Do you close your throughhulls ?
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Vagabond39
Member III
Cockpit drains
Yep, many boats have cockpit drains above the water line, With a hose going down to a thru hull below the water line. WHOOPS.
The E23 had a very nice arrangenment. The cockpit drain to a reduced size (SINK) drain pipe, with the hose going to a barbed fitting, elbow, and thirteen turn gate valve under the cockpit sole. Almost centerline. Reached while standing on your head in the Starbord cockpit locker. PITA to work on, and replace.
Bob
Yep, many boats have cockpit drains above the water line, With a hose going down to a thru hull below the water line. WHOOPS.
The E23 had a very nice arrangenment. The cockpit drain to a reduced size (SINK) drain pipe, with the hose going to a barbed fitting, elbow, and thirteen turn gate valve under the cockpit sole. Almost centerline. Reached while standing on your head in the Starbord cockpit locker. PITA to work on, and replace.
Bob
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p.gazibara
Member III
My friend and I went in on an E27 here in Seattle for 1k. The first thing I noticed was a bilge full of water that stopped just below the floorboards. We also noticed the electric bilge pump was toast, and the manual one needed to be rebuilt (see "deal" on a sailboat). After bailing it out by hand with cups, we installed a new electric bilge pump with auto switch only to find the tendency of the auto switch to stick in the on position.
There were a few months where we would just check in on the boat every now and then to do some work/check up on her. Every time there seemed to be water up to nearly the same level. whether it was 3 days or 2 weeks. The water never got above the floorboards, but I was always so curious. When onboard, I could never see any leaks.
My friend took the boat out sailing in the Puget Sound up to Deception Pass with some visitors and while going to windward on a starboard tack he looked below to find water above the floorboards! Being the even-keeled fellow he is, he simply put the boat on a port tack and went below to find the leak. It turns out, the PO had done some work on the head sink and never properly reattached the drain. When the boat was heeled over water just came right on in. Luckily the old gate valve managed to close and no more water came in.
After discovering this, we realized that the rather bouncy windy marina the boat is moored in would cause the boat to bounce back and forth so much that water would come in through the sink drain when the winds piped up at the marina.
Lesson learned - close seacocks when not in use!
A throughhull upgrade is in the works.
There were a few months where we would just check in on the boat every now and then to do some work/check up on her. Every time there seemed to be water up to nearly the same level. whether it was 3 days or 2 weeks. The water never got above the floorboards, but I was always so curious. When onboard, I could never see any leaks.
My friend took the boat out sailing in the Puget Sound up to Deception Pass with some visitors and while going to windward on a starboard tack he looked below to find water above the floorboards! Being the even-keeled fellow he is, he simply put the boat on a port tack and went below to find the leak. It turns out, the PO had done some work on the head sink and never properly reattached the drain. When the boat was heeled over water just came right on in. Luckily the old gate valve managed to close and no more water came in.
After discovering this, we realized that the rather bouncy windy marina the boat is moored in would cause the boat to bounce back and forth so much that water would come in through the sink drain when the winds piped up at the marina.
Lesson learned - close seacocks when not in use!
A throughhull upgrade is in the works.
How did an open seacock contribute to this flooding? Was the hose disconnected from the seacock?
supersailor
Contributing Partner
July 23 got a call from the marina that Terra Nova was sinking fast. Got to boat to find the dinette table was just going underwater. The problem was the sink tailpiece had fallen apart and the drain seacock was open. Tens of thousands in damage and the boat was almost a write off. After months of problems with the pros, I have taken over the restoration. If I hadn't taken over the project, Terra Nova probably would have been a total (more than $52,000 in damage). Terra Nova is going to be a greatly improved beauty but I can't even begin to tell you the effort that is being required. With a closed seacock, this would not have happened.
Draw your own conclusions.
Draw your own conclusions.
Tomwine
Member II
Sea Cocks
I have an E 35 and close all but one of the two cockpit drain seacocks. I close the one the sink is connected to and leave the other connectd to only 2 port cockpit drains open. If I get a hard rain and the drains are clear the cockpit will drain fine. To find out if this would work I ran a water hose full blast for 10 minutes into the cockpit to make sure the one seacock could handle a large amount of water with only the two cockpit drains not 4. Worked perfect.
Now I wont worry about the connection to the sink anymore when I am 300 miles from my boat. The one valve that is left open is in very good shape and I trust it completely.
T
I have an E 35 and close all but one of the two cockpit drain seacocks. I close the one the sink is connected to and leave the other connectd to only 2 port cockpit drains open. If I get a hard rain and the drains are clear the cockpit will drain fine. To find out if this would work I ran a water hose full blast for 10 minutes into the cockpit to make sure the one seacock could handle a large amount of water with only the two cockpit drains not 4. Worked perfect.
Now I wont worry about the connection to the sink anymore when I am 300 miles from my boat. The one valve that is left open is in very good shape and I trust it completely.
T
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Bob,
I well recall your experience. It caused me to examine my sink hoses--and all hoses. Very educational story.
