When you get that sinking feeling
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
- Just prior to weighing anchor, the galley sink refuses to drain. I remove the hose and clear the blockage, but discover that the seacock (valve) to the through-hull does not close all the way. I reconnect the hose and the boat is once again watertight.
Or so I thought. I check on it while sailing up the west side of Culebra and see that the hose is dripping. I tighten the clamps and the drip slows.
So we are off, northwest bound to the Florida Keys. The winds are fresh, and we are making good time. By the following day the leak is increasing, however. There's no turning back now (for it would be all upwind), we shall have to make repairs as we go.
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Kevin, thank you for another absorbing post. Cruising is fixing your boat not only in exotic ports but also out at sea. You are the master improviser.
Yes indeed, and when the boat is taking on water it is amazing how innovative you become ... thanks for watching
Kevin, my boat is 42 years old. Just because of their age and from no apparent deterioration, I changed all the bronze thru-hulls and valves. Turns out they were all in great condition. 5 years after installing the new thruhulls and valves, I was shutting off the valve to the head sink drain. The handle broke off in my hand and started leaking. That was the one thruhull valve that was Chinese made. The bronze was okay but the stainless valve was junk stainless. Doesn't pay to by Chinese.
Hi Patrick, yes, I saw your vid on that. These are old Wilcox-Crittenden seacocks, but alas they are succumbing to galvanic corrosion and need replacing. I'm planning to go with composite through-hulls ... do you know anything about these? At least they are not prone to electrolysis or corrosion.
@@howtosailoceans1423 I only know what I have read in Practical Sailor about Marelon valves...the thru-hulls are good but the valves have a way of breaking too soon. Then there was this comment "I replaced all original thru-hulls, both metal and plastic, with brand new Marelon. The design of Marelon thru-hulls has been improved due to improving ABYC standards, so the new ones are stronger than the old. Easier to sleep!" Flip a coin on Marelon. I am putting up a vid on Friday about sailing from coastal Africa to Zanzibar and some of the dangers out on the ocean. Upon approaching the dock in Zanzibar, I muse "What would Kevin do in this situation?" A little plug for you.
@@SailingBrickHouse-RVLife Ha! I'll look for that vid ... I think I'm going to give the Marelon a try, if anything because it's fewer things in the water to cause galvanic corrosion or leak electrical currents. So far I've generally heard positive things about them. This is the first time I've dealt with through-hull issues, so it will be a learning experience. Fair winds on the Indian Ocean ...
A good sailor is a master of all trades. You sir are a master. Great video, fair winds Brother.
Thanks Joe!
If I had a cent for every stroke of those oars, I'd be a happy sailor. Well at least what remains will make a fine knock out killing stick for dinner when I haul it on board! What material was the drain valve? A lady I have to pick up soon has hers made of bronze with(as it so happens, I was talking to her previous master this afternoon about the various holes she has) the conical shape flow stopping device that you described so I hope they are in better shape than your hole stopper! His method of maintenance was to dissemble, clean and apply a liberal coating of Vaseline or grease then back in again. Is there no tidal range thereabouts where you could careen and replace the offending article? I presume the thieving boatyards over there are just like the money grabbers oer hereabouts! Anyway until we cross tacks again, may your halyards remain up tight and your sheets taut. SkipRay in the "Kingdom".
Never ever go to sea without a bunch of old bicycle inner tubes. Bike shops will give them to you for free. I pin hole doesn’t matter. Cut off the valve stem and split it lengthwise. Wrap it tightly around any pipe, elbow or valve that leaks and you are good to go. You can even tie it back on itself so you don’t need anything special to secure it. Also, it is amazing what you can do with it on a boat to make life easier. Take several, they are good to have around and might even save your life someday.
Good video. thanks. On the wooden plugs - one of the rules for an offshore racing boat is to have a plug of the correct size for every through hull AND it should be taped to the hose that connects to the seacock. That way you don't even have to go find one. Something I always do on my cruising boat now.
An acquaintance had just launched the beautiful approx. 90 foot trawler that he had built. On the first passage after sea trials a through hull fitting fractured. The flooding could not be controlled so he tried to run her up on the beach of an island. He didn't make it and she was lost in 3,600 feet of water. The problem was that he had used inexpensive non-marine fittings. The real problem was that he did not have bungs for the through hulls. We were maybe 12 nm distant but she was gone before we arrived. The USCG beat us to the scene to pick up survivors. No hands lost.
That is sound policy. I've been rather too cavalier about such things. It only registered for real with me when the water actually started coming in and then it hits that a boat can sink.
