[C320-list] seacock access

Mon Jun 8 05:25:54 PDT 2015

Hi Ted,

I'm not a fan of the design.  I wish I could tell you "where" they tend to
break, but I only have one data point. But mine broke right at the base of
the handle where the little white removable thru-hull plug is stored.  This
plug covers up the screw that holds the handle in place.  If the handle just
breaks off squarely at this spot, I suspect you'll get no water.  If there
is any damage to the cylinder portion of the handle that is held in with the
screw, then there could be a nice little gusher.  A roll of rescue tape
would easily handle this kid of leak.  Highly recommended that you keep a
few rolls of this on board anyway.  (I believe I started seeing this at Home
Depot recently).

Whatever you do, unless you plug the thru-hull from under the boat, *do not*
remove that screw holding the handle in.  Not only will the water blow all
the parts deep into the bilge, you won't be able to get all the parts back
in place with any water flowing through this hole.  

For the newer owners, each thru-hull has a white removable PLUG on the
handle with a little loop on the end.  Attach a piece of small diameter line
to the loop, dive under the boat and put the plug in the hole.  Fix the
thru-hull/whatever and then you can pull on the line to remove the thru-hull
plug (in theory) to save you from a second dive.

I discovered when I was replacing the valve tailpiece assembly with one of a
different configuration.  There are 4 Philips head machine screws that hold
the tail piece onto the thru-hull.  If you find that one of your thru-hulls
is really hard to operate, try loosening each of these machine screws just a
tiny amount.  They seem to regulate the pressure on the ball valve seals and
might make it easier to operate and put less stress on the handle.  

-Jeff Hare
#809

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf
Of tharrison at innovations-plus.com
Sent: Monday, June 8, 2015 8:02 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] seacock access

Jeff what is the impact on breaking a handle on the water? How much water
will enter?  Will water only enter when you are replacing the handle? 

Ted hull 424 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 8, 2015, at 7:54 AM, "Jeff Hare" <Catalina at thehares.com> wrote:
> 
> Unless it's easy enough to operate so that you can open and close it 
> with just your little finger I wouldn't even consider a cable.  The 
> handles on the valves we have are crap.  I've broken one in the past 
> (out of the water
> fortunately) and there was hardly any effort, just pressing on the end.  
> 
> When I open/close them I now use a whole hand and rotate it like I'm 
> opening a jar, rather than just yanking on the end of the handle 
> because of how firm they are even when clean and well lubed.  The 
> larger version of these thruhulls have a nice rugged handle and would 
> be a better candidate for operating by cable, but I still think it needs a
stronger handle for this.
> 
> -Jeff
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On 
> Behalf Of Warren Updike
> Sent: Sunday, June 7, 2015 2:43 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] seacock access
> 
> Defender $825 for Groco FBVE-750. Way past my threshold. 
> Jeff, what's wrong with my rotary cable connection to valve handle 
> idea? You didn't give that so much as a "by your leave." (Whatever 
> that was supposed to mean.) Maybe the most reasonable approach is to
relocate the thru hull.
> I'm with you on reaching under the bedding. I don't need to see the 
> valve either. There are more pressing issues at hand.
> 
> Warren and Pattie Updike
> 1994 C320 "Warr de Mar" #62
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeff Hare [mailto:Catalina at thehares.com]
> Sent: Friday, June 05, 2015 4:25 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] seacock access
> 
> I think if you really want to solve this raw water intake valve access 
> problem there are really only a few choices.
> 
> 1)  Alter the wooden cover board behind the aft engine cover so that 
> you easily reach under the mattress and operate the valve without 
> needing to disturb the aft cabin bed or wrestle the board out from under
the aft engine
> cover.   You might even find a way to hinge the board so that you could
prop
> the mattress up with it so you could access the strainer.
> 
> 2)  Change the location of the raw water intake valve.  The valve is 
> about 4 feet of hose away from the pump.  You could put a new 
> thru-hull and possibly a larger raw water strainer under the galley 
> sink.  "More mature" hulls like yours would probably have to add the 
> access door under the nav station like the "less mature" hulls have.  
> (not that we wanna spend too much time talking about how your mature 
> your hull is... :)
> 
> 3) Find some way to add an access door just aft of the rear engine cover.
> You'd probably have to Re-locate the raw water strainer.
> 
> 4) Replace the thruhull with a Groco E-Valve.
> 
> Door #1 would be the best choice in my opinion...
> 
> Yea, it's a pain but I can reach in and open/close it without needing 
> to see it, so it's not risen to the level of being in need of change.
> 
> -Jeff Hare
> #809
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On 
> Behalf Of Warren Updike
> Sent: Friday, June 5, 2015 2:27 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] seacock access
> 
> Boy, I'd love to find a workable solution for this. Forespar does not 
> have a catalog product but can custom make a remote operated valve for 
> $300-400. If interested, contact Art Bandy, via the contact web page:
> http://www.forespar.com/support/contactUs.shtml
> 
> I was thinking of a mechanical solution such as an actuator cable that 
> can be manually operated without crawling under the bed. Perhaps a 
> rotating solution such that the cable can be attached to the handle 
> with the axis of the cable aligned with the axis of the valve. An 
> issue would be the torque necessary to turn the handle vs the specs of 
> the cable. Teleflex cables are used on our engines; but, that is a
longitudinal force vs a rotating force.
> Any thoughts?
> 
> Warren and Pattie Updike
> 1994 C320 "Warr de Mar" #62
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Lowe [mailto:wflowe3 at aim.com]
> Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2015 6:26 AM
> To: c320-list at catalina320.com
> Subject: [C320-list] seacock access
> 
> Has anyone devised an easier way to get to the raw water seacock??
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 