Close Your Seacocks When You're Done

We don't hear about them much on inland waters, but on the coast and in the salt water, seacocks are a big part of life.  They can be that little thing that can ruin your day on the water, before your day even starts.

What is a seacock?

A seacock is simply a valve.  The seacock can be attached to any item on your boat that requires water to be used such as a live well/bait well, air conditioner, water heater, galley, head, and most importantly, the engine.  The seacock is set on the hull between the water and the intake of the particular part and is a valve that can allow water into (or out of depending on the case) the boat.

Why boats have seacocks...

A seacock gives one more level of security between the boat or the part using the water and the water itself. The valve that is essentially the seacock can be closed in case something should happen or if you are not using the device.


Speaking of not closing the valve, when you are not using the boat, that is exactly what you should do.  If the boat will be sitting for a prolonged period of time, it is always best to close the seacock to protect your pride and joy.

Generally speaking, no matter what, the seacock should not allow water in when there is no pressure on the line inside the boat, but that doesn't stop one from going bad and letting water in anyway.  Another thing to remember about a seacock is that they are much bigger than a drain plug, and basically, is just covering a hold in the bottom of the boat.

WARNING!!! DANGER!!!

If you close your seacocks (which you should), don't forget to open them back up before you start using the boat again.  If they remain closed, they could potentially damage what ever they are there to provide water for.  Example, the engine can't keep cool if it does not have any water flowing, the engine will not have any water if the seacock is closed.  Same goes for something smaller such as the live well.  If you don't open up the valve before you turn on the pump and allow the pump to run for any period of time with no water, you run the risk of ruining the pump.