Would you trust this gadget ?

[Boaters]

On tonight's Dragons den a device for changing your seacocks whilst afloat .I am not sure it would work with my 'crinkly bottom " ? Also looks easy with new fittings in the video ,but most of ours will have been bolted up for many years and with corrosion would not be that easy INMHO !

[teadaemon]

I didn't see the episode in question, but I find it difficult to imagine a device that would reliably seal off the area around a seacock sufficiently to replace it, or that would allow the part on the outside of the boat to be worked on or examined.

 

Perhaps the more pertinent question is: "would your insurance company trust this device if something went wrong and sank the boat?"

 

Although getting a boat on to dry land to work on it does cost money, in the grand scheme of things an annual lift for inspection, antifouling, and any other routine maintenance is only a relatively small part of the total cost of owning and using a boat.

 

It seems to me that this device (like many gadgets) is a solution in search of a problem.

[Boaters]

Found a link from Force 4 with video making it look so easy ?

http://www.force4.co.uk/seabung-2-pack.html?utm_source=eNewsletter0215-8&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NL0215-8-seabung&dm_i=2D85,5U7K,2DXE30,CIMC,1#.VOohkYwgGK0

[Samuel]

It seems that the utility of this device is dependent on the "broken or faulty" seacock being capable of being open and closed which makes me wonder why it would need to be replaced.

[Guest]

It sounds a bit like jumping out of a plane and then strapping on a parachute.

 

Fine if it all goes to plan, but what if the skin fitting shears off when you try to undo the seacock ? (as many do, through de-zincification )

 

I remember once having a job getting a speed log impeller back in while afloat, the water spout was about 2ft high !

 

In fact I always keep a set of hardwood plugs aboard now, just in case....

[teadaemon]

Having now watched the video, I'm even more dubious.

It appears that in order for it to function as designed, the seacock needs to be functional. Why would you want to replace a functional seacock as an emergency? (Since if it's routine maintenance, it can surely wait until the boat is out of the water anyway.)

 

In general, if seacocks fail they either seize in position, or corrode and break off. I can't see how this device would help in either situation.

[Oddfellow]

I think this device is a great idea.

 

Many seacocks fail for a variety of reasons. Gate valves often don't seal fully, or semi-seize, requiring a tool to open and close them properly. Coughing up £50 for one of these is a whole lot cheaper than a lift out. I would certainly be happy to try one of these in preference to haulling a boat out of the water.

 

The unit seals against the skin fitting and, even if there's some seepage of water, it should provide enough of a stoppage to deal with the changing of a valve.

 

Yes, it is true that the skin fitting might be loosened in the process of undoing or tightening a replacement valve, so go gentle. But also remember, this is a gadget that could also save your bacon, it's not just for maintenance, it's for possible immergencies too.

[Guest]

I think this device is a great idea........

 

 

It didn't go down too well on the Yachting and Boating world forums Andy, ( no pun intended ! )

 

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?422822-Seabung-on-Dragons-Den

 

such as:

 

"If I got this right - you have to close the seacock, then remove the hose. Then you open the seacock, and shove one of these devices down it whilst the sea is trying to get in your boat. If it catches on anything, then you have to hope you can get it out again, and close the seacock. I can just about see it as an emergency alternative for a wooden bung, but there is no way I would try to change a seacock using one of these things."

 

Even just for emergencies, I'd have far more confidence in traditional wooden bungs. I always have one each of the correct size attached to each of my skin fittings with a lanyard.

 

http://www.norfolkmarine.co.uk/shop-online/softwood-plug-small-p-4373.html

[NeilB]

Not convinced myself, any sea cocks / skin fittings requiring replacement are not going to brand new as per the video.  I'd be more convinced if they showed a crusty seized one being removed without disturbing the skin fitting. 

 

Also, how would it cope with the attached?

 

 

[Timbo]

I misread the first post and have consequently spent several hours thinking how useful such a device would be & wondering where I could get one? Now I have realised my mistake...but I still think a device for changing your seasocks whilst afloat would be a great aid to Uncle Albert and would save my nose!

