Relocating sea strainers

[Gina Marie]

My next product is to relocate my engine sea strainers for more room aft on both engines. I my even add a pick up on one engine so that in case of water in the engine room I can divert the engine from pulling through the sea cock and direct the water intake to the engine compartment. I am aware of the problem with overheating the engine if the water is depleted and I do not redirect the flow. Has any one changed their sea strainers to the plastic ones I now see on the shelf or should I stay with the Brass. Thanks Gina Marie

 

[luckydave215]

Plastic sea strainers

True Story: A number of years ago I had a Catalina 22 as a daysailing companion to our Ocean Alexender. I was a few slips away from the boat talking to a neighbor when my sister started shouting for me from below. She was moving some lightweight gear in a locker and sheared the marelon galley sink seacock flush with the hull. She said she hardly touched it. (I believe her). I whittled a wine cork into a plug while she held her hand over the hole to keep the boat from sinking at the dock. That held long enough to get the boat over to the club's hoist.
Lesson learned: Always have thru hull plugs, even on a daysailer, and ALL keep-the-water-out plumbing is made out of bronze, no exceptions.

 

[Liquid Asset]

I would stay with the bronze thru hulls only. You dont want to know what they cost. I just did them and they were expensive.


If you want to add more room, why not just eliminate the basket strainer and install a strainer on the outside of the boat. I did this about 4 months ago and love it. It makes maintance easy since I dont have to clean out a basket or have a basket to worry about leaking.

 

[Banshee36]

I would stay with the Bronze. And get the ones that are bolted to the hull, the will not break off. Plastic thru-hulls are for above the water line. Turning your engines into crash pumps is a good idea, I do not have the room or accessability so I have a Whale gusher pump, 2 high water alarms switches, and added two more bilge pumps. As far as cost, Hamiton Marine has ok prices for the big stuff and defender has good prices as well. If you are in FLA, I think there is a Mesco store down there somewhere. Wholesale is a good thing.
JW

 

[Jackman]

There's a reason why well built boats use only bronze thru-hulls below the water line. I would question buying a new boat that used plastic below the waterline.

 

[luckydave215]

Plastic below the waterline is for Carvers and houseboats.

 

[Genesis]

IMHO plastic is for artificial reefs-in-process.

 

[jim rosenthal]

In theory, the fiberglass-reinforced Nylon pieces are supposed to be as strong as the bronze ones. The problem is that anecdotes about boats sinking from those kind of parts being used in the seawater path keep cropping up. Bottom line, pun intended, is that theory is fine until it isn't fine, and bronze parts have decades or longer of a good service record. When the theory breaks down is when your boat sinks.
I have used Groco ARG series strainers in several applications and have had good service from them. They aren't perfect, but they work well. The biggest problems with these large strainers is that they are bulky, so it's hard to find places for them, and they also weigh quite a bit when full of seawater. So they need to be adequately supported, which isn't always easy to do.
I do not used inside strainers on the main engine seawater lines. I use bronze grids in the scoops, which have about 3/32" holes. They seem to do fine and don't foul if I spray them with outdrive paint. I do use inside strainers on the seawater lines for the AC and genset. I should probably use one on the intake for the head, but the plumbing isn't set up that way.
I have had excellent results with Apollo or Conbraco sea valves, by the way, and no problems as yet (knock wood).

 

[Genesis]

Yeah, I hear all the claims about strength, but for my boat, its gonna be bronze for through-hull fittings.

I won't even allow them above the waterline. I just don't believe they're safe - no matter what the manufacturer tells me.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I don't believe nylon is as strong as bronze. My dad had a boat with nylon thru-hulls once. After 8 years we had a 2" that was stuck open. I ended up breaking the nylon handle off of it trying to get it closed. So, we had to get hauled to replace it. For the price of a haul out, they could have just installed bronze ones in the first place. I would never have them on my boat.