Raw water washdown...
Our plan is to take off in August for 9 months. We looked over our
boat hard to figure out what we've learned from our previous
cruising. One thing we realized is that we need a raw water washdown
system for the anchor system. We currently use fresh water which
works great but is our biggest use of water by a long shot.
I hate thru holes and I don't plan on adding one for this. Instead,
I'm thinking of tee'ing off the AC intake with two valves. One side
will go to the pump that I think will do best in the engine room
(short electrical run). A reinforced hose will run to the bow to a
recessed quick-connect hose connection on deck. We'll never use the
AC system while using the washdown system.
There are a few pumps that I'm looking at. I'm looking for
suggestions and experiences with any of them before I go and purchase
one. Here are the pumps I'm considering:
FloJet Heavy Duty Deck Wash Pump - model 04325143L
Gallons per minute: 4.5
PSI: 40
Jabsco PAR-Max 3 High Pressure Water System - model 31600-0092
Gallons per minute: 3.5
PSI: 20-40
Jabsco PAR-Max 4 High Pressure Water System - model 31620-0092
Gallons per minute: 4.3
PSI: 20-40
Jabsco PAR-Max Ultra 7.0 Washdown Pump - model 52700-0092
Gallons per minute: 7.0
PSI: 80
There are also a variety of Jabsco variable speed water pumps but they
look more appropriate for a water system than a washdown pump.
That PAR-Max Ultra at 80 PSI seems wonderful but it seems to provide
much higher pressure. I'm a little scared by it. Would it need
special hose? I'm not looking to repel potential pirates - I just
want to clean mud off the anchor and chain and wash down the deck! My
existing water system pressure tanks are set to about 40 PSI and that
has always seemed to work well with the fresh water washdown.
What else should I be thinking about and what experiences does the
list have with these things?
Thanks!
---===
Jeffrey Siegel
M/V aCappella
DeFever 53RPH
W1ACA/WDB4350
Castine, Maine
www.activecaptain.com
The Interactive Cruising Guidebook
..
On Fri, 15 May 2009 10:03:38 -0400, Jeffrey Siegel wrote
Our plan is to take off in August for 9 months. We looked over our
boat hard to figure out what we've learned from our previous
cruising. One thing we realized is that we need a raw water
washdown system for the anchor system.
We tried a few, most not much better than peeing in it. We now have a "Groco
Deck Wash Kit". It's in the engine room and plumbed to one of our two outside
faucets. We now have one fresh water faucet and one salt water faucet outside.
The pressure is good, but I suppose it's never good enough. When trying to
wash off thick black muck, I have to stop every few feet to blast the stuff off.
Ted G.
DEFever 44, Amici
Brabford, CT
I'd go cheap Jeff. The PAR-max's work fine, but their lives are pretty
short in the salt water. You'll be replacing them every few years, so
choose the cheapest model. Simple is good in this case.
Bob Deering
Juneau, Alaska
On 5/15/09 6:03 AM, "Jeffrey Siegel" jeff@activecaptain.com wrote:
Our plan is to take off in August for 9 months. We looked over our
boat hard to figure out what we've learned from our previous
cruising. One thing we realized is that we need a raw water washdown
system for the anchor system. We currently use fresh water which
works great but is our biggest use of water by a long shot.
I hate thru holes and I don't plan on adding one for this. Instead,
I'm thinking of tee'ing off the AC intake with two valves. One side
will go to the pump that I think will do best in the engine room
(short electrical run). A reinforced hose will run to the bow to a
recessed quick-connect hose connection on deck. We'll never use the
AC system while using the washdown system.
