# sea cocks



## double acting (Sep 14, 2008)

These keep being mentioned in various books, apparently they are used to sink/scuttle ships. Has any one ever came across such a fitting? 
In 15 years at sea I never noticed any in the engine rooms I was in .


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## john shaw (Jun 23, 2006)

There are at least 2 threads on this subject. Just search in the forums "elusive sea cocks" and, secondly, "scuttling".


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## double acting (Sep 14, 2008)

How do I access those forums you mentioned please?


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## Gulpers (Sep 8, 2005)

double acting,

Have a read at the scuttling thread *here*. (Thumb)


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## Les Gibson (Apr 24, 2004)

They only exist in novels. No such thing.


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

I have read that some enemy vessels running the blockade had scuttling charges ready to secure to sea water inlets ?.


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## JT McRae (Jun 11, 2007)

Sea cocks....just a figment of the novelists imagination!


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## Tony Morris (Oct 7, 2006)

40 years at sea in the E.R. and I still have not seen one.


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## John Briggs (Feb 12, 2006)

I've had a few sea cocks.
Managed to get rid of them with a run ashore!


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

double acting said:


> How do I access those forums you mentioned please?


Try this http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=44163&highlight=sea+cocks


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

I remember tem being mentioned on a couple of Walport movies and thinking: "Thank God the engineers are all in here on the piss." Sounds like I was safe after all.

John T


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

JT McRae said:


> Sea cocks....just a figment of the novelists imagination!


Sea Cocks is a term usually used by Yachties or Motor Yacht people and is a side lever arrangement, when the handle is in line with the pipe it is open, when it is in line with the Hull it is closed and I dare say on the early motor/steam vessels larger versions of this type were fitted. Until, somebody invented the "safer" up and over valve. One of the valves which can cause confusion is The Dewrance ships side blowdown valve which is a caged lever valve and works in the same way as a Sea Cock except that when the valve is open you cannot remove the handle. It was/is a tapered plug valve which was also the valve used on the Boiler end of the Blow Down along with the Boiler End of the Boiler Water Level Column pipework. A number of novelists I would suggest base their writings on their motor boat knowledge which if they were RNR/RNVR members will have crossed over to larger vessels during the War.


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## TOM ALEXANDER (Dec 24, 2008)

I always thought sea cocks were attached to a sea chest. Rather an uncomfortable arrangement if you ask me? Contortion at its finest! (Scribe)


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Test Cocks are attached to the Sea chest, prior to that they were screwed into the cover of the up and over valve. As with the word Aerodrome. Aerodrome>Airfield>Airport.
Sea Cock>Sea Valve>Sea Injection
If I remember correctly the old motor lifeboat(s) had sea cocks fitted rather than valves on the through Hull fitting of the engine cooling.


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Dewrance parallel slide boiler blow down valves and similar valves manufactured by Hopkinsons of Huddersfield, a Weir Co, and also by Shaw Son and Greenhalgh of the same town were popular as ship's side mountings with the larger launch and yacht fraternity in Auckland.
Their bronze construction, heavy BST.H flanging, and foolproof action gave peace of mind.
I recall quite a few being sold at prices far beyond normal gate valve type fittings but cost didn't seem to matter with the owners of large pleasure craft.

Bob


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

For those who have missed it, there is a photograph of a Sea cock and Filter arrangement in My Gallery, they do/did of course come in different sizes depending on the size of the vessel. If it was required (as commented by Stephen) a vessel could be scuttled via the Sea Cock. I would not have expected Deck Members to know about their existence but I am very surprised that there are Engineers who were not aware of them at all. When I went up for my Tickets in the 1960's it was important that you had knowledge (preferably a working one) of all types of equipment fitted and their names to all sizes of vessels especially if you were "Freelancing" or "Contracting" with an eye to FOC (where the money was). Despite Germany's best efforts there was still a fair amount of the older ships still sailing around. I changed Companies and Ships of all sizes on a regular basis just to gain experience on some of the old equipment. Just out of curiosity how many Engineers have no idea what "Blowjacks" were for?, no it was not a.n. other pleasuring a Sailor.


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## WilliamH (Jul 9, 2007)

double acting said:


> These keep being mentioned in various books, apparently they are used to sink/scuttle ships. Has any one ever came across such a fitting?
> In 15 years at sea I never noticed any in the engine rooms I was in .


In order to shuttle a ship the main sea valves should be closed, then smash in all the heat exchanger end doors, they are cast iron so a large hammer should do the trick, open the sea valves ( sometimes referred to as sea cocks by authors and journalists) and run like hell up the engine room stairs and dive into the lifeboat, if they have waited for you.


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## Derek Roger (Feb 19, 2005)

WilliamH said:


> In order to shuttle a ship the main sea valves should be closed, then smash in all the heat exchanger end doors, they are cast iron so a large hammer should do the trick, open the sea valves ( sometimes referred to as sea cocks by authors and journalists) and run like hell up the engine room stairs and dive into the lifeboat, if they have waited for you.


Actual procedure would be to shut off the main sea strainers Port and Stbd. Remove the strainer covers ( would take just a few minutes ) Open the inlet valves ; then run !!!
With 2 by 18 inch sea inlets and a head of 25 ft the inflow would be 240 tons per minute or 14,400 tons per hour .

That would flood the engine room rapidly but alas would not sink the ship . 
The cargo spaces would have to also be flooded .

I can tell you how to do that if you don't already know .


Regards Derek


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## 5036 (Jan 23, 2006)

Derek Roger said:


> Actual procedure would be to shut off the main sea strainers Port and Stbd. Remove the strainer covers ( would take just a few minutes ) Open the inlet valves ; then run !!!
> With 2 by 18 inch sea inlets and a head of 25 ft the inflow would be 240 tons per minute or 14,400 tons per hour .
> 
> That would flood the engine room rapidly but alas would not sink the ship .
> ...


The U-505 was boarded by the US navy having followed this procedure but the US matlots simply replaced the strainer covers and captured an Enigma machine which was an overall good result.The U-505 became a museum piece with an amazing story in its own right.

So don't forget to throw the strainer covers and valve handles over the side or at the lifeboat if it has left without you.


See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_V._Gallery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-505


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## WildBill (Oct 10, 2008)

Sea Cocks are a figment of the imaginations of authors like Alistair MacLean and his witless Master Mariner brother.

Imagine a first tripper, having had the mother and father of all roastings from the Chief, going below and finding a valve you simply have to open to sink the ship. Imagine the shipowner who would sanction the fitting of such valves.


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## ART6 (Sep 14, 2010)

Warships had them for flooding their magazines. Perhaps that's where the idea came from?


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## Dumah54 (Apr 17, 2010)

In my experience, we used the term "sea cocks" as to any sea inlet. In order to flood the engineroom (hopefully to avoid an enemy using the vessel) one would remove the rosebox covers, open the sea valves, and destroy one valve spindle by bending it with a LARGE hammer negating any attempt to shut said valve.

Cheers, Dumah,
Halifax, NS


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## duquesa (Aug 31, 2006)

*Sea Cocks*

I don't know where you guys have been hiding but I was first made aware of Sea Cocks when I was a young deck boy (very many years ago). I am still using Sea Cocks to this very day and they are a very important item in my companies standing orders. Opening one will be one of the first things I will do tomorrow morning. Call them what you will but I know what a Sea Cock is and am too long in the tooth to start explaining their existence to anyone. (Pint)


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