[Tenoch]

Well its official, I'm a clumsy dufus. I dropped my water fill cap into the drink. The problem is, it's an odd size-smaller than standard. I'm sure it's metric and appears to be approx 32 mm OD at the threads. My options are replace the whole unit, hire a diver to go down 20 feet into the muck to retrieve it....or hopefully find a replacement. Does anyone have an idea where I can find this part?

Hallberg Rassy told me it's an Italian part that was discontinued and they no longer carry.

 

[eherlihy]

Time for a new boat!

 

[Gladrags1]

The diver will be a waste of money in my opinion. You can search eBay for it and probably frustrate yourself. Or buy a new fill. What's the least frustrating?


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[captflood]

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS; Do you have a net on board your boat like a shrimp net? That will keep you amused for a while and who knows you may find other bits off boats can try trawling for it AS ALWAYS GO SAFE

 

[joyinPNW]

Where are you in the PNW? Isn't there anyone in your club there that can quickly don a wetsuit and retrieve it at 20 ft, or during the lowest tide?

You're not the only dufus-we recently dropped a new phone right overboard, at the dock. It was like a ballet move but not so pretty, lol.

 

[ianjoub]

Sh!t happens. Good luck in your search

 

[Tenoch]

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS; Do you have a net on board your boat like a shrimp net? That will keep you amused for a while and who knows you may find other bits off boats can try trawling for it AS ALWAYS GO SAFE

I do have a net. I gorilla-taped two boat hooks together, fully extended, with the net on the end, and could just reach the bottom. The bottom is hard mud, I think I even felt the cap once....but my jury rigged device was too bendy to grab it.

Luckily I recently moved slips, or I would confuse it with the coffee cup, wine glass, crescent wrench, sunglasses, et al. that I had dropped before.

 

[MedSailor]

Is it ferrous? Use a magnet if so.

MedSailor

 

[Tenoch]

Is it ferrous? Use a magnet if so.

MedSailor

Stainless

 

[SloopJonB]

Is it ferrous? Use a magnet if so.

MedSailor

It better not be.

I dropped a whole fill fitting over the side when installing it in my marina berth. Sent the kid down to look for it because I knew within a few square feet where it was. After several futile attempts I bought a new one.

Don't waste your time - buy new or at a consignment shop - they're only a few bucks. Take the opportunity to get one that uses a winch handle instead of those endlessly frustrating deck keys.

 

[Tanley]

In the interim... and plenty of backups.

Frey Scientific Natural Cork, 32mm Top Diameter, 26mm Bottom Diameter, #14 Size (Pack of 100): Science Lab Education Curriculum Support: Amazon.com: Industrial & [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@41Qb9UkkJVL

 

[Capt Len]

Sounds like a project. Fill the tank in case this doesn't work. Plug with a cork wrapped in inert plastic (cookie tray type) at a level about 5/8" down the fitting. Apply mold release (wax or pam??)Pour in casting resin (2 part epoxy?) when hard cut the slot with zip blade. Hopefully it unscrews. Pull out the cork.If you have to drill the sucker at least the tank is full until you go to plan B

 

[hellosailor]

Tenoch, you realize that's a MARPOL and EPA violation to toss metal stuff in the ocean. You'd better have the diver come down before first light.(G)

This is the reason some fill caps have a light chain on them, connected to a large "V" shaped piece of wire that stays jammed in the fill pipe. You might want to install something like that on whatever the next cap is.

Of course joy's cell phone was intentionally lost. Not by joy, but by the specific request of the cellular carrier. Cell phones ALL used to have a little place to attach a lanyard or wrist strap, so they couldn't be dropped overboard. Really, all of them. Then the carriers figured out it was better for everyone if the phones were lost more often, so they could be replaced more often. And the carriers and manufacturers, between them, mystically all decided to remove the little slots and holes where straps could be attacked. It simply isn't possible to tie one on anymore.

 

[Tenoch]

Tenoch, you realize that's a MARPOL and EPA violation to toss metal stuff in the ocean. You'd better have the diver come down before first light.(G)

Did I say I lost it? I meant, I am storing in on the bottom just off the port bow, for safe keeping. This way I'll always know where it is.

 

[davidpm]

Order a new custom one on-line

Custom Online CNC Machine Shop | Free CAD Software

 

[Multihullgirl]

See if HR will be kind enough to tell you what the brand is, exactly, and see if a Google doesn't find it. you'd be surprised.

My fuel fill and water fill are identical... yours may be also. If so, you can get the data from the fuel fill cap

Otherwise, the fill port is just a flanged fitting that screws into the hull with something like three screws, right?

 

[Tenoch]

See if HR will be kind enough to tell you what the brand is, exactly, and see if a Google doesn't find it. you'd be surprised.

My fuel fill and water fill are identical... yours may be also. If so, you can get the data from the fuel fill cap

Otherwise, the fill port is just a flanged fitting that screws into the hull with something like three screws, right?

HR didn't specify the brand, only that it 'was' Italian. My fuel fill and waste cap's are bigger. The water fill is an odd, smaller size. I may very well end up replacing the flanged fitting, but it is not one that screws in. It is epoxied in.

thanks for the ideas though.

 

[miatapaul]

HR didn't specify the brand, only that it 'was' Italian. My fuel fill and waste cap's are bigger. The water fill is an odd, smaller size. I may very well end up replacing the flanged fitting, but it is not one that screws in. It is epoxied in.

thanks for the ideas though.

Sound like a good strong way to make it, but not an easy way to repair/replace!

Sounds like you will likely need to repalce the whole thing, but you might want to check out some Beneteau's and other European built boats as they may have one that will fit. The joys of maintaining a European product here in the US. I used to own a series of British cars and that was before the internet. Everything just just slightly different size than what I could find locally. I just happened to search Italian marine fittings and found this, perhaps one will fit?

Deck Hardware - Italian Marine Supply

 

[rugosa]

HR didn't specify the brand, only that it 'was' Italian. My fuel fill and waste cap's are bigger. The water fill is an odd, smaller size. I may very well end up replacing the flanged fitting, but it is not one that screws in. It is epoxied in.

thanks for the ideas though.

Even back in '75 Eurowisdom extended to making the water filler smaller so you could not refuel your water tank by mistake, maybe to follow Euroregulation at the time. How about a nice new set with color coded caps to jazz up your HR.

 

[pdqaltair]

I've never found it that hard to find important things, even as small as a nut, in deep mud. It requires persistence and a good idea where to start. Even in deep mud, there is generally a clear mark, so long as you get to it reasonably quickly. 20', of course, does make it trickier, but not so much if the location is well known.