CD-36 Port Cockpit Drain Seacock

[Ken Coit]

OK, the port cockpit drain seacock is easy to see when the locker is empty, but it is about 4 feet from the top of the locker to the handle and there is no other way to get there except through the engine compartment from the starboard quarter berth. There is nothing small enough, strong enough, and smart enough to get to it and open or close it. What do YOU do? Left open, it is a serious risk to the boat because in an emergency you can't quickly close it, plug it, or anything else if the hose fails. Closed, it halves the draining capacity of the cockpit. For rain that seems adequate. For pooping, maybe not. Has anyone run additional cockpit drains above the waterline? How about running two from the aft end of the cockpit to the transom? Or, would it be better to simply close both cockpit drain seacocks permanently and reroute the existing drains above the water line?

How about some contivance that extends the shaft horizontally into the engine compartment or vertically within the port locker? How about a socket that will fit over the tang on the seacock and allow one to use a long handle with a short throw from the top of the locker?

Please let me hear of your experiences with this and any other inaccessable seacocks.

Ken Coit
S/V Parfait CD-36 #84
Raleigh, NC



parfait@nc.rr.com

[Matt Cawthorne]

Ken,
In an emergency you can stick your leg down into the locker and shut the seacock off without much problem. I can reach the handle with my arm, but it is a real stretch. When I grease the seacock I remove the panel to the engine compartment and slide down into the locker and put at least one of my knees into the engine compartment. Sometimes both legs get parked in the engine compartment. Make certain that your locker is SECURELY TIED OPEN. If it slammed shut and the hasp locks it there you would not be found until the stench of your rotting body permeated the hull.
Like Mitch said. Cape dory hired war criminals to position the seacocks.
Rather than risk the rubber hose failing I recommend replacing it. I just did it last year after 17 years. That was too long. The rubber was strong enough for normal service, but when I took the old hoses off they tore relatively easy. Perhaps 10 to 12 years would be a better time frame.

matt.

OK, the port cockpit drain seacock is easy to see when the locker is empty, but it is about 4 feet from the top of the locker to the handle and there is no other way to get there except through the engine compartment from the starboard quarter berth. There is nothing small enough, strong enough, and smart enough to get to it and open or close it. What do YOU do? Left open, it is a serious risk to the boat because in an emergency you can't quickly close it, plug it, or anything else if the hose fails. Closed, it halves the draining capacity of the cockpit. For rain that seems adequate. For pooping, maybe not. Has anyone run additional cockpit drains above the waterline? How about running two from the aft end of the cockpit to the transom? Or, would it be better to simply close both cockpit drain seacocks permanently and reroute the existing drains above the water line?

How about some contivance that extends the shaft horizontally into the engine compartment or vertically within the port locker? How about a socket that will fit over the tang on the seacock and allow one to use a long handle with a short throw from the top of the locker?

Please let me hear of your experiences with this and any other inaccessable seacocks.

Ken Coit
S/V Parfait CD-36 #84
Raleigh, NC

mcawthor@bellatlantic.net

[Ken Coit]

Matt,

Thanks for the good ideas. Probably my biggest problem is that there is an additional shelf, below the water heater/battery shelf. I suppose it is an after-market option that came with the extra batteries. In addition, the AC charger seems to have been bolted to that removeable panel on the port side of the engine compartment. Maybe I have a project or two ahead.

I think the emergency tiller might make an excellent extension, with its crooked neck, it might just do the trick. Seems to me that the port seacock must close to the stern where there might just be enough room to slip the emergency tiller over the handle.

Thanks again! Anyone else have thoughts on this?

Ken

Ken,
In an emergency you can stick your leg down into the locker and shut the seacock off without much problem. I can reach the handle with my arm, but it is a real stretch. When I grease the seacock I remove the panel to the engine compartment and slide down into the locker and put at least one of my knees into the engine compartment. Sometimes both legs get parked in the engine compartment. Make certain that your locker is SECURELY TIED OPEN. If it slammed shut and the hasp locks it there you would not be found until the stench of your rotting body permeated the hull.
Like Mitch said. Cape dory hired war criminals to position the seacocks.
Rather than risk the rubber hose failing I recommend replacing it. I just did it last year after 17 years. That was too long. The rubber was strong enough for normal service, but when I took the old hoses off they tore relatively easy. Perhaps 10 to 12 years would be a better time frame.

matt.

OK, the port cockpit drain seacock is easy to see when the locker is empty, but it is about 4 feet from the top of the locker to the handle and there is no other way to get there except through the engine compartment from the starboard quarter berth. There is nothing small enough, strong enough, and smart enough to get to it and open or close it. What do YOU do? Left open, it is a serious risk to the boat because in an emergency you can't quickly close it, plug it, or anything else if the hose fails. Closed, it halves the draining capacity of the cockpit. For rain that seems adequate. For pooping, maybe not. Has anyone run additional cockpit drains above the waterline? How about running two from the aft end of the cockpit to the transom? Or, would it be better to simply close both cockpit drain seacocks permanently and reroute the existing drains above the water line?

How about some contivance that extends the shaft horizontally into the engine compartment or vertically within the port locker? How about a socket that will fit over the tang on the seacock and allow one to use a long handle with a short throw from the top of the locker?

Please let me hear of your experiences with this and any other inaccessable seacocks.

