Anchor Wash-down

We have a seawater wash-down pump installed inside the aft lazerette with a hose fitting on the outside transom. If I was to tap off it for a bow anchor wash-down outlet what type of hose/tubing would you recommend for a 40+ foot run to the bow through the bilge attached to the stringers?

At present we just run a coil hose along the walkway but it is a pain getting it out, hosing off and then repacking it just to clean the anchor. Want to get ready for next year of using the boat more at anchor.

Use the same type of hose tubing you would for a pressurized fresh water line.

I have both aft and bow wash down faucets and made from cooper tubing. Last year I didn't drain the lines and the bow line froze and split. I ran 1/2 inch PEX tubing to the bow and using Sharkbite quick fittings. They are not cheap, $6-8 each. You can get them at Home Depot. I think they are better than the ones you can get at Lowes.


Cut the tubing line after the pump and install a "T" Shark bite and run it to your bow.

I second this:

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

I have both aft and bow wash down faucets and made from cooper tubing. Last year I didn't drain the lines and the bow line froze and split. I ran 1/2 inch PEX tubing to the bow and using Sharkbite quick fittings. They are not cheap, $6-8 each. You can get them at Home Depot. I think they are better than the ones you can get at Lowes.


Cut the tubing line after the pump and install a "T" Shark bite and run it to your bow.

Click to expand...

rochepoint said:

If I was to tap off it for a bow anchor wash-down outlet what type of hose/tubing would you recommend for a 40+ foot run to the bow through the bilge attached to the stringers?

Click to expand...

We did just that, to improve our original "hose" solution.

The boat was already plumbed with PEX tubing and Flair-It fittings, so we used that.

-Chris

I installed an anchor washdown hose in a flush-recessed canister at the bow.



I T'd off the line to the cockpit RW washdown near the pump located amidship and ran with this hose



to the bow. The longest run is about 20 ft and the hose is 1/2 in. I used barb fittings and installed a lighted switch so I know when the pump is ON.

I think it's a 4 GPM Jabsco pump and it takes about 5-10 secs with the sprayer on for the pressure to build to the point where it works effectively.

rochepoint said:

We have a seawater wash-down pump installed inside the aft lazerette with a hose fitting on the outside transom. If I was to tap off it for a bow anchor wash-down outlet what type of hose/tubing would you recommend for a 40+ foot run to the bow through the bilge attached to the stringers?



At present we just run a coil hose along the walkway but it is a pain getting it out, hosing off and then repacking it just to clean the anchor. Want to get ready for next year of using the boat more at anchor.

Click to expand...

Had a similar situation. Running a permanent line forward was going to be difficult due to limited access. Solution was to buy an expandable hose at Home Depot for this use. So light and easy to rig when needed and put away afterwards. And available to rinse the decks or any use. No pain.

I just bought the parts this week to put in a fresh water wash down at the bow to rinse the chain off as it comes up. Our chain locker drains into the bilge and really no easy way to change that. The problem we have is that the bilge is normally dry until we pull the anchor then the salt water drains into the bilge and evaporates leaving lots of salt that I can pick up by the handfulls. The whole boat is plumbed with PEX so I will connect it to the forward head sink cold water with PEX.

I have a question for everyone; I bought a Marco water pump specifically for a raw water anchor wash down and I am wondering where the best place to mount it would be. I have a pulpit "locker" that houses the windlass inside with the gypsy on top, it has a watertight Freeman hatch on the side for access, and the anchor chain and rode will travel through a stainless steel pipe to locker below, so it's a pretty dry place.. Or maybe in the engine room against a forward bulkhead?

PEX is good, but whatever you use, I'd use the largest size that you can fit. You will be subject to a lot of pressure drop over a 40' run, and the larger pipe size will minimize the drop. You can't have too much pressure or too much volume for an anchor wash. 1/2", for example, strikes be as badly undersized. I'd go for at least 3/4", and even 1" if you think you can fit it through.

stevensibs said:

I have a question for everyone; I bought a Marco water pump specifically for a raw water anchor wash down and I am wondering where the best place to mount it would be. I have a pulpit "locker" that houses the windlass inside with the gypsy on top, it has a watertight Freeman hatch on the side for access, and the anchor chain and rode will travel through a stainless steel pipe to locker below, so it's a pretty dry place.. Or maybe in the engine room against a forward bulkhead?

Click to expand...

Higher, dry and closer to the outlet is best, as it is head after the pump that affects performance the most. In my case I mounted mine (a Shurflo extreme Blaster) in a utility/generator room about 15 feet behind and around 7 feet below the outlet and got good results. I had the room, the battery bank involved, and a spare through hull in that location, and it was easy to route the line to the outlet from there as well.

