt. Pat

If you move the seacock aft of the bulkhead, for the crash pump, do you just T off the intake hose or just run another long hose either aft or forward off of a T in the seacock? Something I will be looking at in a couple weeks as I move the repower forward. Tony

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Mar 6th, '08, 22:39

Tony,

As long as you keep the hose as low & the pickup foot as close to center line as possible you'll be fine with any placement or routing.
I'd probably run aft to the center transom bilge, running the hose at inboard stringer height & crossing over just aft of the fuel tank.

Br,

Patrick

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Mar 7th, '08, 07:45

Tony, I have one hose off the crash pump to aft bilge and the other to the center bilge.

nic · Post by **nic** » Mar 7th, '08, 19:26

Bertram did a lot of things that have puzzled me over the years. Like puttin' gen sets in the cockpit bilge...

To get fixed weight aft in a constant vee, (monohedron), hull is the reason they, and a lot of other builders do it. The designers should have had more faith in their hulls as I have run thousands of miles on a Hunt-like deep vee 45 sportfish where the owner would not accept the gen-set under the cockpit, we put it forward of the engines, and we had 700 usgal fuel aft. Lightship the chines were out of the water aft, looked unsightly but how often do you leave your tanks empty? She ran beautifully, lightship too, in some stupendous following seas, which was what was worrying the designers...like the 31, no problem except a bit more roll when you're near empty, but no rusted heap of useless genset.

Nic

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Mar 7th, '08, 23:14

Capt. Pat & Brewster

Thanks. I will take a good look at running the hose aft and then possibly midship. Tony

Ironman · Post by **Ironman** » Mar 9th, '08, 22:41

Guys: I used the Grolco crash valve on the pt side & I Teed off the stbd side hose with another ball valve & hose... (You can use a longer hose to access areas.)
I also can install hose bibs for fresh water flush easy enough.
Dont forget to exercize them crash valves..Take the plug out every 6mos or so & tefgel it real good.
(dont want to be struggling with it in a emergency).
Wayne

randall · Post by **randall** » Mar 10th, '08, 08:23

i dont plug my crash valves....i use them to winterize the engines so the valves get moved at least twice a year....why plug them?

Ironman · Post by **Ironman** » Mar 10th, '08, 10:35

Randall: I mean the crash plug..
Go thru the motions of a disaster.. I found the plug real hard to remove.. So I lubed it.There is a alternate plug with w hose bib avail too for rinsing.
Wayne

randall · Post by **randall** » Mar 10th, '08, 11:09

wayne...sorry...im still not getting it....if you dont plug them but the valve that would open them is closed...what purpose do the plugs serve? BTW when i got my boat it had threaded bronze plugs ...i took them out permanently the first time i had trouble opening one. i just let the valves do the work. to winterize i have a hose that screws into the threaded orifice where the plugs went.

Ironman · Post by **Ironman** » Mar 10th, '08, 20:40

So you dont even need the plug, If youve tried it then great...?
Makes me look at the website...
It says make sure you install the plug before rotating the handle..
Bilge flooding will result..
http://www.groco.net/SVC-MAN-07/Sec4/BROWSER/sbv-wv.htm

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Mar 10th, '08, 21:06

Groco makes very high quality hardware & they are always my choice, customer's budget not withstanding. But I'm not too crazy about their SBV series crash pump theory...

First you have to shut down the engine, then close the valve, then remove a plug, then insert the adaptor to the pump out hose, then open the valve, & finally restart the engine.

And all of this takes how long to correograph? And you're sure the engine is going to restart?

I personally prefer a standard T fitting, another valve for the crash hose, both located in the same area. No engine shut down, open the valve to the crash hose, close the thru hull valve, when water level is getting low in the bilge, cycle the valves back to original. Repeat as necessary...

K.I.S.S.

bertram31.com

seacock type

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