Just Bought Boat - Seacock Stuck from Engine to Sea (Intake)

[Panamajames]

It moves slowly but I moved it 2 inches and my strength and the angle will not budge.. Should I get a pipe on it for more leverage.. or could something bad happen from that.. there some blisters on the hose so I am in a dangerous situation until hoses replaced. The previous owner obviously never closed it. Boat sat for 4 years .. it got a regular bottom cleaning though.

Thanks James

[sailvayu]

Be careful putting a pipe on it in the water. Your day will be be very bad if you break it off. Need more information on what type of valve it is? Could you post a picture that would help others help you. This is why you should get a survey before you buy you could have had the previous owner fix it. Oh well too late now you may have to haul it to fix it, but a pic will help.

Wayne Canning, AMS
projectboatzen.com

[CaptainMurph]

Leave it alone while you are still in the water.

Many in this situation have applied "just a bit more force" with addtional assistance and were greeted with the sound of water GUSHING IN.

Run, don't walk, to your nearest marina and buy a couple of DC plugs; tapered wooden plugs. If they don't have them, you can get them from Defender in 3-4 days for 9.99 plus shipping

Have one stored near the valve - tied with a piece of light line. Have the other someplace in the cabin where it can be found in an emergency. Make sure you have a hammer (preferably a deadblow) handy as well.

If your hose lets go, you can use this plug - tapped into place - to stop your boat from sinking.

If you are in a warm-enough environment, you can go below the boat and tap a plug into the through-hull to allow you to take the damaged hose off inside without being able to move the valve.

This should be fixed but, if you can't haul for now, you should at least buy some plugs and piece of mind.

[Cheechako]

If it is a bronze tapered seacock (the plug in the middle of the valve body is cone shaped and the handle is attached to it and the cone goes through the flow of water) there should be 2 nuts on the end of the cone opposite the handle. loosen the outer nut and then loosen the inner nut just maybe 1/16" Now rap on the end with a hammer.... it should break loose (and may squirt some water!) Retighten the inner nut just up against the housing enough to stop any weeping (no not your weeping!) then jam the outer nut onto it.
The other type of tapered seacock the cone goes down into the body. You could try loosening the two bolts at the handle end and prying the body up carefully enough to break it free. If it's anything but a tapered seacock.... I wouldnt try a piece of pipe....

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

If it is a bronze tapered seacock (the plug in the middle of the valve body is cone shaped and the handle is attached to it and the cone goes through the flow of water) there should be 2 nuts on the end of the cone opposite the handle. loosen the outer nut and then loosen the inner nut just maybe 1/16" Now rap on the end with a hammer.... it should break loose (and may squirt some water!) Retighten the inner nut just up against the housing enough to stop any weeping (no not your weeping!) then jam the outer nut onto it.
The other type of tapered seacock the cone goes down into the body. You could try loosening the two bolts at the handle end and prying the body up carefully enough to break it free. If it's anything but a tapered seacock.... I wouldnt try a piece of pipe....

It's a newer Hunter they don't come with tapered cone seacocks. They will likely be bronze ball valves..

[Windblown]

Concur with being REALLY CAREFUL with them. When I got my Formosa, all the seacocks looked really sketchy, so the first thing I did was have it hauled and replaced all 7 of them. It needed a bottom paint and some rudder repairs too, so I got my money's worth for the haulout cost.

[s/v Moondancer]

Do you have the right sized wooden plug if it fails? They sell them in a mixed pack at West.

Usually it does means pulling the boat and fixing properly

[Panamajames]

It is a 1996 Hunter passage with a 4jh-te 56-65 hp engine. I have a full set of plugs and am in Panama where bay is polluted but warm

[Panamajames]

I did not get a survey cause I got a really good price and looked things over but knowing there would be many little things and there is but all fixable fairly cheap. What is wrong will cost no more that $2,000k and I got a very cheap price... all 2004 electronics etc etc

[sailvayu]

Hey I'm a surveyor I had to say it lol. Glad you got a good deal hope it works out for you. Did you buy the boat down there from a disillusioned cruiser? Just curious. And I would try to fix that valve as soon as you get someplace safe to haul out. Have a good trip wish I was there lol.

Wayne Canning, AMS
projectboatzen.com

[Thermal]

Unless it is in a place that's so awkward that you cant get a good grip on it, I'd be leery af using a pipe for extra leverage. Dive on it and plug it with a bung from the outside to replace the suspect hose, then leave it til the next time you haul it.

[Cheechako]

Yea sorry, somehow I missed looking for what boat it was.....

[RainDog]

When I bought my boat about 1/2 of my seacocks were frozen. I have
Apollo bronze ballvalve seacocks. My surveyor told me to use a piece of PVC just as your propose to free them. After I did that I can easily move them by hand. I try to exercise them once a quarter now. All still move pretty easy with my bare hands.