Broken seacock valve handle

[Manateeman]

We don’t quote people and here is a good example of why. Mr. Rat...the manatees love all living things and loved his chosen name...began his post with the simple advice to get a real bronze seacock.
Fine advice as we just replaced all our Forespar plastic seacocks with Groco products. Simple and very sound advice.
Then he gets immediately quoted and “corrected” with information which might NOT be entirely accurate in all cases.
Is it really necessary to “correct” posters in this manner? Are YOU positive YOUR correction is so very perfect?
Why can’t posters just state their opinions.
Is it really necessary to quote someone before just stating your opinion?
We can follow the conversation without the quotes.
SO...Dear Mr. Rat
The manatee crew would like to invite you aboard for lunch and will bake their best cheeze pizza for you.
Thank you for posting. Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark and manatee crew of professional mariners.

[rwidman]

The handle can be replaced for $5 or so. Take it to your local plumbing supply store. The one where plumbers buy their supplies.

Replacing the seacock will cost hundreds of dollars and will require a haulout and an experienced boatyard mechanic.

If in doubt, have an experienced boat mechanic check the valve to see if a new handle is all you need or if the entire thing should be replaced.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

We don’t quote people and here is a good example of why. Mr. Rat...the manatees love all living things and loved his chosen name...began his post with the simple advice to get a real bronze seacock.
Fine advice as we just replaced all our Forespar plastic seacocks with Groco products. Simple and very sound advice.
Then he gets immediately quoted and “corrected” with information which might NOT be entirely accurate in all cases.
Is it really necessary to “correct” posters in this manner? Are YOU positive YOUR correction is so very perfect?
Why can’t posters just state their opinions.
Is it really necessary to quote someone before just stating your opinion?
We can follow the conversation without the quotes.
SO...Dear Mr. Rat
The manatee crew would like to invite you aboard for lunch and will bake their best cheeze pizza for you.
Thank you for posting. Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark and manatee crew of professional mariners.

Since I did devote more than 20 years of my life to the USCG and spent a decent portion of that time working on corrosion in metals exposed to seawater, YES, I do feel that my thoughts on both corrosion and what the Coast Guard does and doesn't do are more accurate than someone who clearly has zero experience in either. But thanks for denigrating me and my hard won knowledge base in defense of a random dude posting misinformation that is objectively false and potentially harmfully misleading. Definitely something to be proud of. Sadly Asimov's observation appears to be alive and well:

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”

[johnn33]

May I suggest checking all the remaining seacocks, attached wooden bungs, hoses, and stainless steel hoseclips (these fitted in pairs).
John

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Definitely not a seacock. I would also question the thru hull fitting. Is that rust on it?

Contrary to what someone else posted there are plastic seacocks that are very good alternatives to bronze. Forespar and Truedesign. With plastic fittings there is absolutely no galvanic corrosion possible. The right type of plastic, used by these two companies help them last for decades.

The nut on the ball valve is rusting, probably due to the steel handle now broken off.
The replacement cost is low for this size setup.
It's NOT worth saving.
The thru hull side may be okay, but check it carefully at the joint to be sure it's not corroded there.
As stated, be sure to replace with bronze.
Boatyarddog

[donradcliffe]

There was a popular valve manufacturer who some years ago was putting mild steel handles on ball valves. By now, most of the handles have failed. It takes some experience to spot whether the valve body is bronze or not, but any newbie with a magnet can tell whether the handle is stainless or mild steel.

I never bought replacement valves with steel handles.

Manateeman, I thought aluminum hulls had to be insulated from any parts with copper in them, and the aluminum boats I have been on have had plastic thruhulls and valves.

[zstine]

Originally Posted by redneckrob

So a few things to note:
A. Unless it's a vessel for hire, the USCG doesn't inspect anything but safety equipment and MSDs.
B. Can you point to the section of "code" the USCG uses for seacock standards? Heck, can you just point to the "code" itself? (Hint, there's no such thing)
C. The poster you're responding to is in Australia. The US in USCG stands for United States and we didn't have a huge presence inspecting random cruisers seacocks in Australia, at least while I was serving.
D. As others have pointed out, a phenolic spacer is absolutely not an appropriate remedy for that issue.

