that's going to be a bloody big hole!

With the exception of just two of Flirtie's seacocks they are all readily accessible. They are either in the base of cupboards, behind dedicated access panels or under small floor panels.


easy access to the galley sink seacock


easy access to the forward sink seacock


easy access to the forward heads seacock

Unfortunately the two that are not readily accessible can only be reached by removing a couple of the saloon cushions, emptying the entire contents of the saloon locker, removing the false floor that resides at the base of the locker and then climbing in to reach the handles of the seacocks. In summary a right pain in the arse every time we want to leave the boat for an extended period or god forbid access them in an emergency.

With a return trip to the UK planned for April, that means the locker needs emptying again - and then again on our return 2 weeks later. Expletive, expletive, expletive!

It was time to take action and deal with the problem once and for all!

Fortunately the solution didn't cost a great deal and didn't involve a lot of work. More by luck than anything else because all we needed to do was add a small inspection hatch to the wall in the ensuite. With the inspection cover removed we could then reach in and open and close both seacocks as required. A neat and tidy solution and a major safety improvement we feel.


all marked up


no going back now


phew; the hole is in the right place!


inspection hatch silicone'd & screwed into place


hidden behind the waste bin

Just perfect we think! You have to ask yourself why we didn't do it years ago and save all the aggravation and upheaval every time we leave or return to Flirtie!


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