Ken Coit
S/V Parfait CD-36 #84
Raleigh, NC

parfait@nc.rr.com

[matt cawthorne]

Ken,
You need to remove whatever it is you have in that area so that you can grease the seacock. If you do not service it you may find that when you need it the most it is frozen in place. I consider that particular seacock the worst one to work on. A few years ago I was on a steroid to supress my imune system's attack on my lungs. I gained 30 pounds and could barely get into that spot to work on it. Whenever I hear the folks with the smaller boats talk of laying atop of their engines to do this sort of work it reminds me of being in the port cockpit locker several years ago, unable to get out and having a cramp in my leg. Luckily I had someone close by that could help me out. It is no fun, but certainly needs to be done.

matt

Matt,

Thanks for the good ideas. Probably my biggest problem is that there is an additional shelf, below the water heater/battery shelf. I suppose it is an after-market option that came with the extra batteries. In addition, the AC charger seems to have been bolted to that removeable panel on the port side of the engine compartment. Maybe I have a project or two ahead.

I think the emergency tiller might make an excellent extension, with its crooked neck, it might just do the trick. Seems to me that the port seacock must close to the stern where there might just be enough room to slip the emergency tiller over the handle.

Thanks again! Anyone else have thoughts on this?

Ken

Ken,
In an emergency you can stick your leg down into the locker and shut the seacock off without much problem. I can reach the handle with my arm, but it is a real stretch. When I grease the seacock I remove the panel to the engine compartment and slide down into the locker and put at least one of my knees into the engine compartment. Sometimes both legs get parked in the engine compartment. Make certain that your locker is SECURELY TIED OPEN. If it slammed shut and the hasp locks it there you would not be found until the stench of your rotting body permeated the hull.
Like Mitch said. Cape dory hired war criminals to position the seacocks.
Rather than risk the rubber hose failing I recommend replacing it. I just did it last year after 17 years. That was too long. The rubber was strong enough for normal service, but when I took the old hoses off they tore relatively easy. Perhaps 10 to 12 years would be a better time frame.

matt.

OK, the port cockpit drain seacock is easy to see when the locker is empty, but it is about 4 feet from the top of the locker to the handle and there is no other way to get there except through the engine compartment from the starboard quarter berth. There is nothing small enough, strong enough, and smart enough to get to it and open or close it. What do YOU do? Left open, it is a serious risk to the boat because in an emergency you can't quickly close it, plug it, or anything else if the hose fails. Closed, it halves the draining capacity of the cockpit. For rain that seems adequate. For pooping, maybe not. Has anyone run additional cockpit drains above the waterline? How about running two from the aft end of the cockpit to the transom? Or, would it be better to simply close both cockpit drain seacocks permanently and reroute the existing drains above the water line?

How about some contivance that extends the shaft horizontally into the engine compartment or vertically within the port locker? How about a socket that will fit over the tang on the seacock and allow one to use a long handle with a short throw from the top of the locker?

Please let me hear of your experiences with this and any other inaccessable seacocks.

Ken Coit
S/V Parfait CD-36 #84
Raleigh, NC

mcawthor@bellatlantic.net

[M. R. Bober]

After 17 years of ritual misery, annual maintenance of the seacocks in the cockpit lockers of TIA MARIA a CD27, I was delighted to find that RESPITE our CD330 drains through scuppers at the aft end of the cockpit. SCUPPERS THAT ARE ABOVE THE WATERLINE, and have no seacocks. I would be reluctant to cut up a Cape Dory to retrofit this type of scupper, but...
I only thought that CD employed war criminals to position their seacocks, but it probably isn't true.
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330



thebobers@erols.com

[Ken Coit]

Matt,

I beleive that both cockpit drain seacocks were serviced when Parfait was hauled in late August or early September. At least that is what I was told by the yard. I have operated the starboard seacock from time-to-time and, as you can tell, I am anxious to gain access to the port seacock. We may well move the Rolls golf cart batteries in order to gain better access.

Ken

Ken,
You need to remove whatever it is you have in that area so that you can grease the seacock. If you do not service it you may find that when you need it the most it is frozen in place. I consider that particular seacock the worst one to work on. A few years ago I was on a steroid to supress my imune system's attack on my lungs. I gained 30 pounds and could barely get into that spot to work on it. Whenever I hear the folks with the smaller boats talk of laying atop of their engines to do this sort of work it reminds me of being in the port cockpit locker several years ago, unable to get out and having a cramp in my leg. Luckily I had someone close by that could help me out. It is no fun, but certainly needs to be done.

matt

Matt,

Thanks for the good ideas. Probably my biggest problem is that there is an additional shelf, below the water heater/battery shelf. I suppose it is an after-market option that came with the extra batteries. In addition, the AC charger seems to have been bolted to that removeable panel on the port side of the engine compartment. Maybe I have a project or two ahead.

I think the emergency tiller might make an excellent extension, with its crooked neck, it might just do the trick. Seems to me that the port seacock must close to the stern where there might just be enough room to slip the emergency tiller over the handle.

Thanks again! Anyone else have thoughts on this?

Ken

Ken,
In an emergency you can stick your leg down into the locker and shut the seacock off without much problem. I can reach the handle with my arm, but it is a real stretch. When I grease the seacock I remove the panel to the engine compartment and slide down into the locker and put at least one of my knees into the engine compartment. Sometimes both legs get parked in the engine compartment. Make certain that your locker is SECURELY TIED OPEN. If it slammed shut and the hasp locks it there you would not be found until the stench of your rotting body permeated the hull.
Like Mitch said. Cape dory hired war criminals to position the seacocks.
Rather than risk the rubber hose failing I recommend replacing it. I just did it last year after 17 years. That was too long. The rubber was strong enough for normal service, but when I took the old hoses off they tore relatively easy. Perhaps 10 to 12 years would be a better time frame.

matt.

parfait@nc.rr.com