Seacock maintenance

[jbenagh]

When I bought Christine C in 2010 all the seacocks were frozen open. When I disassembled them, nearly all had some corrosion or scoring on the barrels. So I used the lapping compound until they had uniform texture. Since then I only used lapping compound twice when some barnacle shell got caught and scratched the barrel. I lapped just enough so it wasn't scratching anymore. I certainly would not recommend lapping on and annual basis. I think any automotive valve lapping compound would work just as well as the Spartan stuff but I bought their kit.

Jeff

[Joe Myerson]

I must admit that I have never lapped any of my seacocks in the 12 years I have owned Raven. They do not look perfect but they never leak either. I think you could probably over do it and destroy them if you get to carried away. The Grease does an amazing job of keeping them sealed.

I did have to lap my seacocks, after a number of years of ignoring them. Two of them were weeping a bit. The yard suggested replacement, but a little lapping compound seems to have fixed them. I wouldn't want to do it often, but it's not hard.

MainSail's instructions are excellent.

Joe

[Paul D.]

Usually I do a couple a year on the hard so I get to all of them every two to three years max. Pull them, clean them, inspect and grease 'em up. I use Phil Wood waterproof bicycle grease and it's worked very well for me for over a dozen years, not to mention on all our bikes, which I usually rebuild one of them each spring. I have only lapped one seacock once in that time.

If you've got the Spartan bronze seacocks don't let anyone sell you a replacement until you really try cleaning them up and getting them smooth. Very good quality so if they are not completely scratched, with a little knowledge and elbow grease they will not fail. Plus, if they are greased up well and you move them a few times a season, you could probably let them go for several years or so without too much trouble. But all bets are off with barnacle growth. I'm outa my league there.

[Jim Walsh]

I serviced my seacocks today. Those Spartan seacocks are wonderful pieces of gear. I just wish the person who decided on placement and orientation would have been required to service the fruits of his labor. I know the CD31's seacock placement isn't as bad as some other CD designs but they are, by no means, "easily accessible and eminently serviceable". I have the battle scars to prove it

[Sea Hunt Video]

I just wish the person who decided on placement and orientation would have been required to service the fruits of his labor. I know the CD31's seacock placement isn't as bad as some other CD designs but they are, by no means, "easily accessible and eminently serviceable". I have the battle scars to prove it

I challenge anyone to identify engine room seacocks on any other Cape Dory sailboat that are more difficult to access than those on a Cape Dory 25D. There are four (4) in the engine room. The only "easily" accessible seacock is the engine raw water intake seacock. The other three (3) (2 scupper drain; 1 sink) are impossible to access (at least for me). Once upon a time my body could contort into the positions needed to access these seacocks. As is true with these seacocks, over the years my body has become "less" agile, "less" flexible, "less" pliable, etc. The only "more" my body has become is more fat.

[Joe Myerson]

I challenge anyone to identify engine room seacocks on any other Cape Dory sailboat that are more difficult to access than those on a Cape Dory 25D. There are four (4) in the engine room. The only "easily" accessible seacock is the engine raw water intake seacock. The other three (3) (2 scupper drain; 1 sink) are impossible to access (at least for me). Once upon a time my body could contort into the positions needed to access these seacocks. As is true with these seacocks, over the years my body has become "less" agile, "less" flexible, "less" pliable, etc. The only "more" my body has become is more fat.

Amen, Brother Roberto!
I've never been able to service the port cockpit seacock with out bloodying my knuckles and throwing out my back. My chiropractor must love it!

--Joe

[JD-MDR]

I got the seacock maintainence kit and serviced three of mine .The engine intake and the two for the head. The one for the galley will need to remove the stove/oven and cut into that cabinet and the two cockpit drains will be next. I don't think I have Spartan since they don't have the dogged washer. This boat went ten years without any attention. The valves look pretty bad. I turned them about 25 or 30 times and figured its good enough. I think they are ready to replace. Next year

[Jim Walsh]

The top photo has plenty of life left. The bottom two are "wasp waisted" and should be replaced.

[Dalton]

Every year with Moreys red.
I learned that here and they wok as good as new after 20 years.


GD

[Joe CD MS 300]

It's a good idea to "exercise" the seacocks throughout the season. Since I close the seacocks if I'm going to be away from the boat out of Maine they get a fair amount of use, typically 6-8 closings per season. I don't want to find out they are frozen open with a hose leak.

[Maine_Buzzard]

See below

[Maine_Buzzard]

...The last advice I have to offer is to metal stamp each handle with it's location. That way you can take them all out to work on them at the same time without worry of mixing them up. It is a whole lot easier to take them all ashore and clean them out then go back aboard to grease them and put them back.

The last advise would be to keep some band aids on hand and some sort of cold drink to celebrate with when you are done, Steve.

I tried taking all of the seacocks out at once for cleaning ashore. It was a royal PITA to swim down and replace them back in the right spots...

[Steve Laume]

...The last advice I have to offer is to metal stamp each handle with it's location. That way you can take them all out to work on them at the same time without worry of mixing them up. It is a whole lot easier to take them all ashore and clean them out then go back aboard to grease them and put them back.

The last advise would be to keep some band aids on hand and some sort of cold drink to celebrate with when you are done, Steve.

I tried taking all of the seacocks out at once for cleaning ashore. It was a royal PITA to swim down and replace them back in the right spots...

Well by ashore, I guess I meant down off of the boat or home to the shop. I didn't stamp the handles either. It was the part of the barrel that the handle attaches to. And I didn't take out the seacocks but just the barrels but other than all of that my advise still stands, especially the drink and band aids, Steve.

[Maine_Buzzard]

+1 on a beer afterwards.

And I totally agree that certain tasks are best done with the boat out, or parts hauled well away. Winch teardown and re-lube is about 10x less stressful when done away from the dock. Are tiny bronze parts magnetically attracted to sea water or what?

The first five hours of sailing remit the one hundred getting ready.

[PWadsworth]

On my recently acquired 1974 CD 25, hull 129, the first thing I did was check out the seacocks. Naturally they were frozen open and a bear to get at. The previous owner tells me the boat has always been dry as a bone, and I´m sure he never touched them in the time he had the boat, but I kind of want to be able to close them. An abundance of caution, hahaha.

Anyway, I´m thinking that these are not the original seacocks. They´re bronze gate valves, to begin with, and there are no backing plates on the inside of the hull. The copy of the owner´s manual that I got with my boat refers to the Spartan seacock, and I can see that it is a superior piece of kit.

So: I´ve already decided to take them out and try to service them, but here I need some advice. Should i try to get Spartan seacocks to replace them if they are not 100% serviceable? Or is there some other quick-and-dirty solution I can adopt for this coming season, like stainless steel ball valves ? Or conversely, don´t fix it if it ain´t broke?

I´m all ears.

Fair winds,

Peter Wadsworth