Galley sink won't drain unless we move the boat

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I vote in favor of new school conveniences. What's wrong with installing a $170 Whale Gulper pump that will save you from hand pumping your sink for the next ten years?

It's not like you get some sort of prize for living in the past without lives modern ammentities.

We're talking about a manual pump Ken, not banging two rocks together to make fire .

Besides, this kind of thinking has no limit. If avoiding physical activity and having the most labour-saving modern amenities to do all the work is the necessary benchmark for a good life, then going to sea in a small(ish) boat is nuts. Even in your floating mansion, life on board demands more physical activity from you than living on land. Isn't that part of the point?

[Tayana42]

And there is much to be said for the KISS approach.


S/V B'Shert

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by awaywego

. If the boat is moving, the sink will drain. If not, it doesn't.

Does it matter which tack you are on?

BTW - both my boats have had the same double bowl single line discharge without a pump arrangement and drained just fine. It's sad that boat blasting became part of such a simple thread

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Does it matter which tack you are on?

BTW - both my boats have had the same double bowl single line discharge without a pump arrangement and drained just fine. It's sad that boat blasting became part of such a simple thread

Nobody is "boat blasting."

I'm simply making a suggestion along with another poster on how the sink can drain more quickly and efficiently without any effort exerted by the person wishing for the sink to drain in such a manner. If we still owned the Hunter, and I knew about how simple it would be to install and use the Gulper pump, it would have been a no-brainer to install it on the Hunter. At the time.... I'd never even heard of a Gulper pump, now.... I'm simply trying to share the knowledge to make other peoples lives a little easier and provide less work for Orthopedists who treat elbow tendonitis.

Please don't read things into my posts which aren't there.

We just spent a lovely afternoon with another well-known cruising couple from CF. The primary enjoyable activity which comes out of this forum, is the sharing of information and good times, which is something quickly learned by those who eventually set out cruising. I've yet to have even so much as a minor disagreement with any folks met in person sharing the lifestyle. These misunderstandings and scrums only take place on internet forums.... as you've noted before.

I think Mike was attempting comedy again.... Better keep the day job Mike... oh wait, you already quit.

Congradulations to the two of you.

Now loosen up and let your hair down.... It's time to cruise!

[tinkrman69]

do you fill your sink like land dwellers do? I fill a small cup with soap and a little water dip a sponge and wash the dishes and lay then in the bottom of the sink then I reins them and put then in the second sink to drain. That way I don't have a half full sink of water sloshing around and use considerably less Fresh water. I think its cleaner too as me freshly scrubbed dishes aren't laying in that dirty water waiting to be reined.

But as I stated before I've only had a drainage problem when I've left it unused for an extended peroin of time.

[hyperope]

I had the same problem. Starting thinking boat-like about currents, heel angle, temperature, etc. Just for kicks, decided to check the plumping. Found a clog, just like something I find at home. Clog gone, sink drains fine. Solution can be much easier than you might initially think.

[knockabout]

may have barnacles in the outlet pipe

[awaywego]

After all these great suggestions, I was sure we'd get it handled. It turned out being something completely different altogether! We disassembled the entire drain and all the hoses were clear. We thought then that the clog must be in the seacock or the 90 degree fitting on top of the seacock. Hired a diver who found no clog! Explored the inside of the thru-hull with a metal prod and was tapping metal?!?? I went back in the boat and exercised the handle on the seacock and his prod remained in place. Didn't get pinched by the ball valve. Turns out the ball valve had failed in the closed position and needed to be replaced, which we did with the boat still in the water. Sinks drains beautifully now!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by awaywego

After all these great suggestions, I was sure we'd get it handled. It turned out being something completely different altogether! We disassembled the entire drain and all the hoses were clear. We thought then that the clog must be in the seacock or the 90 degree fitting on top of the seacock. Hired a diver who found no clog! Explored the inside of the thru-hull with a metal prod and was tapping metal?!?? I went back in the boat and exercised the handle on the seacock and his prod remained in place. Didn't get pinched by the ball valve. Turns out the ball valve had failed in the closed position and needed to be replaced, which we did with the boat still in the water. Sinks drains beautifully now!

OK. Problem solved but this begs the question, if the seacock was closed how did the sink drain when the boat was moving?

[savoir]

Probably half closed




Congratulations to awaywego by the way

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by awaywego

What's going on here and how do I get good sink drain flow?

The first question is have you done anything?

Changed Plumbing?
Changed Sink?
Recently had the bottom cleaned?

Normally things just don't stop working unless you have done something, especially gravity feed drains.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by skipmac

OK. Problem solved but this begs the question, if the seacock was closed how did the sink drain when the boat was moving?

Venturi effect.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by zboss

Venturi effect.

That would be some serious Venturi effect to suck water through a closed seacock.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by skipmac

That would be some serious Venturi effect to suck water through a closed seacock.

I thought he said it was partially closed?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by zboss

I thought he said it was partially closed?

It wasn't clear whether or not it was partially open. I guess if it did drain slowly or underway, unless there was another route somewhere it had to be partially open.