There are a few pumps that I'm looking at. I'm looking for
suggestions and experiences with any of them before I go and purchase
one. Here are the pumps I'm considering:
FloJet Heavy Duty Deck Wash Pump - model 04325143L
Gallons per minute: 4.5
PSI: 40
Jabsco PAR-Max 3 High Pressure Water System - model 31600-0092
Gallons per minute: 3.5
PSI: 20-40
Jabsco PAR-Max 4 High Pressure Water System - model 31620-0092
Gallons per minute: 4.3
PSI: 20-40
Jabsco PAR-Max Ultra 7.0 Washdown Pump - model 52700-0092
Gallons per minute: 7.0
PSI: 80
There are also a variety of Jabsco variable speed water pumps but they
look more appropriate for a water system than a washdown pump.
That PAR-Max Ultra at 80 PSI seems wonderful but it seems to provide
much higher pressure. I'm a little scared by it. Would it need
special hose? I'm not looking to repel potential pirates - I just
want to clean mud off the anchor and chain and wash down the deck! My
existing water system pressure tanks are set to about 40 PSI and that
has always seemed to work well with the fresh water washdown.
What else should I be thinking about and what experiences does the
list have with these things?
Thanks!
---===
Jeffrey Siegel
M/V aCappella
DeFever 53RPH
W1ACA/WDB4350
Castine, Maine
www.activecaptain.com
The Interactive Cruising Guidebook
..
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I had this unit and both the check-valve and the pressure sensor failed
after one year of weekend use.
Ron Rogers
-----Original Message-----
From: tands
We now have a "Groco
Deck Wash Kit". It's in the engine room and plumbed to one of our two
outside
faucets. We now have one fresh water faucet and one salt water faucet
outside.
The pressure is good, but I suppose it's never good enough. When trying to
wash off thick black muck, I have to stop every few feet to blast the stuff
off.
We have the Ultra 7.0 and love the big honking thing. We tried a couple of
the others you listed, but found the flow rate and pressure too low to blast
off some of the icky sticky mud we get down here. Sometimes I would be on
the bow for 30 minutes, with the nozzle 6" from the chain, to get it clean.
Now I can blast the crud off as fast as the windlass can haul in the chain.
And I can hit the chain at the water line and knock the mud off there so it
does not splash on the boat. We have a high bow like you, and it is nice to
blast the stuff off 8' away.
The pump is a nice setup. It comes with a 35 amp breaker and heave duty
wiring for connecting to the battery. Separate feed wire for power switch,
which just operates a relay in the pump. So you can run a small wire to
where ever you want the on/off switch located. Installation instructions
here http://www.jabsco.com/files/43000-1831.pdf Scroll to last couple of
pages for wiring diagram.
--
Ken Tischler
Microship
DeFever 49RPH
Springfield, LA
On Fri, May 15, 2009 at 9:03 AM, Jeffrey Siegel jeff@activecaptain.comwrote:
Our plan is to take off in August for 9 months. We looked over our boat
hard to figure out what we've learned from our previous cruising. One thing
we realized is that we need a raw water washdown system for the anchor
system. We currently use fresh water which works great but is our biggest
use of water by a long shot.
I hate thru holes and I don't plan on adding one for this. Instead, I'm
thinking of tee'ing off the AC intake with two valves. One side will go to
the pump that I think will do best in the engine room (short electrical
run). A reinforced hose will run to the bow to a recessed quick-connect
hose connection on deck. We'll never use the AC system while using the
washdown system.
There are a few pumps that I'm looking at. I'm looking for suggestions and
experiences with any of them before I go and purchase one. Here are the
pumps I'm considering:
FloJet Heavy Duty Deck Wash Pump - model 04325143L
Gallons per minute: 4.5
PSI: 40
Jabsco PAR-Max 3 High Pressure Water System - model 31600-0092
Gallons per minute: 3.5
PSI: 20-40
Jabsco PAR-Max 4 High Pressure Water System - model 31620-0092
Gallons per minute: 4.3
PSI: 20-40
Jabsco PAR-Max Ultra 7.0 Washdown Pump - model 52700-0092
Gallons per minute: 7.0
PSI: 80
There are also a variety of Jabsco variable speed water pumps but they look
more appropriate for a water system than a washdown pump.
