tophatyachts.com

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

Tom,

That's worth sending into Cruising Helmsman.

Maybe you can make a warrenty claim.

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.

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.

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