Through-hull fitting replacement
Even in better boatyards, I’ve watched inexperienced workers struggle with skin-fitting replacement. Whether it’s plastic, stainless steel, or proper bronze, once properly installed and generously -usually excessively- buttered with adhesive sealant, skin-fittings can become extremely difficult to remove.
If you’re replacing a faulty seacock, you’ll be lucky to wind it off of the through-hull skin-fitting. It’s not uncommon to find that the effort to do so ends up damaging the threads or breaking the sealant. Usually, the nut is corroded/glued beyond moving. A large enough wrench might move it, but there never seems to be room or access to employ such a tool. Even if you get the nut spun or split off of the threads, the fitting is usually permanently bonded to the hull.
There is a simpler, easier, faster way: Continue reading “Through-hull fitting replacement” »
