Advice Capping off unused seacocks.

[arch007]

I have two unused seacocks on my cape dory previously used for the toilet.

Currently they are turned off but I would like to cap them off for safety.

What do people use to cap off an unused seacock ?

Thanks in advance,

arch

[John Stone]

At a minimum, turn them off and wire them shut. Or maybe you can connect them with a hose, if they are the same size, and keep them both shut off and wired shut.

But the best way is to remove them and fill the holes with epoxy and biaxial in a well proven technique that will be as if they were never there. I had ten seacocks on the Far Reach, I now have only three. Here is the technique we used:

http://www.farreachvoyages.com/projects ... rline.html

[Sea Hunt Video]

Arch:

I will offer what is perhaps a slightly contrarian thought. If I recall correctly you have a Cape Dory 28. They are beautiful, classic Carl Alberg Cape Dory sailboats.

Although you do not explain why you do not need the two seacocks for a marine head (presumably you now have a "composter" or portable), the Cape Dory 28 was built with a marine head. The day will come when you will want to sell your Cape Dory 28. The new caretaker may well want a standard marine head. If you remove the seacocks and fill the seacock holes with epoxy and biaxial you create "issues" for the new caretaker.

In my opinion, as an old-fashioned guy, I would prefer that caretakers of classic sailboats like a Cape Dory do as little as possible to "re-arrange" stuff, unless, like John S., they plan on a long term relationship and have really, really good reasons for doing something drastic. Almost all of John's changes have been safety and/or "single hand issue" upgrades.

As only the third caretaker, I have tried very hard to keep things as original as possible on S/V Bali Ha'i. I did add a new furler but that was for safety. I also upgraded the mainsheet winches to self-tailing; again for safety. I installed a Bimini for comfort in the heat. Removing and sealing up seacock holes with epoxy and biaxial does not appear to have any safety or comfort factor.

I think that locking down the seacock handles and plugging the seacock nozzles with a wood or plastic plug is the proper way to go. Unless, of course, you are experiencing water leakage in or around the seacock. Then perhaps removal is warranted or justified.

Just my two cents and, frankly, that is all my thoughts are worth.

[pete faga]

Arch
Check out your question with your surveyor so it is up to code

[shavdog]

I just had that same situation come up with a typhoon I bought....I thought it was alittle scarey looking at a seacock with nothing attached to it....I attached a short piece of rubber hose with clamp and an end cap(plumber type) with a clamp....I feel better about that....I can't believe someone would sail around in the ocean like that.....

[Joe CD MS 300]

Arch:

I will offer what is perhaps a slightly contrarian thought. If I recall correctly you have a Cape Dory 28. They are beautiful, classic Carl Alberg Cape Dory sailboats.

Although you do not explain why you do not need the two seacocks for a marine head (presumably you now have a "composter" or portable), the Cape Dory 28 was built with a marine head. The day will come when you will want to sell your Cape Dory 28. The new caretaker may well want a standard marine head. If you remove the seacocks and fill the seacock holes with epoxy and biaxial you create "issues" for the new caretaker.

In my opinion, as an old-fashioned guy, I would prefer that caretakers of classic sailboats like a Cape Dory do as little as possible to "re-arrange" stuff, unless, like John S., they plan on a long term relationship and have really, really good reasons for doing something drastic. Almost all of John's changes have been safety and/or "single hand issue" upgrades.

As only the third caretaker, I have tried very hard to keep things as original as possible on S/V Bali Ha'i. I did add a new furler but that was for safety. I also upgraded the mainsheet winches to self-tailing; again for safety. I installed a Bimini for comfort in the heat. Removing and sealing up seacock holes with epoxy and biaxial does not appear to have any safety or comfort factor.

I think that locking down the seacock handles and plugging the seacock nozzles with a wood or plastic plug is the proper way to go. Unless, of course, you are experiencing water leakage in or around the seacock. Then perhaps removal is warranted or justified.

Just my two cents and, frankly, that is all my thoughts are worth.

I agree with Roberto. Removing them would likely make the boat harder to sell. Next time the boat is on the hard give them an extra dose of lube. I'd plug them in some manner so they can occasionally be "exercised" .

Joe

[Nebe]

Id use a 3 inch length of wet exhaust hose, and wedge in a wooden plug and hose clamp it super tight. Id also wire the seacock closed. Removing a through hull for a head does effect resale value/

[Neil Gordon]

If you want to close up the hole(s) go ahead and do it. It's fairly easy to put a new hole in the boat if anyone wants to reinstall a seacock or two.

[Jim Davis]

Rather than using wood or plastic plugs I would use bronze plugs or caps. Properly wrapped with Teflon tape or pipe dope they are secure and yet removable if needed. I would also service them and give them a goodly coat of grease.

[Bill Goldsmith]

I agree with Neil. If you really want to decommission the seacock, remove it altogether and glass over the hole properly. Store away the expensive seacock somewhere in your boat stuff storage. If you wire it shut, you'll still have to maintain the seacock annually since it will be in contact with sea water, or risk ruining it. Re-installing the seacock takes 1/4 of the time of decommissioning and glassing it over. You can decide at the time of sale if that work is less than, the same, or more than the value of the sale price discount.

[jen1722terry]

We closed off the head seacock when we converted to a composting head. We used a piece of old propeller shaft and teflon tape for the plug and double hose clamps. We work the handle a few times each summer along with all the other seacocks. We also grease it on the same schedule as the others and inspect the hoses.

Jenn and Terry

[Graziella]

Ciao!!! How are you??? Hope everyone is fine!!
Sooo... I did remove the gate valves for the cockpit drains and I am now replacing them, thanks for the advice!

And... I am now fighting with the gigantic ones that were connected to the marine toilet. I did remove the toilet and I am left with what you see in the pictures below...
How can I fix them??? Thanks!!

[John Stone]

Well those should not be on your boat. Seriously. Remove those gate valves and through hulls and patch the holes with multiple layers of biaxial. Not a hard job. Those valves should never have made it past a survey. Tomes have been written about why gate valves have no part a through hull system.

Here is how to do it.

http://www.farreachvoyages.com/projects ... rline.html