Finally! We're on our new 1984 Fu Hwa!

We picked the boat up in Annapolis on Sunday from the seller. They had the boat through the winter and the interminable spring as they did work required by the agreement of purchase. We brought her to our home marina, Swan Creek, in Rock Hall. We're loading in for the season and our two week 'vacation' aboard.

Yesterday's adventures included the water system blowing apart, not once which would have been more than plenty, but three times. Tiny hose clamps and clear vinyl tubing onto 1/2" copper tubing suggest a certain re-ordering of the priorities is required. We ran the entire 200 gallons of water out via the bilge pump.

Congratulations!
So now you have washed the bilge whats the next project?.........

DHeckrotte said:

We picked the boat up in Annapolis on Sunday from the seller. They had the boat through the winter and the interminable spring as they did work required by the agreement of purchase. We brought her to our home marina, Swan Creek, in Rock Hall. We're loading in for the season and our two week 'vacation' aboard.

Yesterday's adventures included the water system blowing apart, not once which would have been more than plenty, but three times. Tiny hose clamps and clear vinyl tubing onto 1/2" copper tubing suggest a certain re-ordering of the priorities is required. We ran the entire 200 gallons of water out via the bilge pump.

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This means you really need to have a look at the quality of your survey report. I assume this was not listed as an issue therefore the surveyor was either blind or incompetent.
Everything needs to be rechecked.

DHeckrotte said:

... Tiny hose clamps and clear vinyl tubing onto 1/2" copper tubing suggest a certain re-ordering of the priorities is required. We ran the entire 200 gallons of water out via the bilge pump.

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Look at the brighter side...it could have been a fuel line. Congrats on your boat, I'm sure your vacation will be the best ever!

Congratulations very nice good looking boat .

Very nice. Those minor "oops" things always seem to happen, but like was already said, be glad it was water not fuel.

At least you know the bilge pump works.

I second the re-evaluation of your survey. Not that it surprises me that things were missed.

Nice looking boat 'ya got there Cap'n.

Perhaps it was one of those things supposedly fixed post survey?

Well, the boat got you where you wanted to know so that's good. Enjoy.

Beautiful boat, odd way of testing bilge pumps though

CaptBill & mblevins: The two patches, on both hot and cold water tubing, were under the head. That is, I removed the head to see the next section of water supply hoses. The section after this would be under the tub/shower. Happily, the head is poorly mounted (and I already own the replacement) and the hoses to it had enough slack to be able to tip it out of the way; did not have to disassemble any nasty hoses!

I cannot fault our survey or the surveyor for not removing the head to peek at concealed tubing.

As for the two patches, they have squeaky-clean hose clamps and clear, clean vinyl hose. Similar clamps and vinyl connect from these lines to the sink faucet. The seller said they'd 'given' us a new faucet. Hmmmm.

Congratulations.

Looking forward to interior pics.

Funny about joining plastic tubing to copper... I just did the same thing on the plastic water tank replacement.

Carl

Capt.Bill11 said:

At least you know the bilge pump works.

I second the re-evaluation of your survey. Not that it surprises me that things were missed.

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Yes, true, but the mind boggles has to how such a fundamental fault, in a system that one uses frequently, and each and every time one is on the boat, could have such an issue it fails the first time they go aboard. The plumbing on my boat is 40 odd years old, but it will be the last thing to 'blow apart'. The odd slow leak around a tap spindle...yes...the Sureflow pump might die without warning...yes...because t's the one already in it when we bought it 14 years ago...but blow apart such as to leak 200gal water into the bilge..?
Unbelievable...

Yes, Peter B, I'm always pleased to have the totally silly, boneheaded evil of inanimate objects break into a peaceful day.

She is a nice looking girl except for her blowing up at you three times. Hope this is an except and dosen't become the rule

Wishing you the best with your new toy even if i am a bit jealous

Did you connect to city water supply? The city pressure is often significantly greater than that produced by the on board fresh water pump system that might normally have been the PO's normal usage. If so, you may have a defective or non existing water pressure regulator. The weakest part of the system will be the first place to 'blow apart'.


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McG., no we were on our own pump pressure. Lots of these single-clamp-copper-to hose connections. Only this inconvenient one blew.

Still not as much fun as another new owner has had, but the water system blew again. Hot water side. We will be replacing all the clear vinyl hose and replacing it with reinforced hose.

Congrats, Rock Hall is our favorite port. When we started our Great Loop adventure last year our first stop was a mooring ball at Swans Creek. You are lucky to have such a great home port.

frydaze, you may well have been moored near our 1970 LeComte North East 38. (She's on the hard at Swan Creek Marina, listed for sale.)

been there, done that got the tee shirt! our boats PO explained to me that since the boat had always been wintered in the water it was not necessary to winterize th fresh water system. After further investigation I wonder why there were 10 hose clamp splices?????????

