thru-hull replacement

will be hauling out this summer,was thinking of replacing thru hulls.I have had the boat 15 yrs,she is all steel.thru hulls seem to be fine..any thoughts on this?

More info and pictures would be helpful. If they're fine, what's driving your thoughts to replace them? Are they 15 years old or did the boat have owners before you bought it? Do you mean the full through hull/seacock assembly or just the through hulls? If the former, are they true seacocks, installed and backed properly, or plumbing valves extending from the through hulls?

the boat was finished in 89,Iam the 2nd owner..was just wondering if the seacocks should be replaced at some point in time..will be at the boat this weekend ,will take some pics and have more info

If they continue to work and you can't see anything wrong with them, I see no reason to replace them. My seacocks are a year older than yours and are fine.

Yes, if they work as designed what's the problem?

Full replacement is not a cheap undertaking , FWIW I have just fully replaced eight of my sea cocks, taking out the wooden backing plates, doing a little fiberglass restoration etc, all up $4,000.

Find a shipwright you trust and ask for an opinion.

mysticdreamer said:

will be hauling out this summer,was thinking of replacing thru hulls.I have had the boat 15 yrs,she is all steel.thru hulls seem to be fine..any thoughts on this?

Click to expand...

Why?

ok that answers my question,was just a thought..thanks for the advice

Just because they still work doesn't mean it's a good idea to keep them. If they're well-made bronze seacocks that don't leak on backing plates that aren't mush bolted to the hull or otherwise securely attached, I'd probably keep them. If they look like some of the examples in the first link below, I'd replace. The second link shows one way to replace them. There are other ways and other articles about through hulls and seacocks -- and many other topics -- on Compass Marine's excellent site.

Seacock & Thru-Hull Primer/Pre Information Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com

Replacing Thru-Hulls and Seacocks Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com

Properly installed and maintained thru hulls last longer than most owners. With a steel hull the thru hulls either need to be bonded to the hull and the hull well protected by zincs or individually protected by zincs.
Most of mine are 1942 and get inspected and lubed at haul outs. Back when boats were mostly wood, thru hulls often went from boat to boat.