Just a reminder that Pex is not UV resistant so you have to make all runs where the sun don't shine!

put mine under the v-berth. The thru-hull for it is in the head just aft of the v-berth. It works very well.

TDunn said:

put mine under the v-berth. The thru-hull for it is in the head just aft of the v-berth. It works very well.

Click to expand...

Ditto. Except we have a queen, not a v-berth.

My pump is mounted in the engine room. Then it "Tees" off one to the bow and then the other to the stern. I used 1/2 PEX. Easy to work with.

Is putting a "T" on the sea water engine pump and a valve and a hose running fwd through the deck w another valve not considered safe? Or would it have enough pressure?

It won't build enough pressure as it will be wanting to go out with the exhaust. I'll be installing a washdown setup on my boat this winter too.

Kevin

Solution was to buy an expandable hose at Home Depot for this use. So light and easy to rig when needed and put away afterwards. And available to rinse the decks or any use. No pain.[/QUOTE]

double ditto on the expandable they have there uses

Just finished up ours the other week, went with 1/2" pex from the pump in the aft lazerette along the bilge and up the anchor locker. In the anchor locker it run thru a piece if 1" schedule 40 pvc with a 45 degree elbow at the bottom so it is protected from the chain in the locker. Cut a hole thru the main deck next to the hawse pipe for the chain and the upper deck so I could install a quick release Jabsco wash-down fitting, best part was both hole cores were bone dry......

The pump is a 4 GPM with auto shutoff at 65lbs the system works GREAT!

Thanks to all who replied, the pex was easy and cheap......

Keep the pump close to the suction source, add a suction strainer, keep everything accessible, and make sure the wire size is adequate for the distance from the battery source and you should be good to go. Since the pump is self priming, you can mount the pump above the waterline within the limits of the pump installation instructions.

Thanks everybody. Good info

Has anyone ever put together a portable wash-down pump to carry to the windlass for anchoring? We don't want to wait for anchoring out until we haul for a thru-hull, and don't want to anchor out without some wash-down available....the mud in our area is nasty, and we don't want that in our anchor locker!

Not a portable, but my washdown RW source comes from a T in the thru hull hose from the head RW source. No new thru hull required.

Do you have a hose bib or fresh water line you can tap into for FW access in the interim, using your FW pump and supply?

FlyWright said:

Not a portable, but my washdown RW source comes from a T in the thru hull hose from the head RW source. No new thru hull required.

Do you have a hose bib or fresh water line you can tap into for FW access in the interim, using your FW pump and supply?

Click to expand...

Oh yes....we have a transom shower that we can use. Just wondering about portable alternatives.

manyboats said:

Is putting a "T" on the sea water engine pump and a valve and a hose running fwd through the deck w another valve not considered safe? Or would it have enough pressure?

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I would say no it's not safe. If a failure in the hose of fittings occur while under way you may not notice until you realize your riding a sea turtle. And that might be too late.

Pressure wont be more than around 15 psi. Not much for muck.

It should be pretty easy to McGiver a portable wash down pump. Buy the pump you plan to install when you can install the thru-hull, mount it in a plastic tool box big enough to hold the pump, a small battery and some hose.

Actually sounds like a fun project.

HopCar said:

It should be pretty easy to McGiver a portable wash down pump. Buy the pump you plan to install when you can install the thru-hull, mount it in a plastic tool box big enough to hold the pump, a small battery and some hose.

Actually sounds like a fun project.

Click to expand...

Assuming genset or inverter, might even consider a 115V pump, in a Rubbermaid (or whatever) box. Holes in the box for power cord and hoses (innies and outies), drop one (weighted, maybe with course filter) over the side for supply, use the other with a squeeze-grip nozzle at the anchor...

-Chris

HopCar said:

It should be pretty easy to McGiver a portable wash down pump. Buy the pump you plan to install when you can install the thru-hull, mount it in a plastic tool box big enough to hold the pump, a small battery and some hose.

Actually sounds like a fun project.

Click to expand...

That's what we were thinking....but we envisioned a 5 gallon bucket. I like the tool box idea.

If you make one, be sure to post a picture of it.

As for the pump, take a look at the ShurFlo ProBlaster series of pumps. I've been selling a lot of them and haven't gotten any returns. That makes me think they're pretty reliable.

If you're dealing with sticky mud, you might consider stainless chain and anchor. I put stainless chain on Possum just because I got a deal on it. I was surprised at how much cleaner it came up than my old galvanized chain. This is an expensive option!