But I was wondering about P. Gazabera's case:
My friend took the boat out sailing in the Puget Sound up to Deception Pass with some visitors and while going to windward on a starboard tack he looked below to find water above the floorboards! Being the even-keeled fellow he is, he simply put the boat on a port tack and went below to find the leak. It turns out, the PO had done some work on the head sink and never properly reattached the drain. When the boat was heeled over water just came right on in. Luckily the old gate valve managed to close and no more water came in.
After discovering this, we realized that the rather bouncy windy marina the boat is moored in would cause the boat to bounce back and forth so much that water would come in through the sink drain when the winds piped up at the marina.
Lesson learned - close seacocks when not in use!
To me, the lesson is hoses, not seacocks.
I don't mean to beat this to death, and my opinion may be eccentric, but I invite sailors to consider the actual value in closing seacocks when "boat not in use."
There's obviously nothing wrong with it. I don't happen to do it, but most probably do.
However, if there is any danger of an open seacock causing a problem, at any time, under any circumstance, then I consider the boat unsafe.
I well recall your experience. It caused me to examine my sink hoses--and all hoses. Very educational story.
But I was wondering about P. Gazabera's case:
My friend took the boat out sailing in the Puget Sound up to Deception Pass with some visitors and while going to windward on a starboard tack he looked below to find water above the floorboards! Being the even-keeled fellow he is, he simply put the boat on a port tack and went below to find the leak. It turns out, the PO had done some work on the head sink and never properly reattached the drain. When the boat was heeled over water just came right on in. Luckily the old gate valve managed to close and no more water came in.
After discovering this, we realized that the rather bouncy windy marina the boat is moored in would cause the boat to bounce back and forth so much that water would come in through the sink drain when the winds piped up at the marina.
Lesson learned - close seacocks when not in use!
To me, the lesson is hoses, not seacocks.
I don't mean to beat this to death, and my opinion may be eccentric, but I invite sailors to consider the actual value in closing seacocks when "boat not in use."
There's obviously nothing wrong with it. I don't happen to do it, but most probably do.
However, if there is any danger of an open seacock causing a problem, at any time, under any circumstance, then I consider the boat unsafe.
supersailor
Contributing Partner
Christian,
There is a reason the galley sink(s) are in the middle of the cabin. Any sink near the edge of the cabin can easily be under the water when driving hard. When the starboard side deck is streaming water on a hard beat (a good day) the head sink on the edge of the cabin is completely below the water. On the E-34 water does fill or get into the sink and that odd little locker next to the sink. It doesn't seem to be a constant stream so it might be pumping while pounding into steep head seas. Closing the seacock stopped it dead. Any boat with an off centerline sink near the outside of the cabin (most boats as far as I can see) could be subject to this problem.
I was quite surprised at how high the static water level was in the Galley drain. It was only about an inch and a half below the Tee for the sinks. As a result, I am ensuring that all my through hull hoses come to above the waterline before they have a splice or a Tee in them.
My experience was near fatal for Terra Nova. After looking at the condition of many hoses in other boats since mine nearly sank, I recommend to everyone that they shut off the seacocks. That simple step may save the boat. The seacocks need to be opened and closed several times a year so they work anyway so why not do it as part of your routine? By the way, several of the boats had frozen seacocks. Not much use in an emergency. I have now heard of at least three other boats that have gone down for the exact same reason as mine did and one was an Ericson. The peace of mind is worth it even if the boat is not.
There is a reason the galley sink(s) are in the middle of the cabin. Any sink near the edge of the cabin can easily be under the water when driving hard. When the starboard side deck is streaming water on a hard beat (a good day) the head sink on the edge of the cabin is completely below the water. On the E-34 water does fill or get into the sink and that odd little locker next to the sink. It doesn't seem to be a constant stream so it might be pumping while pounding into steep head seas. Closing the seacock stopped it dead. Any boat with an off centerline sink near the outside of the cabin (most boats as far as I can see) could be subject to this problem.
I was quite surprised at how high the static water level was in the Galley drain. It was only about an inch and a half below the Tee for the sinks. As a result, I am ensuring that all my through hull hoses come to above the waterline before they have a splice or a Tee in them.
My experience was near fatal for Terra Nova. After looking at the condition of many hoses in other boats since mine nearly sank, I recommend to everyone that they shut off the seacocks. That simple step may save the boat. The seacocks need to be opened and closed several times a year so they work anyway so why not do it as part of your routine? By the way, several of the boats had frozen seacocks. Not much use in an emergency. I have now heard of at least three other boats that have gone down for the exact same reason as mine did and one was an Ericson. The peace of mind is worth it even if the boat is not.
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coultereng
Junior Member
Through Hulls
I wasn't to disciplined in closing my through hull valves until my boat decided it was a submarine. I now close all through hull valves whenever I leave the boat.
I wasn't to disciplined in closing my through hull valves until my boat decided it was a submarine. I now close all through hull valves whenever I leave the boat.