Their reliability can mean the difference between life and death.
When the 81’ MARTELA lost her keel and capsized off Punta del Este, she remained afloat for 5 weeks thanks to the air entrapment maintained by Shakewell Seacocks.
The importance of seacocks is not diminished by less dramatic circumstances: engines, toilets and cockpit drains can all be rendered useless by malfunctioning valves. The weekend sailor is as dependant upon them as the round-the-world racing skipper.