Thru-hulls and Seacocks

Clearly, with any device that penetrates the hull of a yacht, the choice of materials, design and method of installation is paramount to the safety and integrity of the vessel. Plenty of boats have been lost due to corroded through-hulls and seacocks, either through electrolytic breakdown of the material itself or by a failure of the valve mechanism attached to it

Traditionally, through-hull fittings and seacocks were made of bronze and manufactured as a single part, as opposed to having a separate through-hull fitting with a seacock screwed onto it. The most well-known of this type is still made by England’s Blakes & Taylors (established in 1789) and has a tapered core plug mechanism that enables the valve to be adjusted in situ or even stripped down and serviced. Similar all-in-one bronze fittings are also made by Groco and Perko, although these both use ball valves (stainless steel and polymer respectively), rather than conical valves.

Unfortunately, these