Al:

I used the search feature on the site here and it brings up the article that Tom did. It is a good tool and will bring up what your looking for if there has been a post on it. Our wash down pump is under our aft berth. with a switch on the electrical panel.

Good luck Randy

Al,
It's hard to make a suggestion without knowing how your boat is configured. Please update your "signature" with additional info. The spot behind the head is exactly where I installed a washdown pump on Julandra. I'd suggest using the washdown pump made by Johnson Pumps. It was rated very highly by PS, comes with a filter (important!), hose, bulkhead fitting and puts out a lot of water. It comes complete with everything you need except the wiring and the intake hose. Here's a link:
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|299222|315122&id=367753

It would be best to run a dedicated wire (#10) back to the electrical panel and use a dedicated breaker, or if you have a windlass, use it as a power source, and put in a breaker between the windlass and the washdown pump. Don't be tempted to splice into a cabin light or other low-amp item. It draws some serious current and takes a 20A fuse or breaker!
You can get the water feed from the head intake thru-hull to the pump. From the pump go up through the cabinet, and along the port side hull/deck joint. Hope this helps.

NO REASON FOR! It is another thing you have to winterize.

It is a waste of time and money and not worth drilling into the boat! :eek:
I wish my PO didn't brother!

For us, the washdown pump was a great addition.

Being on a lake, the deck can attract a lot of creatures over the course of the night out at anchor. The washdown pump is very helpfull for this purpose. Also, the dock water is usually shut off mid-November through mid-March so it makes keeping the boat clean in the "winter" much easier.

We installed ours in the head under the shower seat and "T'ed" into the head inlet opening. Also installed a check valve going to the head. The deck fitting is in the anchor locker. Lastly, since we are on a lake and cannot overboard discharge the head, we used the switch for the macerator to provide the electric.

The biggest pain was taking apart the V-Berth Trim to get access to the anchor locker. We ran the hoses up around/over the water tank under the berth. Finished with several tests of the pump before we re-assembled the V-berth trim.

The pump is a 3.4 gpm with filter and provides plenty of pressure.

Good luck!

But, there are a lot better upgrades out there. This upgrade I, me myself, wish my boat didn't have. For example an inventor or electrical head is a much beter use of the money.

How big is you lake? You can't wait to get back to the dock to rise off? I assume you talking about bird mess? If you are on a hook, I can see a real need for a wash down but not in salt water.

Jim

I am on a fresh water lake that is about 90,000 acres with about 580 miles of shoreline. No-see-ums (and other bugs) like to attach themselves to the boat during the night at anchor.

Yes, we can go back to the dock but I would rather take 10-15 minutes washing the boat down at anchor and have a clean boat for the day, than spend an hour or two to go in, wash the boat, and come back out. It is a convenience thing for me.

Jimmy, there are other considerations that I hadn't considered in salt water, since I share your ideas about priorities, but please remember, those are yours, not for everyone else.

I use 1/4 inch chain for our anchor system, 35 feet, with 1/2 inch rode. Most of the time we anchor in mud. I once tried about 30 feet of 3/8 inch chain. All that came up off the bottom was 3 feet of mud surrounding my 3/8 incn chain. Now, I have sized my anchoring SYSTEM for 42 knots of wind on our C34, so our 1/4 inch chain and 1/2 inch rode is just fine for that. The 3/8 inch chain is overkill.

But I tried the larger chain just that one time and ALL THAT MUD on the chain made me wish I had an anchor washdown system. I can truly understand folks who have sized their anchoring systems to require 5/8 inch rode and 3/8 inch chain and who always have this huge mudball on their chain.

So, Jimmy, before ya knock it, try it or live in others (muddy???;)) shoes.

One of the more inventive washdown pump ideas I saw was to use a self contained bilge pump wired into an outlet in the anchor lockers. Add a hose and nozzle to the outlet of the pump. Drop the bilge pump overboard with a light length of line. Pump starts, hose works. Simple, no cutting except for getting the power up there. No winterizing necessary, either!

I anchor mostly in sand. So why don't you install one Stu?

It is not for me that is for sure. Never used mine even when I do anchor in mud, but if you have a problem with mud you might want to consider it. Make sure you have a problem first because you have to winterize it.

[I]So why don't you install one Stu?[/I]

Good question, sorry i wasn't clear before. Reason is my 1/4 inch chain goes vertical easily by hand, we have no windlass, so once it's vertical, the mud washes off. It was only the larger and heavier 3/8 inch chain that laid on the bottom from the rode shackle all the way to the anchor that was so filthy. I also have a Rocna 10 (22#) anchor and sized and selected it as part of my 42 knot anchoring system.