Very true RedNeckRob... There are no CFR's that apply to items on recreational boats except safety equipment. I believe even items such as the brightness of navigation lights are requirements for Manufactures to Certify to and not required on owners. No Fines. No Worries... well, I guess you may want to worry about a hole in the hull...

[Cheechako]

I cant tell if that is a proper bronze ball valve or a common home use brass item.
Some here must have xray eyes that tell brass from bronze.
But it's not a seacock with a base against the hull either.

It's not uncommon today to just screw a ball valve onto a thru hull fitting. I'm not wild about this but it is done a lot.
If you don't want to haul the boat you can buy a ball valve whose handle will fit the ball valve you have.
Then replace the valve next time you haul. Inspect the mushroom fitting or put a proper seacock in instead.
The problem with putting a valve onto a fitting is the leverage and force when you turn a reluctant valve vs how thin the mushroom fitting is at the thread root: You can see how thin the metal is here. Once it corrodes a bit, how much is left?

[more]

Originally Posted by CruisingOz

I was exercising the stern tube water inlet seacock and the valve handle has broken off. Looks like a brass type one. Should the whole seacock be replaced or can one source just the handle?

Beneteau use Brass Ball-Valves CW617N BSP Thread with a lifespan 5 -year

buy this and exchange ,

https://www.theboatwarehouse.com.au/...e-ball-valves/

https://www.theboatwarehouse.com.au/...fitting-black/


my suggestion don't touch this valve if boat is in water. high possibility this SKIN FITTING broke.

also you can use CW602N valve but also i suggest an exchange 10 year

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by more

Beneteau use Brass Ball-Valves CW617N BSP Thread with a lifespan 5 -year

Wait they still do today? Unbelievable given the cost of new boats. If there was any aspect of a boat that I would not want a boat builder to skimp on it would be the parts that ensure the ocean remains on the outside of the hull.

[PippaB]

Well, I'm sure my boat will sink tomorrow, but pretty much all recent-era European-built boats have that ball valve arrangement. It meets CE standards and they are cheap. The four on our boat are going on 23 years old and I inspect them at every haulout (along with every other piece of underwater metal/gear). There are lots of things that can keep me up at night, but they are not on the list (I know, absolutely naïve of me).

The handles, on the other hand, are on their third generation. The originals were 304SS. It appears the OP's is as well. Deep in the damp bilge they develop crevice corrosion, usually at the attachment point where there are stress risers in the cheaply stamped hole where the valve shaft attaches to the handle. The second generation of our handles were the same thing, and died just as predictably as the first. The current generation are made from scrap G10 I had laying around. They are uncorroded and as fresh as the day they were installed (years ago).

Certainly the OP should inspect the skin fitting and the valve the next time (and every time) the boat is out of the water, but a replacement handle is dead simple, either at the plumbing store (there is no 'standard' size, so take the original to match the hole) or DIY.

[more]

Originally Posted by Statistical

Wait they still do today? Unbelievable given the cost of new boats. If there was any aspect of a boat that I would not want a boat builder to skimp on it would be the parts that ensure the ocean remains on the outside of the hull.

nope, you must understand CE and RCD only require 5 years life. CW617N easy last 10 year.

but CW602N DZR and bronze last 6 month price skyrocket close to 80%
bronze cb491k more.

i sea many times thru-hull fitting don't use an adhesive like sika but rubber gasket only. and this **** last 10 years in the charter.
but hen receive new ship simple don't have time to exchange fittings to many on boat. But i usually want to exchange toilet thru-hull and valve 1 1/2 but you don't have space for this huge valve. bronze don't last long in charter also

[jen1722terry]

Maybe check with Beneteau to see what kind of seacocks they used. Looking at your photo, it does appear to be bronze. May be salvageable with a new handle.

Just a thought.

[geoleo]

Just like the rotten plumbing in my 1990 Beneteau. Its a italian made ball valve made of several different metals . Im changing all (10)of those rotten things with Marelon plastic before I sink!!

[CruisingOz]

Thanks all for the responses.. we're getting a haul out soon.



I will promptly replace it and move on to the next thing that requires replacing... $$