[Alberg30] Replacing a seacock while afloat?

[T. Kevin Blanc]

I've removed a gate valve and installed a new fitting
on a head through hull with the boat in the water. The
water does not come shooting through like you might
imagine (it's not like a firehose, more like a big
garden hose - I was expecting to get hit in the face).

I removed the valve with my left hand, stuck a
softwood plug in with my right, teflon-taped the
through hull, then pulled the plug and installed the
through hull. The force of the water was not nearly
enough to interfere with my threading on the new
fitting.

I took on much less water than when I replace the
knotmeter sender wheel with its plug - that flow is
much more forceful. I don't think I'd do it, for
instance, to a cockpit drain because of the difficulty
you might have reaching it.

I also think you might want to have the right size NPT
cap handy in case the valve doesn't want to thread on
for some reason...

--- George Dinwiddie <gdinwiddie at min.net> wrote:
> Randy,
> 
> This was posted recently on the Atomic 4 list,
> copied from the Ranger list:
> >Subject: Replacing seacocks
> >
> >I had a frozen (open) seacock installed in a Mickey
> Mouse setup.  I told 
> >my slip neighbor that I was going to change it.  He
> asked which 
> >shipyard.  I showed him how I use a soft rubber
> ball and some line to 
> >accomplish the whole job from the inside. Perhaps
> some of the Ranger folks 
> >know this, but if not, it is a good method to
> remember.
> >I took off all the plumbing above the seacock.  A
> nipple and a hose were 
> >attached to the seacock to bring the hose just
> above the waterline.  A 
> >bolt was tied to some strong 1/8th. line and
> dropped down the hose, out 
> >the seacock and into the water beneath the hull. 
> About 10 feet of 
> >line.  Getting off the boat with a boathook, I
> captured the line and took 
> >a fid and ran the same line, with the bolt removed,
> through the center of 
> >the soft rubber ball and tied a stopper knot.  I
> added another section of 
> >line, about ten feet, to the part extending through
> the ball.  That's in 
> >case you pull the ball into the thru-hull, you can
> jerk it out.  When you 
> >go back into the boat and pull up the ball, it acts
> as a plug.  You have 
> >to fiddle a bit to finish up, but it will be easy. 
> The whole job took 
> >about twenty minutes by myself.  If you have gate
> valves, this is one way 
> >to replace them at minimum cost and effort, but
> whatever you do, get them 
> >out of there!!  If you try this method, I would
> like to hear how it worked 
> >out for you.  If you sink your boat, you didn't do
> it correctly.
> 
> 
> > Randy Katz said:
> > 
> > Greetings, Sailors,
> >     I find myself in an awkward position that I
> hope you can advise me on.
> > While installing a new toilet/tank, the old gate
> valve SW inlet (Yes, I
> > know-- it shouldn't be on the boat in the first
> place!)  seems to have
> > broken in the open position.  Not a problem per
> se, but not a situation I'm
> > keen to leave, either.
> > 
> >     I'm considering installing a Forespar Marlon
> replacement.  The question
> > is-- how difficult would this be while the boat is
> in the water?  I imagine
> > trying this with the new valve in the open
> position, attached to a length of
> > hose extending above the water line-- wouldn't
> that lessen the incoming
> > water pressure a bit?
> > 
> >     I don't mind taking on a gallon or two of
> water in order to avoid a haul
> > out.   I figure I can get the teflon tape wrapped
> on the through-hull in the
> > process, thanks to a bung plug.
> > 
> >     An alternative is leaving the gate valve until
> next March's haulout--
> > it's double clamped and seems sturdy enough
> otherwise.
> > 
> >     ANy of you wise people have experience with
> this sort of nonsense?  I'd
> > love to hear from you.
> 
> -- 
> 
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
>   George Dinwiddie                            
> gdinwiddie at alberg30.org
>   The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span
> those hours spent in
>   sailing.                                   
> http://www.Alberg30.org/
> 
>
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> 
> 
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