Galley Sink Fills With Water

[zboss]

Folks,

When we were heading to the Bahamas this spring we were very loaded with food and beer. We also have a galley sink that drains below the waterline. Normally, the sink sits so far above the waterline we do not have a problem.

However, when we were crossing we hit some heavier waves and wind. We were heeled over and having the most boisterous ride that we had in the boat up till that point. Our galley sink filled completely with water and that water began to slosh out in the boat.

I would have closed the seacock for the drain but is was very inaccessible at the time - being located in our locker way down at the bottom under a lot of crap that had been placed in the locker. Closing the seacock and keeping it closed is not really a long term solution when you consider that we would like to take some extended offshore trips where closing and opening the seacock throughout the day and night would be inconvenient.

We are about to undergo a remodeling of the galley and a solution to this problem is going to be incorporated... I'm trying to get good ideas for solutions.

The first idea I had was to put in a vented loop and a pump.

The second idea I had was to get a sink drain that I can screw a top into.

The third idea I had was to put in a seacock right below the sink.

I want to be able to use and drain the sink no matter the weather.

Ideas and suggestions?

[model 10]

Sorry to say it but you need to remember to close the valve when you go sailing.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Guy

Sorry to say it but you need to remember to close the valve when you go sailing.

You also have this problem?

Do you close the seacock every time?

[model 10]

Every damn time, unless you forget.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by zboss

Folks,

When we were heading to the Bahamas this spring we were very loaded with food and beer. We also have a galley sink that drains below the waterline. Normally, the sink sits so far above the waterline we do not have a problem.

However, when we were crossing we hit some heavier waves and wind. We were heeled over and having the most boisterous ride that we had in the boat up till that point. Our galley sink filled completely with water and that water began to slosh out in the boat.

I would have closed the seacock for the drain but is was very inaccessible at the time - being located in our locker way down at the bottom under a lot of crap that had been placed in the locker. Closing the seacock and keeping it closed is not really a long term solution when you consider that we would like to take some extended offshore trips where closing and opening the seacock throughout the day and night would be inconvenient.

We are about to undergo a remodeling of the galley and a solution to this problem is going to be incorporated... I'm trying to get good ideas for solutions.

The first idea I had was to put in a vented loop and a pump.

The second idea I had was to get a sink drain that I can screw a top into.

The third idea I had was to put in a seacock right below the sink.

I want to be able to use and drain the sink no matter the weather.

Ideas and suggestions?

Howdy!

What follows is written in a nonjudgmental and friendly tone of voice.

Don't feel bad about your experience. You are not the first sailor to have that same experience. It happens to many. In fact, I think it is so common that it is really a "rite of passage" for sailors.

It is one of the first things I caution sailors about when they start to go offshore, not saying that means you, where the waves and heel of the boat may be more than what they are accustomed to in bay or lake sailing or "marina dockside sailing" in milder conditions.

The classic scenario is a new owner goes outside the bay into ocean waters and waves, for the first time there is a bit of wind, enjoying the thrill of what the boat was meant to do. Everyone is up in the cockpit hanging on for life and thinking of Rounding Cape Horn, because they are probably over canvassed and sailing on their ear. That is, until the admiral or crew or passenger goes below, and to their surprise, finds some water covering the cabin sole or merely sloshing about, accompanied with the scream : "We are sinking!"

The humorous solution is to buy a cat.

That was intended as tongue-in-cheek humor, no offense to an cat owners.

Serious and simple solution for the mono sailor: put a bucket in the sink when you head out and need to wash things.. As needed, chuck it...the water that is..and make sure ALL crew and passengers know to use the bucket. Bucket and Chuck It. This works on all types of monos, from low priced to high priced. It also works on both tacks.

Lesson for anyone, and that includes me: always be able to check the status and be able to close or open through hulls when needed.
____________________

[onestepcsy37]

The second idea I had was to get a sink drain that I can screw a top into.

The third idea I had was to put in a seacock right below the sink.

These two sound workable. I have the same setup as you but the sink is just far
enough above the waterline that I haven't had that problem - yet.

[meridian28]

Try a rubber cleanout plug from the hardware store.

[hpeer]

FWIW it bothers me to have a seacock in an inaccessible place.

A while ago there was a boat lost after a roll because they were sitting low and sinking through the sink drain. The owner had wacked his head in the roll and was out of commission. The crew could not find the seacock.

They sat in the cockpit and drank scotch while the boat sank. Luckily they were picked up by a fishing boat.

[HopCar]

Groco makes a remotely operated seacock called an E-Valve. Not cheap but well made. Great for hard to reach locations.
GROCO MARINE PRODUCTS

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

Howdy!

What follows is written in a nonjudgmental and friendly tone of voice.

