[Rhodes22-list] Rhodes 22 in St. Maarten

[ROGER PIHLAJA]

Hi Peter,

If you check any reference on best principles and practices for thru hulls, they all specify a ¼ turn full port (i.e. no obstruction to flow when the valve is 100% open) shutoff valve at each thru hull.  Valves that meet this criteria include tapered plug petcocks and ball valves.  Most thru hulls use tapered plug petcocks because they are easier to service.  In my chemical engineering job, I had access to chrome plated 316L stainless steel ¼ turn ball valves with glass filled PTFE seals that never need any maintenance.  I have 3 of these ball valves on S/V Dynamic Equilibrium, under the galley sink and 2 more in the lazarette compartment for the seat drains.  The only thru hull that doesn’t have a shutoff valve is the cockpit drain because it is so close coupled to the thru hull; that, there isn’t physical space for any sort of shutoff valve.  However, I keep a tapered wooden plug on board ready to pound into that thru hull if it should have an issue.

The hose, the hose clamp (i.e. corrosion failure), and the hose barb on the thru hull itself are all potential failure points.  For example, suppose you are sailing on port tack and a sudden gust of wind causes a knock down.  Something heavy in the cupboard slams into the hose or thru hull, rupturing it.  You are so busy trying to reduce sail, get the boat back upright, get the water out of the cockpit; that, by the time you notice, you already have water in the cabin over the cabin sole and rising fast.  Remember, the leak is hidden inside the cupboard, so you can’t see it.  The boat has already sunk on her lines enough to submerge the thru hull and you have no way to stop the flow.  You’re going down!  Except for the thru hull failure, I’ve actually experienced this scenario.  Anyone who sails on blue water needs to take stuff like this seriously.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium



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From: Peter Nyberg<mailto:peter at sunnybeeches.com>
Sent: Friday, January 7, 2022 9:17 PM
To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Rhodes 22 in St. Maarten

Roger,

Could you please describe the scenario in which the failure of one of those hoses would cause the boat to founder quickly?  I'm not quite seeing it, and I'd guess that Dynamic Equilibrium is the only boat in the R22 fleet with a valve on that thru hull.

BTW, I hope your recovery is going well.

Peter Nyberg
Coventry, CT
s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)

> On 2022-01-07, at 18:15:10 EST, ROGER PIHLAJA wrote:
>
> Hi Rob,
>
> You might want to install a real thru hull with a valve.  If one of those hoses
> fail, you’re going down pretty quick!  It’s a pretty easy upgrade and definitely
> cheap insurance.  It was one of the first things I changed on S/V Dynamic
> Equilibrium after I bought the boat in 1987.
>
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium