Thru Hull Poll

[Ken Juul]

After 57 responses here are the results of the question:  When do you open/close your through hulls?

never  1 (1.8%)
couple times a year  3 (5.3%)
when I think about it  9 (15.8%)
everytime I arrive/leave the boat  43 (75.4%)
only to lube them  1 (1.8%)

[Joe Kern]

Interesting.  I am surprised how many people do it every time.  Of course I suspect the most diligent thru hull closers are also the same kind of people who read this message board regularily and are more likley to repond to a poll.  Regardless, I am going to start closing them every time.  That many people can't be wrong.

Ken, if you are looking for a future poll idea, I have been thinking about how addicted I am to checking to this Board and especially the "unread posts since your last visit".  Maybe it is because I am a relatively new owner but I bet I average checking this Board 5 plus times a day.  Am I the only addict?

[Jeff Kaplan]

joe, as i am a fairly new owner of a vintage 34,2nd season, i also check this site many times a day. i have read all the posts and followed all the  suggestions. as i have been sailing and fixing boats the better part of 40 years , i feel comfortable sharing my experiences but i am the first to ask specific questions about this boat. the info is just great...jeff

[Jim Price]

Not closing thru hulls is like leaving your car unlocked in a shooping center - you are just asking for a bad day sooner or later.  In my opinion, boats float better when they don't have unattended open holes in them.  At least I sleep a little better at night.

This board is not an addiction, the C34 is the addiction.

[Roc]

Well, I can tell you a true story...fellow at my previous marina boat a new boat (new to him), 40+ foot Oceans flybridge.  Traveled from Virginia to NJ.  Got the the marina, tied up the boat, and went out for a bite to eat.  Came back a couple hours later and his boat was sitting on the bottom, sunk from a hose that worked off the thru hull.  Had he closed them all (probably would have spotted the loose hose), that wouldn't have happened.  This happened in early spring, so he spent the whole summer getting the boat back into shape.  The interior, everything was gutted.

If I'm leaving the marina for any length of time, I close them all.

[Ted Pounds]

I'm an OC pilot type so I have a boat opening and closing Checklist.  It ensures I close all the thru-hulls (as well as hatches and other stuff like turning off water heater) when I leave..  It's also useful for opening up the boat to ensure the aprpriate thru-hulls are open (like engine cooling  ).  I will also admit to checking this board often.

[sailingdolphin]

I used a label maker to make a label that says in red "Check thru-hull before starting" and put it by the start button. Just in case.

[Phil Spicer]

How about hanging the key on the engine thru hull..............When you get the key, you SHOULD remember to open the thru hull. I think it's better than keeping the key in the nav station. Give it a try

[Stu Jackson]

Why leave a boat key on the boat at all?  Not that we live in such a bad neighborhood, but given the flimsy hasps on the companionway, leaving a key that can easily start the boat on board is like the earlier post about leaving your car keys out in plain sight.  We keep our boat keys on the same separate key chain with float as the access key to the marina gate.  Sure, a "qualified" boat thief could get the boat going anyway, but why make it any easier?

[David Sanner]

The first thing that I did when I got my boat is check/service all of my
thru hulls, replace some hoses, and double clamp everything.  Where
possible I supported the opposite end of a hoses so that if that end falls off
the hose won't fall down and let in water.   I even replaced the hose fitting
on my engine thru hull so I could clamp it more securely.

Anytime there a hole in the boat there's a risk of water coming through.
It's not uncommon for the stop cock to break off from the thru hull
fitting... so open or closed water is coming.    I figure if you're not careful
when opening/closing the stress may increase the risk of a failure.

So the short of it is that I leave a couple thru hulls open and the rest closed.
(and I exercise & check all of them a few times a year).
I leave my boat powered and my bildge pump on auto.

I guess it's risk management  vs. convenience.

I also leave my house unlocked (except when I go to sleep) though I lock
it if I leave for more than a day or so.  If my boat was hours away and
I knew I wasn't going to be using it for a week or more I might close
everthing up as well.  To be really safe I should slow down when I'm
driving to the boat.