Salt water tap in galley

Has anyone here fitted their trawler with a salt water tap in the galley, similar to what many do on sailboats?

I have not but it might be a good idea for those with limited potable water capacity.


My wife is not good at conserving water but our usual cruising has a marina stop every two or three nights so it hasn't become a problem. If I'm washing dishes, I will wipe them first with a paper towel.

It's on my list of to-do's.

Greetings,
"...I will wipe them first with a paper towel." Save a tree get a dog.

Are you often enough in places with clean enough water?

Our 1970 LeComte North East 38 was originally fitted with a Gusher foot pump w/spout in the galley but it was long since abandoned and not connected to raw water. I connected it into the piping from the fresh water tank which gave us access to water when the electric pump failed. If we had ever gone offshore I'd have connected it to one of the raw water hoses.

makobuilders said:

Has anyone here fitted their trawler with a salt water tap in the galley, similar to what many do on sailboats?

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If you do add one, there are some bacterial considerations. Using it in polluted or fertile harbors/waters adds another step as you have to disinfect everything including the sink. Not the best water saver for doing dishes or rinsing things.

We turned our saltwater tap on our sailboat into the test tap for the water maker.

We added a water saving aerator at the faucet like this one that saves water. Set the water temp, then toggle the water on and off as needed with the lever. We find it simple to use and very effective.



IMO, some 'features' on sailboats should remain far away from trawlers like saltwater at the galley sink and deep, top-loading fridges, wet helms, and lines (sheets) that make noise in the wind.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
"...I will wipe them first with a paper towel." Save a tree get a dog.

Click to expand...

We have a dog (Yorkie) but she has stomach problems an has to eat special food. No "people" food.

Greetings,
We have a Redbone. No stomach problems and also no "people" food. I would think if one really wanted to wash in salt water, it's as close as a bucket over the side.

An electric dishwasher is a good way to save water. I find it is one of the most important pieces of equipment in our boat.

We been a live a board for 19 years and paper plates. We have 1 sink of dishes every week. If the paper plate can be wiped clean we may use it again. We have learned to conserve water. We have the lowest psi water pump which helps. Fork, spoons knives are placed in a plastic container with soapy water and can be used over again. We do the same with the motor home. We can go weeks on 1 tank, including the toilet. Just us what is needed. Land people complain about the noise of the pump and toilet but the noise lets you know the amount of water being used.

We have 400 gallon tanks and an ever hot diesel heat that also heat hot water, but we still conserve.

Some larger boats will use a small swivel faucet to allow a steady stream of heated sea water,in the galley sink, while the engine is operating.

A hot rinse takes care of 99% of the grunge , but it only works while underway.

I've taken to carrying dishes to the cockpit where I can rinse them off with the salt water washdown hose. Would rather do it in the galley sink, thus the desire to have a spigot there. My boat is a minimalistic sled, kept light and simple, and that included a rather minimalistic FW tank. In hindsight, that is one thing that I should have made larger, weight be danged. Skimping on water has been a PITA many times.

Good info on being aware of bacterial concers, I will keep that in mind. That issue should be able to be handled with minimal fuss.

We have a American Black and Tan Coonhound, RT. Not used for pre-rinse services, though she does the floor and table.

A Scottish friend of mine tight ass has sailed for 50 years and has the first Pound he ever earned LOL He wraps his plates and bowls in Glad Wrap Film
to conserve water

I sometimes place all my plates cups bowls in a fishing net and hang them over board they clean them selves in a hour and attract fish

Minimalists!
There's a new-fangled contraption called a watermaker.

Salt water is essential for cooking crabs and prawns!!!

Or do like the Union Steamship Co did, throw them overboard.

"I've taken to carrying dishes to the cockpit where I can rinse them off with the salt water washdown hose."

A Mesh bag and dunking works with out any effort or electric.

Carrying and drying are easy too .

Just use a tighter mesh bag for the silverware.

Having been brought up limited to a 25 gallon fresh water tank on 23' 1948 Chris Craft express... with five of us (parents and three young kids) staying aboard for up to a month on New England trips... we really learned how to conserve water.

I do the same to this day. I call it the "boat trickle" (it's actually just a little more than a drip, drip - drop sequence). works at home too when CA gets into drought situations.

Due to my wife and my "boat trickle" water use in galley... Our Tolly's 77 gallon freshwater capacity (two 38.5 tanks - weird # huh) can last for weeks. We do use some paper plates and some sturdy reusable plastics. When doing BBQ up on the Sun Deck I keep a 5 gal bucked 2/3 full with SF Delta's fresh water. Our heads and holding tank are fine using the Delta's fresh water.

