Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
I keep reading about seacocke on boats and the danger and importance of thier functions .Do I need to worry about it in my 1988 Catalina 25 swing keel. I leave the boat unattended for long time quite often.
Any hole below the waterline raises concerns, and seacocks are one of them. Relative to older C-25s (up to the early 1980s), you have several advantages: Your factory thru-hulls are made of a plastic or composite material with flanges on the outside of the hull (not the infamous "to-hull" pipes), and your seacocks are the ball-valve type (not gate valves). It's always a good idea to leave them closed when not in use, and to have two quality stainless steel hose clamps holding the hose on each one--if you see any signs of corrosion, replace them, but from a marine supplier--not a hardware store. Occasional lubrication is worthwhile--some folks just put some vegetable oil in their drains once in a while, and then exercise the valve a little. For winter storage, make sure they're open and some anti-freeze has been run through the hoses so freezing doesn't break the seacocks. Otherwise, I'd say sleep comfortably.
Dave Bristle Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired), Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
For less than $20 USD pick up "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" by Don Casey. He talks about thru-hulls here but a lot of other items that are very applicable to your '88 and just as important.
If you have bronze thru-hulls (I have one on my boat) he suggest scratching it with something sharp: if the metal has a pinkish hue to it, that means it should be replaced.
The volcano style thru-hulls are easy to spot and should absolutely be replaced. It's not a super hard repair and it isn't extremely expensive, either.
....The volcano style thru-hulls are easy to spot and should absolutely be replaced. It's not a super hard repair and it isn't extremely expensive, either.
...and not an issue on the 1988.
Dave Bristle Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired), Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
As cold weather approaches, I will add the marine anti-freeze (not to be diluted) into my sinks and then open the seacock until the anti-freeze drops below the sink drain. That way, I know that the majority of the hose line leading to the seacock is filled with the anti-freeze.
When I have my boat raised for it's annual pressure wash, I shove a small epoxy brush with synthetic grease up into the bottom of the seacock. Then when I can get back onboard my boat, I cycle the seacock a few times. This keeps the seacock from getting too tight to operate.
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.