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When you think you are in the right direction... sometimes you realize that you have to take a step back, visit new options and redo part of your work. Removing our runners was a great idea, but surprisingly came with more unplanned modifications (major ones). It will all make sense once you start watching. Wish us luck! Full episode: https://youtu.be/k40zG8jY_xM #sailing #boatyard #keeldesign

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Would you change seacock valve 65cm below the water line whilst afloat?! It might not be as scary as you think. This valve body seized up (despite only being 3-4 years old) so I unscrewed it, popped in a wooden bung, bought a new one and screwed it on. The trick is to be prepared. I had all my wooden bungs on hand, covered any electrical equipment and was ready for the worst case scenario. Fortunately, because it was a fairly new fitting, it came undone relatively easily and the job was pretty straight forward 😊💦 And what’s the worst case scenario I was prepared for? The worst case scenario is the thru hull fitting itself breaking off when I attempt to unscrew the valve. What would I do about it? Just tap in one of my many wooden bungs and then arrange to get the boat lifted out! That scenario was quite unlikely but it helps to think through what could happen. What also helped me is that, from previous experimentation on another boat, we have pumps that I know could easily outrun the water coming in through that hole. An uncontrolled inflow through that fitting wouldn’t be good as it would spray seawater everywhere but it’s good to know that the pumps could cope. It’s always counter intuitive and panic inducing to see water flooding in to the boat and I know many people don’t like to pull out their paddle wheel log transducers for that very reason however staying calm and knowing that it would actually take quite a long time to sink through a 3/4” hole means it may not be as bad as you think. Always worth thinking what else could help. Whilst away, shopping for parts, I left Kate armed with cushions as well as wooden bungs as a cushion pushed hard over a hole will slow the flow enough that most bilge pumps would cope. Despite my previous experiments I was even surprised how little water we took on but the point is that, with a little thought and prep, changing a valve or pulling that paddle wheel so it doesn’t foul up needn’t be that stressful or require an expensive lift out. Luckily for me everything went super smoothly this time so no need for backup plans! It does get the heart pumping a bit when you haven’t done it for a while though! 😊💦 #followintrepidbear #sailinglife #sailing #sailor #liveaboard #sailboat #boatlife

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