@@howtosailoceans1423 Yup, when I purchased my 1968 Allied Luders 33 (in 2000), the previous owner had tied bungs to all the through-hulls. I just figured all vessels had these as cheap insurance in case a hose ruptured and the valve or valve handle broke or jammed.
A few years later, a friend purchased a Baba 35 that had been sitting on the hard at Herl's Harbor (Port Clinton, Oh) for years. I noted the old bronze through-hulls that were very stiff-working and hoses with severe surface cracking and told him he had better maintain those before splashing her. He ignored me and splashed her the next day (mid September). Bungs were not tied to each through-hull, either. Went out for her first test sail with him and the previous owner on my birthday right after he put her in the water. I was a little nervous about those through-hulls, but she bashed well to weather in 25 knts of wind with a full jenny and main with the rail nearly soaked. No sad related story that I know of, but then we left that marina that fall. I hope he maintained those through-hulls during the winter haul-out.
Also, wouldn't it be possible to careen your vessel and fix the through-hull at low-tide rather than going through the expense of having her hauled?
A worrying passage, but as usual, you handled it with aplomb. Well done K.
Man your content is refreshing. Enjoying what your doing.
Thanks John, thanks for watching.
Refreshing as opposed to overpaid, whiny catamaran "sailors". Agreed.
Murphy’s Law! 😉. Noted the concern in your voice but as usual you have the knowledge and skills to handle issues that come up. Didn’t hear that bell ringing so hopefully it’ll stay a nice ride.
Yes, concern indeed. Thankfully the weather was cooperative this time.
So I thought I had a pretty good flooding counter measures kit put together, but I don't have threaded pipe plugs to replace the elbows connecred to my cockpit drain seacocks yet. Thanks for another invaluable lesson in seamanship. May your winds be fair, the seas benign, and your bilges dry.
Good to hear that you have a countermeasures kit, Tom, you're ahead of the curve.
Stories like this one perfectly illustrate just how quickly a small problem can compound into a much bigger one, like driving your boat onto a reef, and should inspire those of us in your wake to cast a much more critical eye over our own boats.
Thanks for the upload under trying circumstances
Sorry you had such trials on the voyage. As always you not only addressed the issue, but you gave us a very good detailed explanation and advice. Thanks and smooth sailing for the rest of your journey.
Love it! Adaptation
Hey, Kevin. Boy, do your videos bring back memories. Thank you.
Have a brick of duct seal handy. Its cheap and will block water....good video
Thanks Kevin.....one of a single handers worst nightmares......several serious things happening at the same time......you handled it well.....trying passage.....glad you’re back.......thanks for another great video.....cheers...Stott
Great anticipation of a problem Kevin. I have a bag of wooden bungs too --- but also a plastic container of thick paste that is supposed to stop leaks as well. Unfortunately, a very large part of my hull is hidden from access, so I am pretty much limited to fixing leaks near the seacocks. So far, I have been spared that challenge. :-) Fair winds to you.
Patrick Laine , Hi Patrick have you gotten into any of the GGR activities since Jean Luc and Mark Slats have arrived ? Take care,
Jean-Luc has been on the TV here every day Tom. Just yesterday I watched an interview with him. Remarkable! 73 years old. Wow. Guess I'm good for a few more seasons……… :-)
Hi Patrick, is that thick paste some kind of cement? I try to stay on top of things but this one caught me out. Live and learn ...
If you Google 'Stay Afloat' you'll see one version of it Kevin. (I bought another brand in France. Mine looks like very thick molasses. In videos, it seems very effective for irregularly shaped holes/cracks. I have never used it yet.) You handled the problem great. BTW, I've seen videos of guys changing seacocks in the water, but if I have a choice, I'll do it on the hard. :-)
Patrick and Kevin, I just watched the video on stay afloat, it looks remarkably like water closet wax. I’ll get some and try it out on my skiff. On one of the old ships I sailed on we carried hydraulic cement but it wasn’t easy to use. I wonder if they carry it on the GGR? You guys keep sailing safe, take care.
⛵️ Thank you for sharing your journey! ⛵️
"there is indeed a reef there..."
Lmfao
Ha, ha, you just reminded me of when I was a kid sailing with my dad and I saw rocks and shouted, and he immediately looked at the chart and said: "there's no rocks here" .
@@howtosailoceans1423 That happened to a friend racing on a lake:
"When youre this far east (on course) watch for rocks"
skipper: " Oh we're fine"
sckrunchh
And I had to watch this just while I am having Breakfast. great timing on my part lol 🤢🤣😂🤣
Should've issued a trigger warning ... for barfing
Have you tried rubber expansion plugs? We use them to seal up radiator/engine ports in the auto industry. They tighten with a bolt will hold a lot of pressure. Thanks for sharing.
