[C320-list] Thru hulls

[Graeme Clark]

The problem I have  with thru-hulls is that you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t!

If you never shut it, a plastic thru-hull, is unlikely to fail whilst the boat is moored up. They don't corrode and there is no significant load on it.

BUT if you never open and shut it, it will eventually seize up (I think Marelon advise regular exercising of all their thru-hulls)
The bigger risk is probably a hose popping off the spigot of the thru-hull or splitting somewhere else below the water line. I think this is why we use double hose clips etc.

With a 20 year old boat, I notice some of my  thru-hulls are  stiff to operate and wonder if one day something will break off in my hand whilst operating it
For that reason I make sure there’s a wooden bung of the appropriate size attached with a bit of cord to each thru-hull, ready to be thrust into the breach, should it ever happen!

Graeme
Jaskar, #366

On 21 Jul 2016, at 16:39, Brian/Carol McLamb <bjcnmclamb at gmail.com> wrote:

> In my humble opinion you are doing it correctly.  We keep our boat in NC on the Neuse River in Oriental and are familiar with summer humidity.  All of our sea cocks remain closed when we are not physically present, and keep some damp rid containers in a couple of places throughout the boat.  Mold has not been an issue for us except for the year we retired and took off in the rv for an extended period of ten months.  
> 
> Brian McLamb s/v Serenity #1075
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Jul 20, 2016, at 8:57 PM, Troy Dunn <troutwarrior at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> So...we are new to the boat ownership thing.   Everything we have been
>> taught and read has led us to believe that boats in general are notorious
>> for sinking in their slips.   Usually because of some downstream failure of
>> a filter, hose, or fitting that is attached to a thru hull below the
>> waterline.   Our interpretation of that information has been to close all
>> thru hulls prior to leaving the boat for an extended period of time.  I
>> suppose what constitutes extended is open to interpretation, but as weekend
>> sailors (for now) we religiously close all thru hulls before we leave the
>> boat for the week and go back to our jobs so we can find money to pour into
>> the boat.
>> 
>> So imagine my surprise this past few weeks as various posts have surfaced
>> with problems whose solutions including zip tying a thru hull permanently
>> open.  Seriously?  Is this actually a good idea?   We are totally new to
>> this, but that sounds like a bad idea based on what we've been told by
>> folks we think know what they are talking about. Key word is think.
>> 
>> On the other hand...our boat has one of those really nice A/C systems which
>> has a humidity control function.   We've wondered aloud if it was ok to
>> leave the A/C thru hull open all week and keep the humidity out of our
>> boat.   Does the joy of knowing our clothes and bed linens won't mildew
>> outweigh the risk of arriving to a boat that has settled 4 ft. into the
>> Chesapeake muck?   Just don't know.
>> 
>> Curious about your thoughts.  We have 4 thru hulls that we have to open and
>> close each week.   Our macerater thru hull is permanently closed and wired
>> shut per regs for our location.
>> 
>> Troy and Kim Dunn
>> Hull #514.

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