Strainers

[larglo]

Hi all,

When my engine overheated on my last trip of the season, I learned a lot about why. A raw water strainer seemed like a good idea, and I still believe it is, and will install one this spring.

But yesterday I was at the marina getting my boat moved to another (cheaper) slip, when the fellow marina worker towing my boat informed me of another houseboat that was sinking at that very moment. There has been several boat, (4 or so ) sink since I've been there and I ask him why.

He told me that there are several boat owners that simply don't check on their boats. One example was a boat owner not using or even checking on his boat in over a year.

He then went on and told me that boats with raw water strainers that have the glass bowl, can freeze or just crack and sink a boat.

While he was telling me all this and other reasons boats sink, I was thinking about the strainer I was going to install,,,,,and thought, it may be a good idea to to turn the seacock valve "OFF" each time leaving the boat!
But always remember to turn it back "ON" before taking her out!

Those of you that have raw water strainers,,,,what are your methods of using them, or safety rules for them?

Larry

[captainmaniac]

My strainers (for AC and Genny) have the plastic bowl / site jar instead of glass. I check them periodically, and have replaced one that I didn't like the 'spider cracks' in.

I haul for winter so don't have to worry about freezing up.

If you can make yourself follow the regimen of closing / opening all seacocks every time you leave / arrive at the boat then what you are suggesting is definitely an insurance policy... but probably not really necessary.

Oh yeah - the other thing is the 'support system'. People at my marina are pretty good in terms of 'neighbourhood watch'. If something funny appears to be going on with the boat (like bilge pump running a lot or boat sitting low in the water) people tend to investigate and call the owner or notify the marina staff. If you are in a similar type of facility then you are probably safe to leave the seacocks open. If you keep the boat on a dock where typically nobody is around, then closing/opening might be worthwhile.

[randyp]

I don't have a seacock on the raw water inlet, and have been plannning on installing one for about 10 years now......I haul in the winter and trust to luck and good dock mates. But.....one-a-these-days my luck will run out, I just know it!

[Molly Too]

I agree with your point about closing the seacocks. However in my case, modifications by previous owners (geny, battery banks & ac), have left these valve handles practiclly imposible to access without removing all of the furniture & carpet and then standing on my head with a wrench strapped to my wrist to get to them. I'm seriously thinking about relocating them on my next haul out. How about the impact to the integrity of the hull? Is this reasonable to consider?

[Paul]

Mel,

It's absolutely something you can consider. Look at the West System site and you'll be able to get info on how to patch holes in your hull. I have done this in the past and I do believe that the repair ends up stronger than the hull itself.

Another option is to leave the valves in place, cap them then install new valves where they are more accessible.

[gettaway]

seacocks, don't you need them in order to insure the boat and pass a coast guard safety inspection? (hope you have a bunch of tapered plugs and a hammer in your bilge)
Without, as i just found out, means you must pull the transmission cooler to see if your are sucking up debris and pushing it through the cooling system, a strainer lets you see with a flashlight. probably not a bad idea on a regimented cycle, but I like to check this kind of stuf before and after every run.

Non-use, I belong to a small yacht club and we are fortunate enough to own our own marina, we are a nonprofit club, which in turn makes our slip fees very inexpensive and very much in demand (8 year wait list for a 36' slip) within the club we have a "boat survey committee"
the purpose of this committe is to ensure that all boats berthed at our marina meet a minimum yachting standard, which requires all boat to be able to get underway at anytime under it's own power (or sail) however, you must prove this only once per year. If a boat appears to be abandoned, neglected or just simply in long term storage, the survey committee can request that the boat be brought to the minimum standards, prove it can get underway or risk loosing the slip (very valuable in so cal)
minimum yachting standards by our definition is actually pretty relaxed, such as, appropriate dock lines and condidtion for the size of boat, no tattered and flapping canvas, a few wash jobs a year, the osprey leave great tattletales if you dont, no fuel or oil coming from the bilge pump
registration / documentation and insurance, preferred but not required, no US or Foriegn ensigns or club burgees in torn tattered or extremely faded condition, or left out indefinately (I have a Navy past so find this hard to believe anyone would do this anyway)

[RWS]

any below the water line fitting should have a seacock.

I bought my boat from the original owner who for 18 years rarely saw his own bilge.

The seacocks were rarely if ever used and were solidly frozen open. No chance to save them.

Surveyor was deadly serious with me regarding this issue and I took a 2 week vacation at a do it yourself haul out yard when I bought her to handle all of the most serious items on the surveyor's list.

The seacocks were the #1 item.

Not worth the risk.

RWS

[Paul]

Who said anything about getting rid of the sea cocks. I'm talking about relocating them to make them accessible.

[captainmaniac]

If you do relocate thru-hulls, you need to keep in mind the hull dynamics while under way. Engine intakes will need a good / clear supply of relatively non-turbulent and non-aerated water - don't move the thru-hulls too close to the props or keel, or other underwater fitting that could cause turbulence (ie speed or depth transducer or stabilizer).

For A/C and Genny : if you don't intend to run them while under way you can get away with moving those fittings forward (perhaps closer to the unit), but remember that while on plane they may be out of the water and unusable!

Think it all through before you drill!!!!

[gettaway]

Paul,

I wasn't infering that you didnt have seacocks, but on of the previous posts said they did not.....

[davidsmith]

If you close the seacock to prevent freezing make sure you drain the water.

[rbcool]

As I usualy say on here....... Peace of mind == Priceless !!
You definitely should have your seacocks easily reachable for emergencies.
One thing I was surprised about on this very well engineered Trojan was there were NO strainers on either engine or genny. But there is one for the AC units
I'm putting all new ones on her, the more expensive Lexan type. Less likely to crack. JMHO

Ron

[Paul]

Gettaway,

Oops. My bad.

[larglo]

Randy,

All seacocks had been replaced with new ones just before I bought the boat. When we removed the hose to drain the water trying to find the reason for the engine overheat, the raw water hose tore very easily when removing it from the seacock. It appeared to be dry rotting badly, and shivers went down my spine thinking of what may have happened if a tear in the hose started without me knowing it.

I am new at this boating thing and knew nothing of what a "seacock" was, but now that I do, now,,,,I would have a constant shiver down my spine knowing the boat was without one!

Sure hope you get one!

Larry

[gettaway]

no worries paul...