Sea cock?

N

NWhippie

New Member
Aug 29, 2009
61
Puget Sound, WA
Boat Info
1994 250 Express Cruiser
Engines
5.7L Mercruiser

Bravo II
Seacock?

We've had our '94 express cruiser for a couple of years now and in investigating a wet carpet in the galley, I discovered a removable hatch under the step-up to the helm. Inside there is access to a small bilge area with a pump and float switch. There is also a sea cock which was in the closed position. This was taking place when the boat was on the trailer in the driveway so I figured opening it wouldn't sink me or anything. :wink: Anyway, when I opened it, I heard a small rush of liquid in the hull and then nothing. I returned the handle to the closed position and then went about looking for the source of the water leak. I had just filled my water tank until it ran out the side discharge hole and discovered that overfilling it was causing the leak and it was originating inside that hatch I found.

My question is: Why would I have a sea cock there? My head is a portable with 5 gallon holding and a thru-hull pump-out. Although I have a macerator control panel with a key, nothing happens when I turn the key. My mechanic also said I don't have a macerator. Were all these items installed on all boats in case a dumping system was later installed or do I actually have the ability to dump overboard (when legal to do so)?

Thanks for any help with this.

NWH
 
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There are a limited number of things that a seacock is hooked to. They are either for sucking water in for cooling (AC, engine), sucking water in for a livewell, or discharging the holding tank. I would guess in your case it is the macerator discharge.... There should be some schematic info for your boat somewhere. I went to the sea ray website and it appears they have pulled down the manuals for particular boats in their archives and only have "spec sheets" now... that sucks.

It's a good idea to indentify and know where every underwater through hull is on a boat and know how to get to them. Hoses break off/come loose... seacocks can even break off... and you should have the ability to plug a leak. Given the age of your boat, you may want to even check all the hoses hooked to seacocks to see if they need replacing.

BTW... "seacock" is one word... "sea cock" would be using "sea" as an adjective for a cock... There are a few sea cocks around CSR and you want to make sure to ignore their advice about seacocks.
 
Re: Seacock?

Thanks for the info and correction on the use of "seacock". If it is in fact a macerator discharge, would there be a separate power switch or breaker for it? As I said, when I turn the key switch in the head, nothing happens.

Ed
 
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NWhippie said:
Thanks for the info and correction on the use of "seacock". If it is in fact a macerator discharge, would there be a separate power switch or breaker for it? As I said, when I turn the key switch in the head, nothing happens.

Ed
Click to expand...

Look at the seacock again. Many times there is a switch on the thing so if the seacock is closed, the macerator pump will not turn on...
 
Could also be a raw water wash down. Are you able to follow the hose from the seacock to a pump?
 
Four Suns said:
BTW... "seacock" is one word... "sea cock" would be using "sea" as an adjective for a cock... There are a few sea cocks around CSR and you want to make sure to ignore their advice about seacocks.
Click to expand...

I don't think you can use that word here...you are required to use the "alternate" word which in this instance I believe is parakeet.

So, he needs to work on his seaparakeet.
 
mistercomputerman said:
I don't think you can use that word here...you are required to use the "alternate" word which in this instance I believe is parakeet.

So, he needs to work on his seaparakeet.
Click to expand...

Parakeet Auklet
PAAU_hold.jpg
A close look at a Parakeet Auklet.​
Parakeet Auklets are in the family of birds known as the Alcidae which are commonly referred to as the auks. The Alcidae family consists of murres, puffins, murrelets, and other auks. All of the birds in this family are characterized by their ability to fly through the air as well as dive underwater using their wings to swim. Like all seabirds, Parakeet Auklets spend most of their lives at sea, coming to land only to breed and raise young. They breed sometimes in huge numbers on coastal headlands and islands throughout Alaska and Asia. Parakeet Auklets got their name because of their unusually shaped bill, which is almost round like that of a parrot. This unique bill shape helps them to feed on their favorite foods of slimy jellyfish and zooplankton. Since jellyfish are relatively slow moving, Parakeet Auklets do not need to swim as fast or dive as deep as other alcids that feed on small fish. When they come to land to breed, they scramble around quite well, despite their large webbed feet and pot-bellied appearance. Auklet breeding colonies are noisy affairs as thousands of males screech and ‘whinny’ to advertise their presence. They usually nest in the crevices of rocks or under the shelter of boulders, but they are very capable of digging burrows in the soil to nest in. There they lay a single white egg that is incubated by both parents. The chick stays in the nest site until fully grown, where it waits for its parents to return from sea with food. When the chick has grown enough to fly, it leaves its crevice at night and flies out to sea. Its parents stop taking care of it once it leaves the nest and so it must quickly learn to swim and find food on its own.
 
mistercomputerman said:
I don't think you can use that word here...you are required to use the "alternate" word which in this instance I believe is parakeet.

So, he needs to work on his seaparakeet.
Click to expand...

Surely people realize that sea cock is used around sea men...

Speaking of seacocks... where is...?
 
What are the odds this thread will last until Tuesday night?:lol:
 
Re: Seacock?

Ok guys, thanks for the aviary lesson. I have determined that it is an ob discharge. I removed a panel in the head that covers the pump-out hose. There is a T connecter with another hose going off between the helm bulkhead and the head which then goes down into the hatch where the water tank is located and into about a 6 or 8 inch round device with what looks like a diaphram in the middle of it. Is this the macerator? There is a water pump attached to that device and a hose coming off the other side which ends up at the seacock.

I also removed the control panel in the head and found two wires coming from key set (although there are three blades) with one going to the fuse module and the other into the bulkhead along with the other from the fuse. If I was electrical literate, I could probably put a volt meter in there and figure out where the fault was but I wouldn't know what to check.

Also, no luck with the seacock open either although there is a ground wire attached to the base of it and going up into the bulkhead.

Does that all sound like a macerator setup?

Ed
 
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Cool, thanks Jack. My system most closely resembles the bottom picture in figure 6.2. Although that diagram doesn't show it, the text states there is a 'Y' valve somewhere in between. Or is that just on vacu-flush systems? I can't seem to see that anywhere in the system.

Ed
 
You have the portable head not a holding tank?
 
The Y valve direct the waste to either the dock side pump out or the macerator.

PG 6.5
 
Jack F said:
The Y valve direct the waste to either the dock side pump out or the macerator.

PG 6.5
Click to expand...

I just can't find any Y valve in my system. Otherwise it seems to have both dock side pump out and macerator option although I can't get the macerator to run. Maybe I'll power directly to the pump to make sure that works.

Ed
 
I have a vacuflush and macerator, when I went out on my orientation with the dealer they said to open the seacock and turn the key in the head, I don't recall them mentioning a Y-valve. I haven't used the overboard discharge so I don’t know if they all have one.
 
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