A common failure point and one that can have disastrous consequences is Hose failure.  Whether the hose is carrying water, fuel, or propane, a leaking hose can have disastrous results.

Regardless of your boats age, but especially those boats that are over 10 years old need to have a through inspection of all hoses, hose clamps and seacocks. Plus every seacock should

have a tapered wooden plug secured nearby just in case the seacock cannot be closed for any reason.

 

When replacing hoses it is imperative that the proper hose be used for a given application.  I have seen plastic water line used as a gas line, the gas was dissolving the plastic and freely running into the bilge. The gas odor was overwhelming inside the boat and if anyone had turned on a pump or a light and caused a spark there would have been a very large explosion!  USE THE PROPER HOSE!

Hoses are clearly marked as to their application, if in doubt ask the clerks at the Chandler and they will direct you to the correct hose for your application.  Yes, sometimes one hose that will do the job will be cheaper than another hose built specifically for the job but in the long run you won’t be happy with the results.

A case in point, white, smooth bore, odor proof head hose is more expensive than say wire bound black rubber.  The black rubber line will do the job but won’t be as resistant to odor permutation. Spending a few extra dollars on the hose built to keep odors down in the head/holding tank area is well worth the investment.

Another point to keep in mind is just because you have one type of hose currently being used in an application does not mean it is the correct hose to use for replacement.  When your boat was built or the hose was last replaced it may have been the correct type of hose but since then new hoses have come out that are a better fit for the application.  Again ask at the Chandler for the correct hose for the application.

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Hose Clamps also need inspection.  Any seacock or hose leading overboard, particularly those below the water line must be double clamped.  Hose clamp failure particularly in the lower grade hose clamps is pretty common.  Fortunately hoses usually don’t just pop off the seacock when a hose clamp fails as once clamped for any length of time hoses tend to meld onto the tail piece and are a devil to remove.

Again as with hoses there are different grades of Hose Clamps.  Those you purchase cheaply at the Auto Parts store have a Stainless Steel Band but a mild steel bolt and bolt carrier.  The next grade up will be labeled all Stainless Steel but is of 304 or 308 stainless and will eventually corrode and fail as did the ones displayed in the photo tothe left or at the very least be a devil to loosen.

The third grade available at Marine Chandlers is built of type 316 stainless steel throughout and while more expensive will last many months to years longer than any of the rest.  Well worth the investment.

When it comes to hoses and clamps it is difficult to carry the right extra hose for any application, There are just too many types of hoses used on board and frankly most won’t need replacing very often.  On the other hand I do carry an assortment of smaller size hoses and seem to find uses for them from time to time.   Hose Clamps on the other hand I keep a large selection of all sizes available as I still have a lot of older style clamps on board and from time to time one needs replacing, plus hose clamps of all sizes are handy for quick repairs and jury rig repairs.

When it comes to seacocks, they need to be inspected each time you haul out and should all be cycled open an closed at least once a month to keep them from getting sticky.  If you have the older type seacocks with a tapered barrel it is imperative to remove them at your annual haul out, clean and grease them to keep them functioning easily.

It hasn’t happened very often but I have seen thru hulls fail at the interface of the seacock and hull. Failures have always been from Galvanic Corrosion and none showed any evidence of failure before failing as the failure point was under what looked like a well secured seacock… If you have seacocks with a flange base that has holes in it for through bolts and they are not through bolted to the hull do so.  Once through bolted if a thru hull does fail the seacock will remain in place and not become a raging fountain of water!