Fixed chain sprayer

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Mac2

Mac2

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Joined
Mar 9, 2014
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Seattle, Washington
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Real Ships Voyager
Has anyone done this? I’ve seen this done two different ways. A thru hull with fire hose sprayer just below the bow pulpit. And two copper pipes running along the sides of the anchor shaft tray. Copper pipes were pinched down to create a fan spray on one end and some plumbing fittings to attach the wash down hose.
 
I've thought about it and debated on what would be most effective. A single sprayer aimed forward and down would be easiest, but I'm not sure if it would be the most effective. I've thought that sprayers on both sides aiming down and slightly forward may get better coverage of the chain (with both spray and water running down the chain) and minimize the gunk that makes it over the roller and has to be rinsed off with a handheld sprayer. Aiming forward a bit would be important to avoid mud splattering back onto the hull.

Although if you can move enough volume of water, the design might be less important.
 
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It's a cool idea, but I wonder how well it really works given how mud tends to stick and how when using a hose you have to go back over areas...I'd ask someone who has one first before investing the time ... that and my wife does it for free with a hose and brass fire nozzle : )
 
I’m leaning towards the two directions of spray. One pointed straight down and the second at 90 degrees to that to account for the alternating chain holes that collects mud. Then it’s a matter of matching the flow of water to the speed of my electric windlass. I’ve never liked the constant starting and stopping of the windlass to clear the mud. Feels like this is putting excessive wear on the windlass.
 
Be cool to hear how it turns out. The ones I've seen have been in stainless with 'pinched down' nozzles. A couple I've seen in operation did not put out enough pressure to knock off the sticky stuff.
 
Nordlund Xpress said:
Be cool to hear how it turns out. The ones I've seen have been in stainless with 'pinched down' nozzles. A couple I've seen in operation did not put out enough pressure to knock off the sticky stuff.
Click to expand...
I think that's the key, the sprayers have to be backed up with a big enough pump (especially because of the fixed aiming and no ability to move around like you do with a hand-held sprayer). Big enough in this case meaning that the pump is able to push enough volume of water, and the pump / nozzle combo also has to be able to spray with enough pressure.
 
While volume helps, it's all about pressure. While I never did the test, my next version was likely going to include a pressure washer to clean the chain. For those not familiar with pressure washers, the water volume is quite low, but spray pressure is quite high. While mine wouldn't be fixed nozzles, but more a wand, the pressure would likely be 30 times my current rig. I had envisioned an electric pressure washer running off my inverter.

While you may not be interested in a pressure washer, higher pressure is what blows the mud off versus rinses it off.

Ted
 
O C Diver said:
While volume helps, it's all about pressure. While I never did the test, my next version was likely going to include a pressure washer to clean the chain. For those not familiar with pressure washers, the water volume is quite low, but spray pressure is quite high. While mine wouldn't be fixed nozzles, but more a wand, the pressure would likely be 30 times my current rig. I had envisioned an electric pressure washer running off my inverter.

While you may not be interested in a pressure washer, higher pressure is what blows the mud off versus rinses it off.

Ted
Click to expand...
I already have this. It works great, but I have to stop the windlass to switch angles to get the mud off on the alternating links. I have the deck fittings already for the additional wash down hose/pump. If I add the fixed wash down, I will use the pressure washer as backup to clear missed mud. I tend to anchor out in deeper water and typically have around 400 feet of chain out. It will take up to 45 minutes to bring the rode in. I don’t have overboard draining, so I need to have a clean rode.
 
I have a fixed nozzle anchor wash shooting forward. It works pretty well, but we still rinse the chain after it comes over the roller with a garden hose just to get the saltwater off the chain.

It moves a pretty huge amount of saltwater. It makes use of a hydraulically driven pacer s pump which the specs say has a max rating of 230 gallons per minute and is a 2" inlet 2" outlet pump.
 
bkcorwin said:
I have a fixed nozzle anchor wash shooting forward. It works pretty well, but we still rinse the chain after it comes over the roller with a garden hose just to get the saltwater off the chain.

It moves a pretty huge amount of saltwater. It makes use of a hydraulically driven pacer s pump which the specs say has a max rating of 230 gallons per minute and is a 2" inlet 2"
Click to expand...
Confirming 230 gallons a minute!? Do you know the brand of nozzle?
 
Mac2 said:
Confirming 230 gallons a minute!? Do you know the brand of nozzle?
Click to expand...
Some of the big Nordhavns that have a massive centrifugal pump as an emergency dewatering pump have the plumbing to also use it for an anchor washdown. My memory says somewhere around 200 gal/min for those pumps, so 230 is probably right.
 
Mac2 said:
Perfect! Exactly the concept I was looking for. Can you adjust the angle of the nozzle, and flow rate (ball valve etc,)? Is that nozzle 1 inch? Thanks
Click to expand...
Nah i don't have any adjustability. Its just a fixed nozzle. You gotta move the boat around a bit while you raise the anchor to keep the chain in the spray. I'd imagine you could route it so it got the chain more consistently if it was closer to the chain.

I can check the nozzle size next month when i get back to the boat but the hose is all 2".
 
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