That PAR-Max Ultra at 80 PSI seems wonderful but it seems to provide much
higher pressure. I'm a little scared by it. Would it need special hose?
I'm not looking to repel potential pirates - I just want to clean mud off
the anchor and chain and wash down the deck! My existing water system
pressure tanks are set to about 40 PSI and that has always seemed to work
well with the fresh water washdown.
What else should I be thinking about and what experiences does the list
have with these things?
Thanks!
---===
Jeffrey Siegel
M/V aCappella
DeFever 53RPH
W1ACA/WDB4350
Castine, Maine
www.activecaptain.com
The Interactive Cruising Guidebook
..
http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/trawlers-and-trawlering
To unsubscribe or modify your subscription options (get password, change
email address, etc) go to:
http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/options/trawlers-and-trawlering
Trawlers & Trawlering and T&T are trademarks of Water World
Productions. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Jeffrey Siegel wrote:
Our plan is to take off in August for 9 months. We looked over our
boat hard to figure out what we've learned from our previous
cruising. One thing we realized is that we need a raw water washdown
system for the anchor system. We currently use fresh water which
works great but is our biggest use of water by a long shot.
Jeff,
We have the Johnson WD5.2 pump, has been in service for 2 years, never a
problem. I used the old 1" macerator pump discharge for an intake, and
the pump has been terrific. Great pressure, I have it plumbed with 5/8
reinforced hose, not too much pressure for that hose. But I would not
pipe it into the A/C, you're asking for problems. Go big on the intake
it will allow the pump max flow.
We use it several times a day every day since it also flushes the doggie
potty (rinses the foredeck), and every time we up-anchor as well. It was
one of the best things I ever added to the boat. We also have a
freshwater on the bow as well, and both are plumbed to a Jabsco
quick-connect fitting (WM has them for $49.95), so we have tandem quick
connects side by side, one fresh one raw. Is great for washing down the
worst with a fresh water rinse if we've got a lot of fresh on board. In
the Bahamas, it was always salt, but better than using up all the fresh
water at $.60/gal!
Steve Sipe
Solo 4303 "Maerin"
Home for Dad, boat at Merritt Is.
Jeffrey Siegel jeff@activecaptain.com writes:
What else should I be thinking about and what experiences does the
list have with these things?
Jeff & others,
I came to the conclusion that I needed a raw water washdown as well. I looked
at a number of alternatives, many of which have been mentioned here. They all
seemed (a) expensive and (b) a bit underpowered. Getting thick gumbo off of a
1/2 chain is a real challenge.
My final choice was to avoid "marine" pumps altogether. Instead, I bought an
el-cheapo stainless steel shallow-well pump from Harbor Freight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47906
It shows as $129, but when I bought mine, it was only $99. Go figure. Hard to
believe that anyone can make money at that price. In any event, it looks like
it should have the volume and pressure to do the job. Yes, it takes 1000
watts of AC, but by definition I always have the engine running when I am
pulling up the anchor. I'll report back to the list after the summer about
how it works out.
By the way, just as an FYI, last year I rewired by windlass to use the start
batteries instead of the house batteries. If you have been hanging on the
hook for a few days, it makes much more sense to be using the start batteries
at 27 (or 13.5) volts and a lightly-loaded alternator instead of the house
batteries at 24 (or 12) volts and a heavily-loaded alternator.
"Barry Kipnis" barry@iffin.us writes:
If anyone can invent a collar to go around
the chain with multiple spray holes to get the chain from every angle, that
would be better.
I've thought a lot about this as well. I think that a semi-circular piece of
plastic pipe with 1/8" holes on the inside would work. If you had the
threaded fitting that broom & paint rollers use you could then screw it into
most extensible boathooks. I'm going to try and whip something like this up
before boating season this year.
Scott Welch
Product Manager, Open Text Collaboration and Social Media Group
www.opentext.com
905 762 6101
"Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn
out." - John Wooden