As for installing one, I could in about the time it would take me to buy the pump and connect the hose and wiring. I haven't because my trusty bucket is still doin' its thing just fine, thank you m'am.

Just a quick comment:

Stu so correctly refers to the sizing of the entire 'ground tackle system.' The strength of the 1/4 chain may well be adequate for his needs.

But, the quote that "the larger and heavier 3/8 inch chain that laid on the bottom from the rode shackle all the way to the anchor" is very much the reason why the heavier chain has a great benefit in storm winds.

FWIW, my PO installed a washdown (intake off the head intake and pump under the v-berth) and I use it fairly often. I never have to winterize anything on the boat due to our climes, so I have it easy there.

OK, OK, you're absolutely right. BUT, you need to realize that I sized my [I][B]anchoring system [/B][/I]for "only" 42 knot winds. I've explained all this over on our C34 board, but just once again for you here: yes, it is NOT a storm anchor system and I know that. If I go to the PNW, or back east where thunderstorms are the norm, or just about anywhere else, I will have to buy a bigger anchor and heavier chain and rode and longer chain and rode. You are not telling me anything I do not know, but please know that others here need to understand that I sized the SYSTEM for what conditions I expect in my own sailing area. A friend just came through with his C34 from Vancouver BC on his way to Mexico. He has a Rocna 25 (we have a 10 - 22#), but he has a windlass and bigger all chain. I DELIBERATELY chose the best & lightest SYSTEM (anchor, chain, rode and shackles) for my intended use, no windlass and MY BACK! ;) That's why I posted the Calder's [I]Cruising Handbook[/I] anchoring system sizing charts on our message board. See: [url]http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4990.0.html[/url] Please feel free to use the tables.

Stu, I hope you didn't take my comment as any form of criticism, because I intended none. I tried to point out that you made your choice based upon the 'system' as a whole, as it should be done.

I was just commenting that the same reason the heavy chain lies buried in the mud is the reason those who want all the holding power they can get will live with heavy chain and all its annoyances.

Sorry if I inadertently forced you on the defensive. I have read enough of your posts to know that you research your decisions carefully.

Cheers!

Thanks, I didn't, but just wanted to everyone else to know that anchoring is a system, not just bits & pieces, and everything has a reason. :eek:

It is not worth the effort.;)

I'm about to install a washdown pump- is there any reason I can't tap into the sink drain line in the head instead of the head intake-it's a little easier access? Also I'm planning on expoxing a board to the hull under the v-berth to attach the pump too. Any issues with that? Thx

Chris Hansen
Gunkholer #1889
White Lake, MI

Hi, Chris.

Our boat has the washdown pump under the v-berth and it works fine.

The PO did use the head intake line for the pump feed. If you have the pump suction on the sink discharge line, wouldn't there be a good chance of sucking air from the open sink drain about one foot above the through-hull? I never thought about it until you brought it up.

We don't have to use it much, but it is nice when you need it.

Chris:

I know what your thinking as in using the sink drain in the bathroom. Duane is right about the sucking air issue. But I am not sure how far the water is forced up the drain tube just from static pressure of the drain being that far down along the hull. It might be worth a shot in trying it with a tee and a 6 inch addition of hose going to the shutoff valve, then adding in your pump in the tee and seeing if it would work. You might get a lot of Naa's it will not work, but unless someone has already tried it and then can give hard evidence that it did not work. I would say try it. You will know in a few seconds if it does not work. The pump can run dry as it will not hurt it.

Randy

Hi all,  I have a 1993 36' Mk1.5.  It currently does not have a wash down pump.  I am looking to put one in.  We sail in salt and brackish water with lots of mud bottoms.  Our rode is currently mostly rope with about 4' of chain.  But, I want to configure for a situation with a lot more chain.  What pumps have you been happy with?  What gpm and pressure would you expect to be needed for this application?  Any input is appreciated.

Bob

I have one in the garage to install. Iris ajasco 6.0 70psi. I’m going to move the head inlet to share with the sink and shower then use the now vacant valve for the pump intake.  This will let me do a “final” flush with fresh water to reduce odors. The pump will be under port V birth with outlets at anchor locker and back by pressurized water inlet (keep hoses short)

les

I put my pump here.
There may be better places but this is my solution.