Seacocks?

[bmetros]

What and where are seacocks? How many do I have. I read that they should be closed when not operating the boat, does this sound right? How do I access the seacock and Y valve for my macerator?

I have a lot to learn and I hope you all bear with me.

 

[Sea Gull]

A seacock is a valve that is attached directly to your below-the-water through hull fittings. Most commonly these are ball valves. You should have a seacock on each of your below-the-water through hulls. Typically on a small cruiser with inboards there is one for each engine raw water intake, one for the generator raw water intake, an inlet for the air conditioning, water in to the head and waste out from the head/holding tank.

If your boat has a y valve, it is usually directly after the toilet, usually near the toilet itself. The Y gives you the choice to pump the head directly overboard or into the holding tank. Sometimes the macerator is in the direct overboard discharge line, but on modern boats it is more likely on the overboard discharge side of your holding thank. The Y valve can also be here, on the outlet side of the holding tank. In one position the waste would go to the macerator and then through the seacock and in the other position it would go to the deck pump-out.

 

[JoeBTB]

Bill, it's possible with a Maxum 2300 SCR you may not have any seacocks.

- If you have an inboard/outboard, the seawater intake may be in the drive unit.
- If you have just a porta-potty that doesn't use seawater, there won't be an intake seacock for that, either.

But, you say you have a macerator, so I presume you have a marine head rather than porta-potty. If so, you just need to follow the hoses from the head until you find where the hose exits the boat through the hull, and there will (or should) be a seacock there if it is below the waterline. There could be one for intake and one for discharge.

 

[Vic Willman]

Pull the hatches and crawl around, you'll find them. Can be a chore at times. Seacocks are basically just shutoff valves at each through-hull fitting that is below the waterline. They are immediately inside the hull from where the fitting goes through the hull.