[Mowjo]

I like the Idea! but not at £50 a throw, and as others have said what can go wrong with a seacock that you would need to change it while afloat? the only thing I can think of is the skin fitting shearing off inside the boat and I don't think I'd trust trying to limp home or wait for help with just that as protection, I'd plug it with a wooden plug or anything I could jamb in the hole, even if it did work how many of us carry a spare seacock anyway, anyone that saw Dragons Den will know the two guys are trying to apply for some safety standard thing so they with be made compulsory to carry like flares and stuff, at £10 I'd buy one, but only to seal the hole temporarily while I made a wooden bung, I'd like to see the guy in the video get my seacock off using just that one spanner, he's need stilsons the spanner and thread sealant before I'd let him near mine, so Ole Mows review on this product,

Great in Theory!

C**p in Practise!

Overpriced by £40

 

Frank,,,,

[DaveRolaves]

In an ideal world the gadget will work if the seacock comes off easily. In practice the seacocks are usually difficult to remove. As has been said there is a possibility of the skin fitting shearing and there is also a strong possibility of the skin fitting turning and breaking the seal between the skin fitting and the hull which would let water in.

When the skin fittings are installed a tool is inserted into the skin fitting which comes into contact with lugs inside the fitting and the fitting can then  be held in one position whilst the nut on the inside of the hull is tightened up.

With the gadget located through the seacock and the skin fitting there is no way that you can get to the internal lugs in the skin fitting to hold it steady whilst the seacock is removed.   Dave R.........

[Boaters]

Watched the program and found that suggestion of being compulsory is a bit ambitious ,many Dont even carry a life jacket ,so no chance .We had many years ago a small hole punched in the hull and I admit this would have been of use at that time as a get you home remedy ,I at least would have given it a try,but not at that price.

[Guest]

....... I'd like to see the guy in the video get my seacock off using just that one spanner, he's need stilsons the spanner and thread sealant before I'd let him near mine, so Ole Mows review on this product,

Great in Theory!

C**p in Practise!......

 

 

In an ideal world the gadget will work if the seacock comes off easily. In practice the seacocks are usually difficult to remove. As has been said there is a possibility of the skin fitting shearing and there is also a strong possibility of the skin fitting turning and breaking the seal between the skin fitting and the hull which would let water in.

When the skin fittings are installed a tool is inserted into the skin fitting which comes into contact with lugs inside the fitting and the fitting can then  be held in one position whilst the nut on the inside of the hull is tightened up.

With the gadget located through the seacock and the skin fitting there is no way that you can get to the internal lugs in the skin fitting to hold it steady whilst the seacock is removed.   Dave R.........

 

 

I'd second both of those opinions.

 

I've removed or replaced several seacocks and skinfittings on a number of my boats, and only one unscrewed easily from the inside of the hull.

 

On about half of them I had to grind away the outside flange and tap them into the hull to remove them, as the whole assembly was locked up solid.

 

I never saw the demonstration, but if indeed it was carried out with newish fittings, then it was mis-representitive of the actual task itself.

 

 

[C.Ricko]

its a no from me, 

 just can't see the point, better off with a spare bit of hose.. 

[imtamping2]

And for the above listed reasons I'm afraid I'm out.

[DaveRolaves]

The demo was carried out in the dragons den with brand new fittings . I would estimate that the fittings were about half inch bsp.

Not many boats  have fittings that small and I would guess that the fittings on average range from 1" to 1.5" bsp. The dragons thought that the idea was good and decided to invest. They seem to have limited ability in deciding if the product is good and will sell or will not sell. I cannot see that any boater with experience would want to purchase this product. The dragons were hoodwinking into investing in a product that had a potential design defect. On paper the idea looks goods - in practice it will not work and will lead to boats flooding when attempting to unscrew the sea cock from the skin fitting.  No experienced boater would risk using this product.   Dave R.....