No, did not know such things existed. Those might work better than wooden plugs, will do a search, thanks.
Great video and tunes at the end. Cheers from John in BC!
It boggles my mind that there are people who down-voted this video. WHY? Miserable and pathetic their lives must be! Jeez. GET A LIFE.
Kevin please ignore these sad f###ers.
Rod, isn't that nuts. What oddballs. It must give them some sort of bazaar pleasure to be negative idiots.
I believe you can take a deep breath and slow your roll. People maybe down voting because it's not their cup of tea, and they want youtube to stop 'suggesting' the topic or site. It may not be the haten your implying, chill.....
Ok, so they punish this channel because they don't like what CZcams is suggesting? That's a load of crap.
There are other ways to let CZcams know you don't like the suggestions.
I'm sticking with my statement. Sad f###ers!
I was nice meeting you in Culebra... Hope to see you soon.
I think Macgyver would have also turned the oar handle into a plug ;)
Ha! Yes, been improvising a lot lately.
And with the remaining material fashioned a spreader and a tiller handle!
I was just waiting for your new upload ! Cheers
Thanks for stopping by, Robert.
Just watched this. There is a product called Noflex Digester that I put in my drains about once a month. First close the sea cock then add the stuff. Leave in for several hours. Will keep those drains clean and smell free. Use for holding tank also. Awesome stuff.
Hope all worked out well cant wait for the next video. Still love your boat even with a broken through hull lol. Cheers
Yes, I still love her too, but lately she's been giving me some real headaches. Thanks for stopping by, George.
One option is what I do to my boats. Glass all thru hulls. Drain the sink into a bucket that gets dumped overboard. Composting toilet, cockpit drains out the back.i eliminated all thru hulls on my last three boats....
Another ER supplies I sail with. Fiberglass sheets and rounds I make from a 4×8 sheet from Home Depot, $36. Self tapping screws. Plastic bag ready made. To fit my drill driver for underwater work.
It will work great to save a boat with a hole in the freeboard. Just tape on the FRP bandage screw it down. Be on your way.
Forgot! This stuff will fix a broken mast too!
Interesting. I just added Stay Afloat putty to my emergency bag, looks good for sudden leaks, won't fix a mast though ..
Thanks Kev enjoy your vids also a reminder to get some tapered plugs
They do not cost much and could save your boat. Just make sure that they fit the through hulls.
You're the ***VERY BEST!***
Nice tip about the plugs
Might be a good idea to add a drilled hole and attach a small lanyard to the plug so it can be tied to the hull and it can't be lost if it should work loose. Looks like your getting good winds and moderate seas. Happy sailing.
Ok dude I don't know what you did to that sink to make that mess, but you owe that sink dinner..... Lol. Peace guys
Yes, sink drain goo is quite appetizing, isn't it?
Question: why are there three places to rest your boom? My wife and I are starting to learn to sail on a little 16' Wayfarer. Love your videos!
Those tapered plug designed seacocks are wonderful designs and can be serviced to as good as new with a little effort.
At the next haul out or still afloat with a good plug from the water side of the fitting...back off the nut that keeps the tapered bronze plug in tension in the seacocks body.
Polish the tapered section till it shines with some 1000 grit wet and dry paper and reinstall in the body. Then put lapping oil in the little grease fitting and snug down that nut drawing the tapered plug.
Now the fun begins....open and close the valve a few hundred times. This will allow the surfaces of the tapered plug to match perfectly with the body of the fitting.
Adjust the firmness of the valve to suit your taste.
I have restored many a valve that has been pitted avoiding the hassle of seacock removal/ replacement and of course the expense.. As I said you can even do the job in the water with a proper wood plug from the overboard side when haul out facilities are not available .
While a bit of work , it converts to many additional beers and provisions when you factor in the cost of a haul out, and a new bronze
W/C. style seacock.
Let us know how bad that tapered bronze fitting turned out to be....
Remember ..."
YACHTING IS GLAMIOURUS"
and....
"Beyond All Things Is The Sea"
Thanks for your outstanding video work
Interesting Tom! I will be interested to hear your comments on my upcoming vid on how I temporarily repaired the seacock. Yes, galvanic pitting appeared to be the problem, resulting in the valve not closing because the edges of the hole in the plug were eaten away. I think I have things repaired well enough to wait until my regularly scheduled haulout in the summer .
I keep a couple rolls of rubber water proof tape aboard. It can be applied and stick underwater. I use it on rubber hose, nylon tubing and silicone tubing. It streches tight. I get it from Home Depot ducting aisle. It does not like hot sun.
