robMc
regular
Reged: 05/12/2006
Posts: 47
Loc: Nth East Scotland
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Just a quick question about Sea Cocks on a jabsco sea toilet.
I know how to work the flush & refill and I know that the sea cocks should be closed when the boat is left (on a pontoon mooring). But in the user manual there are warnings about closing the sea cocks when not in use.
Now does this mean that they should only be opened when someone needs to use the lav? (Cue. crawling on hands and knees and lifting 2 locker hatches OR can I open them before a trip and then close them before leaving the boat at the end of the day.
To avoid questions, the toilet was professionally installed at the time of build (Hardy Marine) the previous owner had never used it and simply did not have a clue about this question... there's quite a lot else he didn't know.. but that's another story!
Thanks in advance for your pearls of wisdom 
Rob
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RobMc
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TugWilson
regular
Reged: 01/02/2007
Posts: 452
Loc: Alexandria,Egypt.(For Now)
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I only close mine when there is nobody onboard or the boat is going to be left unattended for a while,Normaly when the boat is in use the seacocks are left open (i stand to be corrected if my method is considered "bad form"  )
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Never Argue With An Idiot,They Drag You Down To Their Level And Beat You With Experience
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Kawasaki
regular
Reged: 21/06/2004
Posts: 4317
Loc: Anglesey Wales
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As per TW
Close when leaving the boat for some time.
'Some Time' I dunno, maybe a week or so?
Leave 'Open' whilst the boat is 'active'
One thing I do with My Cock is to manipulate it from time to time.
The Sea cock too.
They tend to seize up if they are not 'worked' regularly.
Made of steel and bronze/ brass + the salt water element, tiss a recipe for disaster if not moved now and again.
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Jerk of all trades. Expert in none.
Plus Don,t do serious, lifes too short.
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carlton
regular
Reged: 08/09/2005
Posts: 2387
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It makes sense to close any seacock when you're not on board the boat, i.e., it's unlikely to sink from an open seacock if the seacock's are shut. Having said that, does anyone on here know of any boat that has actually sunk due to a dodgy seacock ?
Of course, the difficult thing to do is to remember to open your raw water intake(s) before frying your engine, so many people just don't bother.
I'd open the bog seacock when on board, and shut it before you step off the boat, but it's your call/boat. 
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'You run through here, with your words of sand -
I can nearly understand....'
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Gwylan
regular
Reged: 31/05/2007
Posts: 194
Loc: Portishead, on tour
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Simple and practical solution, go to nearest hardware shop and buy a red bucket and a blue bucket. In addition you will need a hank of sash cord and a set of white stick on letters.
Carefully cut the sash cord into two equal lengths.
Using the stick on letters mark each bucket with your boat name - looks stylish and it means that any wreckage can be easily identified.
With the most seaman like knot that you know attach a length of the sash cord to each bucket.
For extra style and finesse you can put a figure of eight knot or something similar in the free end of each of the lines.
Now establish a boat rule that you apply with a brutal rigor and unstinting violence - usually something like 'red before bed use blue and your dead'
Now, instill in crew, family and whatever friends you still have that they use the red bucket to relieve themselves and the blue bucket for boat washing and personal hygiene opportunities.
Your final moment of triumph is to weld the sea cocks shut and sleep easy.
An unexpected by product of this is that less and less people want to spend time on your boat - as they find sitting on the red bucket in the cockpit, whilst the rest of the party are enjoying and early evening G&T, mildly inhibiting. The other hint is not to invite back those who enjoy this invigorating routine
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houghn
regular
Reged: 20/04/2004
Posts: 2569
Loc: Birmingham-sur-Mer
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I only ever close the sea cocks to work them occasionally to stop them seizing. The rest of the time they're open. If they're going to break, they'll do it when underway, when they'll be open anyway. Only other risk is electrolysis, so I keep an eye on that, although recently found a couple of sea cocks I didn't even know I had for the cockpit drains.
Insurance companies say they have very few claims relating to flooding due to sea cocks being left open, but plenty of engine seizures due to them being left closed.
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rickp
regular
Reged: 10/11/2002
Posts: 5183
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Quote:
Insurance companies say they have very few claims relating to flooding due to sea cocks being left open, but plenty of engine seizures due to them being left closed.
Would your insurance company pay up if you screwed your engine because you didn't open a seacock?
Rick
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jfm
regular
Reged: 16/05/2001
Posts: 6934
Loc: London/Antibes
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Well it's all down to your personal view of risks and stuff and for sure you are more likely to die in a car crash driving to the boat than have it sink due to an open seacock. I've had my current boat 4 years and always leave it parked the seacocks open. Life is just way too short to worry about stuff like this and to waste time opening/closing seacocks everytime you want a slash or arrive/go home
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Gwylan
regular
Reged: 31/05/2007
Posts: 194
Loc: Portishead, on tour
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Have you checked them recently? Found out the hard way, with floor boards floating that the sea cocks were not all they might be!
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No_Regrets
regular
Reged: 09/07/2007
Posts: 1054
Loc: Welwyn Garden City, Herts UK.
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I leave my single seacock open, although I'm only on the Thames in around a fathom.
The pipe from the seacock is in good condition and secure, whats more it ends up above water level, so is the only weak point (i.e. anything else in the system isn't going to have an effect if it fails at berth)
I see no reason a solidly mounted chunk of brass should fail.
(Ice excepted)
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