Raindr, our LeComte had splices on splices. Lots of its 1 CM dia. copper water piping lay in the bilge with occasional salt water immersion. It was pretty evident to me that corrosion was a real issue for the copper. And, what a pain to make transitions/adapters between the 1 CM stuff - to 3/8" copper - to 1/2" copper - to 1/2" CPVC!

DHeckrotte said:

Still not as much fun as another new owner has had, but the water system blew again. Hot water side. We will be replacing all the clear vinyl hose and replacing it with reinforced hose.

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I never imagined that you would have sailed anywhere with non reiforced marine grade hoses of the proper size and clamped double or triple clamped with marine stainless clams. What other systems on your boat are below marine standard?
Selecting Marine Hoses | West Marine

You guys like to play russian roulette?

DHeckrotte said:

Still not as much fun as another new owner has had, but the water system blew again. Hot water side. We will be replacing all the clear vinyl hose and replacing it with reinforced hose.

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What the hey? Not sure I would assume that splitting lines like that was possible from the water pressure developed by recreational marine water pumps... serious...

Is that like soda-straw thick tubing? Don't get that? Plus - the installer of that tubing was missing out on the cool-factor that comes with modern vinyl nylon grid reinforced tubing.

Sorry bud... but you will be crawling that boat for days replacing that material.

Carl

Britt, Carl,

There seem to be only(!) 6 short lengths of that clear vinyl. Now, only 5. We've got the right repair stuff aboard. Most of the water system is original copper. Some is reinforced hose, but not recent.

This is a surmountable annoyance!

D

"but the water system blew again. Hot water side."

When the HW lines after the heater blow it is usually an over pressure from either a check valve between the heater and faucets , or no expansion tank in the line.'

A simple fix.

EVEN IN BILGE WATER COPPER TUBING WILL LAST for may years.

Either remove the check valve or add an expansion tank.

Remember too stuff does not grow inside copper tubing as it can in plastic tubing.

CLEAR plastic tubing in a water system is a disaster as light can enter the water and feed green slime.

DHeckrotte said:

Britt, Carl,

There seem to be only(!) 6 short lengths of that clear vinyl. Now, only 5. We've got the right repair stuff aboard. Most of the water system is original copper. Some is reinforced hose, but not recent.

This is a surmountable annoyance!

D

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Yep, and if this is the worse you ever encounter it will be great. Actually the experiance will likely make you scrutinize everything wityh a criticle eye from now on which is good as it may save your lives. The water is nothing to take lightly. I've seen people die unexpectedly on nice calm bluebirds days. Once at Pyrimid lake at the boat launch we were standing talking and a boy jumped in to cool off but didnt surface so an off duty police rescue swimmer jumped in to save him and neither were ever found. Pyrimid lake Nevada is known for things like this. There is lots of volcanic activity and in spots the lake boils there are also strange currents likely spawned by the same activity. I think anyone that spends enough time on the water will have these experiences the water is a dangerous place one which we all often take for granted.
You can't treat a boat like a car cause in a car if you break down you sit and wait for help in a boat you may not have that option or be even able to call for help depending on your location

FF said:

"but the water system blew again. Hot water side."

When the HW lines after the heater blow it is usually an over pressure from either a check valve between the heater and faucets , or no expansion tank in the line.'

A simple fix.

EVEN IN BILGE WATER COPPER TUBING WILL LAST for may years.

Either remove the check valve or add an expansion tank.

Remember too stuff does not grow inside copper tubing as it can in plastic tubing.

CLEAR plastic tubing in a water system is a disaster as light can enter the water and feed green slime.

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copper is a natural herbicide and toxic to us even if approved and used for water piping in some areas. Polymers used in synthetic tubing etc. tend to off gas various chemicals most of which are carcinogenic into the water no matter what the manufacturers say. My reccomendation is to never use water for food, drink that hasn't first been filtered and run through an RO membrane. I only have one body and i choose not to gamble it on the word of a big corporation or big brother.

Congratulations! As a proud owner of a 1984 Taiwan cruiser (marine trader), I have a few stories of my own about things that go wrong. But we are on the water, and that's what counts! My boat is a constant project, but I could never have afforded her otherwise. I wish you countless hours of zen-like moments aboard.

rmorris said:

Congratulations! As a proud owner of a 1984 Taiwan cruiser (marine trader), I have a few stories of my own about things that go wrong. But we are on the water, and that's what counts! My boat is a constant project, but I could never have afforded her otherwise. I wish you countless hours of zen-like moments aboard.

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