Leaking sea cock

[Tales]

Last slip I fitted new stainless through hulls for the head and plastic sea cocks. Worked fine for about a month but after tipping Portasol down the bowl to free up the pump (and leaving it over night in the system) I discovered a bowl full of water.
If the boat is level it will not spill but I made this discovery in Bass Strait which was a bit disconcerting!
Anyway pumping it 2 hourly stopped me sinking and when not sailing the leak was sufferable.
The active agent in Portasol is advertised as Glutaraldehyde and I think it is this which damaged the seal.
May not be a problem if it is flushed through straight away?
Must admit I have had some concerns about plastic sea cocks and have now bought stainless ones.
Cheers,
Tom

[Phillip]

Tom,

That's worth sending into Cruising Helmsman.

Maybe you can make a warrenty claim.

[Jeremy]

I have been advised by some very knowledgable people that bronze skin fittings and valves are the only way to go. replace them every 5 years or so. Stainless and plastic should never be used under the waterline. stainless can get hairline fractures and break without warning and plastic breaks far too easily.

[Troppo]

That is amazing. I would never have thought that plastic sea cocks would go like that. Certainly the sea cocks are a bit of critical gear so ya don't want them leaking. Or breaking off. Or jambing open.

[Tales]

There has been a lot in the English boating press about brass (rather than bronze) sea cocks. This article seems to clarify it and discusses stainless and plastic as well.

http://www.paulstevenssurveys.com/upload/Seacocks.pdf

The author is at least a surveyor which give the reader some confidence.

Such an awful feeling seeing water inside your boat.

Cheers,

Tom