Don't feel bad about your experience. You are not the first sailor to have that same experience. It happens to many. In fact, I think it is so common that it is really a "rite of passage" for sailors.

It is one of the first things I caution sailors about when they start to go offshore, not saying that means you, where the waves and heel of the boat may be more than what they are accustomed to in bay or lake sailing or "marina dockside sailing" in milder conditions.

The classic scenario is a new owner goes outside the bay into ocean waters and waves, for the first time there is a bit of wind, enjoying the thrill of what the boat was meant to do. Everyone is up in the cockpit hanging on for life and thinking of Rounding Cape Horn, because they are probably over canvassed and sailing on their ear. That is, until the admiral or crew or passenger goes below to find some water covering the cabin sole or merely sloshing about, accompanied with the scream : "We are sinking!"

The humorous solution is to buy a cat.

That was intended as tongue-in-cheek humor, no offense to an cat owners.

Serious and simple solution for the mono sailor: put a bucket in the sink when you head out and need to wash things.. As needed, chuck it...the water that is..and make sure ALL crew and passengers know to use the bucket. Bucket and Chuck It. This works on all types of monos, from low priced to high priced. It also works on both tacks.

Lesson for anyone, and that includes me: always be able to check the status and be able to close through hulls when needed.

No offence taken. I appreciate the feedback - your bucket idea is a good one.

In regards to getting to the seacocks. There is just no way... its just the way Crealock designed the boat. We have a slack bilge...there is no where to move the seacocks even if we wanted to because we HAVE no bilge, at least not like I gave seen on friends boats.

I've got 6 seacocks in the engine area that would require me to not carry anything at all in the lockers if I needed to get to them without moving stuff. All of them require me to get into the locker and two of those require me to lay on my back and stretch out as far as I can go. Or, go in through the stern locker and remove a bulkhead.

We recognize this is an issue in a real emergency.

Our workable solution to this problem is great installation, preventative maintenance, and pumping volume. We replaced all her seacocks two years ago with new bronze flanged groco ball valve style through hulls (for which we have one backup of each size that we can screw on the replace it), new double ABA clamping after being treated with anti-corrosion spray, vetus wire-reinforced hoses, and a healthy dose of visual inspection at least every 4 to 6 months of so when I am in the locker fixing something else. After two years they look brand new.

The deepest part of the bilge holds about 11 gallons (I tested it). After that we have maybe a foot before the water would reach the bottom of the engine and the top of the floorboards. We could take a lot of water in that space because the volume grows quickly. Our boat is equipped with a 4000 GPH electric bilge pump, 2000 GPH electric, and a Bronze edson manual pump, as well as a small 200 GPH. In reality I measured the 4000 at about 3000 GPH and we can effectively pump about 5000 GPH all together.

The largest seacock we have is 2.5". Its the deepest of our seacocks at about 1 foot beneath the static water line when fully burdened. It runs through a one way valve then a new groco bronze anti-siphon loop several feet above the water line. If that failed the seacock, I've calculated that the max water we could ship in an hour is about 7300 gallons, assuming we did not take any action and assuming the boat did not continue sink .

So, we are a bit short of a complete dewatering solution at 5000 gallons per hour pumping volume but we have another 120 volt centrifugal pump we can run off our generator or inverter/engine combo to make up the difference.

With the extra pump we would have an almost unlimited time to figure out a solution if the largest of the seacocks failed completely.

Of course we keep teak plugs on hand.

[donradcliffe]

Put the new galley sink on centerline.

[DocBrauer]

Had the same problem with my Cabo Rico 38 eight years ago. Cut the drain hose and put a in-line on/off valve. When sailing turn off. When on port tack sink will drain and will turn on to wash dishes. If your carrying dinghy on davits you can put on deck to move weight forward. If you have fore and aft water tanks you can use the aft tanks first to keep weight forward to help. Has lasted me from Panama to Thailand.

[Steve Bean]

How about an extension of some sort attached to the ball valve handle? Wasn't there a discussion recently about this?

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Steve Bean

How about an extension of some sort attached to the ball valve handle? Wasn't there a discussion recently about this?

There must be a way to install a simple PVC ball valve at the sink.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Put the new galley sink on centerline.

They actually did change this I think on much later Cabo Rico's but this would require a substantial change to the galley that we cannot afford nor really want to do.

However, we have a double sink. The one that was filling was the one most outboard. So, maybe if we instead moved to a single bin we could move the drain a little more inboard. We like the idea of a single bin anyhow because its less complicated.

I agree, there must be some way to attach a large ball valve to the bottom of the sink.

A plug is not a bad idea but it would have to be one that screws in rather than using expansion to stay put... the force of that water forcing its way up to the sink must have been very powerful.