Through hull Perko fitting replacement options

[nrladeere]

I have a 97 Chris Craft with 2 thru hull Perko drain fittings. They have a rubber flapper and drain the cockpit. I do not really like the design since if the valve inside the boat fails or hose breaks it could sink the boat. One of the housings outside broke last year and I need to replace it. Does anyone know where to get these or better yet is there a plug I could use to fill the hole and eliminate this totally.

 

[jamessloan]

Re: Through hull Perko fitting replacement options

Are you talking about a scupper in the cockpit side, a transom scupper, or something else? The most common usage of the "flapper" type thru-hull is as a transom scupper. The flapper is to prevent water entry while backing down a fish or taking a following sea. If these are indeed scuppers, you shoud carefully consider leaving them as is (or replacing them with something similar). If you close them off, water entering the cockpit cannot drain until it finds a way into the bilge or cabin.

 

[nrladeere]

Re: Through hull Perko fitting replacement options

They are on each side. I understand the intent of them but in a practical sense they are useless. My boat is a 18" OB. Any water in the cockpit ends up almost immediately in the bilge via the ski locker door or deck plates. I think these would be great on a larger boat but are a potential sinker if anything goes wrong such as breaking one.