Jet Dock and seacocks

[wlewis]

My Freedom 225 has 2 seacocks, one for the baitwell and the other for saltwater washdown. Both are located about two feet forward of the transom. On the underside of the hull are the water intake openings, covered with bronze screens. I keep my boat on a Jetdock which means I drive it up on the dock, with the bulk of the boat's weight resting on a couple of plastic/composite tubes that run lengthwise. When properly positioned on the JetDock, the stern end of the tubes are within a couple inches of one of the bronze seacock screens and that is only after trimming a few inches out of the stern end of one of the JetDock tubes creating that clearance. Obviously, when driving the boat up onto the dock, the exact positioning is imprecise, often requiring the boat to be winched back a few inches. During those few minutes while the boat is positioned too far forward, the boat rests on one of the bronze seacock screens causing concern for the durability and strength of the bronze seacock covers. If driving the boat up a few inches short, the boat slides back into the water. If the seacocks were positioned within a foot or so of the transom, it wouldn't be an issue, but the 225's design includes a large fishbox and baitwell positioned between the transom and rear fold down seat, necessitating the seacock and it's access port to be positioned 2 feet or so in front of the transom.
Has anyone on this forum have any JetDock experience or have any thoughts as to the strength of the seacock screens?

 

[Peahead]

I can't offer alot of info specific to your question except to say my 228G Seafarer has the brass strainers for both live well and raw water wash down thru-hull intakes roughly the same distance from the transom as you describe and one of the strainers is bent a little bit - fully intact but obviously dinged by something at some point . FYI My surveyor wasn't concerned with that during purchase survey. Brass is pretty soft as I understand so that can have its advantages in that it is less brittle. I don't think scraping up on the plastic it would be of huge concern and if it isn't already bent then I'd suggest what you are doing is wthin its strength. I suppose it could eventually bend over time and on a more aggressive session but my point earlier is they can bend a bit and still be functional. Boats are lifted via forklift to racks and dragged onto trailers imprecisely all the time so I would just check them periodically.

 

[wlewis]

It looks to be intact, but supporting the weight of the boat sure seems to put a lot of stress on it. Luckily, it doesn't happen often, and when it does, I winch it back asap.