$10 a roll. I have saved a dink during erma and a broken 90 through hull that I wraped under water. On a Island Trader 38.
When are you expecting to hit Florida? We're here in Palm Beach aboard our 51' Formosa. Please stop by! We have aan incredible anchorage...
I've looked at anchoring in Palm Beach ... where's the best spot? How about dinghy dock access?
Another great video. High adventure assured, catastrophe likely, low probability of success...damn the torpedoes, let's go sailing! Bee's wax comes in handy especially when the duct tape sticks only to itself in that situation.
I noticed the vane is letting Ruth wander through about 30 degrees. For your set-up would tightening the sheet to the tiller reduce that? Why no beads at the mainsail luff?
Love your videos. You are a wealth of knowledge, but be very careful using your plane that way, one little slip and and your fingertip(s) are gone.
The best pump in the world is a scared sailor with a five gallon bucket.
Bravo on the little Stanley 110 block plane,such a useful tool. Shine her up when you get back to port.
Question: can you determine if the planking around the thru hull hole is still sound or has it gotten wet enough to begin to weaken? I'd hate to be driving a plug it and crack a seam out there.
Hope you Fair winds continue and
Best wishes
She's fiberglass, so no problems with that. I've got things stabilized now without a haulout, but next haulout all through-hulls will be replaced.
If you have one showing corrosion, it's probably a safe bet that the others are needing replacement also. Good plan by my standards. The navy uses tapered plugs all the time so you know they work. Happy sailing.
Nice, compact video, Kevin. Those DC (damage control) plugs are great and if you drill a small hole near the thick end and thread a piece of small line through the hole, you can tie the plug loosely around the base of every thru hull and have it hanging there ready for instant use in case of an emergency.
Have you ever used "Splash Zone" by Petit for those annoying leaks? It can actually be applied underwater! Perfect for that thru-hull job. Also "Rescue Tape" available at the big box stores. Temporary but works well for leaky pipes. Of course, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that there weren't any big box stores or marine supply places near you out there...nice job...
Hove to in a gale at night about 80 nm off the beach something stove in the stbd bow. Three planks were sprung and we were shipping water. Splash Zone saved the day and allowed us to control the leaks until making port. (From our position a stbd tack was impossible to make landfall.)
Hi John, no, I haven't heard of Splash Zone, will take a look. I have the leak very nearly stopped now, hopefully well enough to last until I haul out over the summer. Will purchase a roll of rescue tape just in case.
@@MrLikeke Yikes, I do not like it when the boat starts taking on water. Of course traditional wooden boat owners are somewhat used to it, I suppose ...
Kev, a least check out the Marlon thru from Forespar? I've installed quite a few for folks ,for years now, no complaints, ever one loves em, super strong, last seemingly in definately! ( free advice from old boat fixer )
Yes, that's what I'm thinking of doing, thanks Don.
I hope we all get a close up look at that naughty seacock ,there is some scuttlebut about nylon for sink drains, if you have no engine get rid of the lot
I plan to replace them with composite through hulls, at least no galvanic action that way.
I think the new bronze ones are marked Dcr or is it dzr these won’t corrode
Good stuff.
Its easier to shape the plug while its still part of the oar, then cut it off afterwards.
There are the foam plugs that have received good reviews, do to their ability to conform to irregular shaped opening. There are a couple of good vids around of a yacht magazine testing/sinking a boat for emergency procedures. Also, there's tapes available like rigging tape or a plumbers tape like, 'Flex Seal'. I have used exterior window flange sealing tape to make a temporary repair to hull deck joint after being hammered in a hurricane.
Interesting, yes, one of the problems I had when plugging the through-hull from the outside are the flanges on the inside of the through-hull used for installing and removing--can't get a wooden plug past them.
from one singlehander to another- i have to ask- why don't you have tapered plugs tied to every seacock............that was a nice oar.
we had this, a seacock we thought worked,but when we took the hose off water came in because the handle had separated from the ball
Scary when that happens ...
Well done as always Kevin! What are your best sources of of weather offshore?
My best source is my only source: the US Coast Guard weather on HF 6510, 8764, 13089 USB.
@@howtosailoceans1423 thanks!
Rust is the poor mans loctite
Ha, ha ... I have had many stainless steel hose clamps completely disintegrate when trying to undo them.
Judging by the verdgris and pitting I would say you have dezincification of your valves and skin fittings, probably worth changing
Agreed, the through hulls are succumbing to galvanic corrosion (from what I can tell). Will need to be replaced next haulout.