This salt water galley sink idea interests me.
I already have a jabsco utility raw water pump setup with hoses fore and aft.
I could tee into the hose running forward.
I have an old antique single spigot brass chromed faucet with porcelain cross handle I could use.

So drill a hole in the countertop and mount it. Thing is this is brass, how long before salt water would destroy the spigot?

I also have well pressure switch which is sort of finicky borderline functional, that turns the pump or or on demand. It is made for fresh water well pumps.
Problem is the pump output pressure is so low, to st the well switch so low it is less reliable turn off or turn on. Are there more sensitive to low PSI switches that could work?

My system has a check valve to hold pressure. When you open a faucet, the PSI in the hose drops which flips on the well switch starting the pump.

"So drill a hole in the countertop and mount it. Thing is this is brass, how long before salt water would destroy the spigot?"

A few decades.

As sea water system needs the same consideration as a FW pressure water setup.

An accumulator of some sort will lessen pump cycling , and the of/on pressures can be set with a Square D house pump well switch , about $20 at home shops.

Folks of the KISS religion simply use an off on switch and forget the rest.

Might be great to use a push button at knee height to allow washing both hands together.

FF said:

"So drill a hole in the countertop and mount it. Thing is this is brass, how long before salt water would destroy the spigot?"

A few decades.

As sea water system needs the same consideration as a FW pressure water setup.

An accumulator of some sort will lessen pump cycling , and the of/on pressures can be set with a Square D house pump well switch , about $20 at home shops.

Folks of the KISS religion simply use an off on switch and forget the rest.

Might be great to use a push button at knee height to allow washing both hands together.

Click to expand...

It is sort of elegant to have the motor pump on demand by turning the faucet handle. Or I could rig another switch.

Does a Jabsco utility bronze impeller pump, or any pump suffer if it ran wet yet the output is blocked? The impeller vanes can only pump so much pressure, then they will flex out of the way inside their bronze housing.
When I replaced the OEM totally destroyed rusted Jabsco impeller, I went with Globe impeller which can run dry for 15 minutes.

I had to melt the OEM SS impeller core from off the motor shaft with acetylene torch. The motor shaft is mild steel, it rusted jamming the SS impeller center.
To even get the bronze housing out of the way, I had to use a core drill and cut down between rubber and SS. I was really disgusted with Jabsco, not using a SS motor shaft. And that pump lists for $600!

album link
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=M0RlS2F4Unl1cmVUdUVpZlpxckhTTVBtSGREcXBn

I think now, rather than a single faucet, use a sprayer connected to the saltwater line. They can be all plastic, and more appropriate to the task if your rinsing off a dish. It would also be nice if some kind of 3 way valve existed to allow use of either fresh or salt water through the sprayer. So in port, have it set to fresh, and at sea to salt water, for those who don't have unlimited fresh water from a water maker, like me. Thing is though, people won't remember to switch the valve. A three way valve might not be worth the effort.

Looks like this, but get one with a base.

Kohler K-GP1021724-CP Polished Chrome Sidespray Hose for Kitchen Faucets - FaucetDirect.com!

sdowney717 said:

I think now, rather than a single faucet, use a sprayer connected to the saltwater line. They can be all plastic, and more appropriate to the task if your rinsing off a dish. It would also be nice if some kind of 3 way valve existed to allow use of either fresh or salt water through the sprayer. So in port, have it set to fresh, and at sea to salt water, for those who don't have unlimited fresh water from a water maker, like me. Thing is though, people won't remember to switch the valve. A three way valve might not be worth the effort.

Looks like this, but get one with a base.

Kohler K-GP1021724-CP Polished Chrome Sidespray Hose for Kitchen Faucets - FaucetDirect.com!

Click to expand...

Having had salt water tap in the galley, a potential issue with the sprayer is you may clog the spray holes in the head. When you're not using the salt water side of it, the salt water in the system from the thru hull to your valve is stagnate and any sea life/creatures or pieces of grass die. When you go to use the sprayer all the this goes toward the spray nozzle, in addition to the very smelly water.

Larry M said:

Having had salt water tap in the galley, a potential issue with the sprayer is you may clog the spray holes in the head. When you're not using the salt water side of it, the salt water in the system from the thru hull to your valve is stagnate and any sea life/creatures or pieces of grass die. When you go to use the sprayer all the this goes toward the spray nozzle, in addition to the very smelly water.

Click to expand...

Exactly what I experienced on the head, smelly water of death due to dead critters rotting. What helped was a fine mesh strainer, has a SS mesh, clear screw on bowl and a black plastic body 1/2 inch thread. I screwed onto the thru hull after the 90* elbow. It was an ebay item.
For such a low priced item, it has been great. It must be filtering out some sea life to work.

I should look into a bigger 3/4 one for the utility pump.