Have you ever done a walkthrough of your boat? I’d love to see one if you are comfortable with that
Maybe time for a set of marelon seacocks? Not subject to electrolysis!
Thanks! That's exactly what I am thinking for my next haulout. Some of them do not require bolting to the hull either, so easy installation.
Clearly neither one of you has broken the handle off your marelon seacock. Happens way too often.
I can't picture where the plug goes. Are you removing the current hardware then fighting a full force flood while driving it in? Seems risky to me.
Ahh, someone's paying attention here. What I would have done is sawed off the elbow and drove the plug in there, with the seacock closed as far as I could get it. Or I may have attempted to drive it in from the outside, although I subsequently found out that is not so simple because of the prongs on the inside used for removing the mushroom limit how far you can drive a plug in. I have since taken Patrick Laine's advice (check out his channel, btw) and bought some of that "Stay Afloat" putty just in case.
@@howtosailoceans1423 Skipper, thanks for the reply. That makes sense. Also, you write how you speak. That's an enjoyable quality.
Improvise adapt and overcome, its the same t shirt all through the show, chances Are they all need changing the new bronze dont suffer electrolysis, there markd cvr or dcr something like that ,somewhere i have a tube of leak fix
From an 'armchair sailor', I wonder if it would be helpful to have a vise that could be mounted when needed on board?
Indeed, a vise would be immensely helpful, but I've never figured out where to mount it. It's kinda unsightly on the chart table ...
Lashed out on a used iPad Air the ocean looks like a Hollywood back screen someone chuck a bucket of ogling over the skipper before we wrap
You seem more upset about it happening just before a big passage. Would you rather have it happen while you were underway? It's like when people get upset that their plane has a mechanical delay. I always say that I'm glad we found out now and not at 40k feet.
How long have you been living on an engineless boat full time? And been sailing for? How long to hone your skills? From the Land Locked Soldier.
Yes, for about the past dozen years. I've been sailing since I was a kid (my dad is a sailor). I"m always honing my skills, but most of my skills got really honed when I purchased the boat in 2001 and started crossing oceans.
what is your typical speed under sail ?
With a fair wind, 5 to 6 knots.
why didnt you stay out longer ?
Out where?
i am not using a sink...just a bowl
Ouch! cutting that oar must have been painful, emotionally speaking. Keep going (Like you have a choice) LOL.
G, SV Intuition
Ha, ha, well having had the nutshell trashed, I have several spare oars ...
A cedar oar, I have a hard time believing that, cedars seems way to soft and weak for such a product.
Ooops, just realized that I mispoke! It's spruce, not cedar. Thanks for catching that...
Well, funny thing, after watching your video, I did some googling and some sites do talk of using cedar for oars. For the live of me I don't get it, I have used cedar for exterior construction and would not think of it as being strong enough for oars, but???
@@raynic1173 The only place I have cedar is the ceiling (lining) on the inside of the hull, inside the cabin. Looks nice, and is also somewhat fragrant if you leave it unfinished. For oars and spars, generally some type of fir is best.
Yeah, I know cedar has even been used for hull planking. But back in the day I did have a dinghy motor and pulling on a pair of oars in to a 18 mph head wind (my personal limit) generates some stress on the oars. The other thing that has a bearing is the varying sub-species that's chosen.
Never go to sea without a bung. Navy bungs are bigger.
Hey Kevin those sea cocks should allow you to tighten them in the closed position. Should be a nut on the Handle side you can pull the taper in to the valve body effectively shutting it down. Of course your probably figured that out by now. Scary having uncontrollable water coming in. Take care, oh enjoyed the guitar also.
The old drum machine kicking in kills it for me bud. I've watched all of your videos and I'm guessing you have done the music your self. I like your format and the way its informative... I just cringe when I hear the drum machine kick in.. your guitar is great tho! just no more cheasy drum machine please...
Seems like the old wives' tale is true - bad things happen in threes. Sink drain leaky, through hull corroded and oops(!) is that a reef? So now - it's an easy broad reach to Key West, right?
Keep a Positive Mental Attitude, it might actually happen...... prolly not though, sigh. Enjoy all your video efforts, even the ones that are not all fair winds and ...yada yada yada.
Thanks Jerry, except it was more than three's this time. Sternlight is out, plus I have a propane leak. New wiring and flexible gas hose are expected to show up by Wednesday. Ugggh! This is supposed to be my playtime.
Love your videos but the verbal crutches (so, ah, um) make it painful to listen to.
It's a hard habit to break
I bet it is hard. If our paths ever cross I'll make an annoying comment every time you do it which will go a long way to helping you stop (if you can resist punching me in the nose long enough)