kitchen sink at below waterline

[svHyLyte]

Content--

We did not have a problem with blockage. We used a small wire mesh collander lined with a cheap paper towel (because they don't retain water very well) in a corner of the sink into which plates, peelings, food scraps et al were scraped and had a ball of nylon screening tied to a string on the counter that we stuck in the sink drain when we pulled the plug. (The screening mesh could be smoothed out and cleaned easily enough.) While I never got around to it, I did buy a small raw water strainer from Defender that I intended to add below the sink drain--



--that could have been opened and cleaned easily enough. However, we never had a problem with blockage so I never bothered installing it. The foot pump is of the bellows variety and seems to be very robust. We have one on our current boat that is now 22 years old and is still going strong. Personally, I don't care for electrics if a manual solution is easily implimented.

FWIW...

Good Luck!

s/v HyLyte

[roverhi]

I can see a problem with the vented loop idea. A pump won't be able to suck out all the water in the input side. Once the pump is shut off, water in the hose will back flow to it's own level. That could be above the level of the sink drain. I had this problem with a bilge pump. The pump would suck up the water in the bilge but when it shut off, water remaining in the hose would backflow to the bilge retripping the auto switch which caused the pump to constantly cycle. Had to put a check valve in the line to stop the problem. Relocating the pump in relation to the thru-hull might of solved the problem though I didn't get that far. My plumbing knowledge doesn't go much past 'payday is Friday' so others may have a better solution.

The easiest solution, if it will fit, would be a bucket that the sink drains into. You'd have to empty it when it's full so monitoring it and dumping it would be a bit of a hassle but no problems with pumps jamming or what crap goes down the drain.

Our old boat had the sink drain just above the waterline. On the tack with the sink on the downside, the motion of the boat would force water up the drain, into the sink and overflow onto the counter. We solved that problem with a cork in the drain.

Aloha
Peter O.
Pearson 35 #108

[svHyLyte]

The the loop follows the foot pump and the output side valves disallow water to backflow into the line between the sink and the pump. Worked for us.

FWIW...

[SabreKai]

I have a somewhat similar problem on Sabre Dance. My galley sink was mounted near the centerline with a straight flow thru to the seacock.

Due to a total lack of access to the engine compartment, I have to move the sink from mid line to port side. So, if we are tacking it will be underwater. I'm of two minds here. A) Put the sink where I want it, and close the seacock when underway or B) get rid of it altogether and remove the seacock. One less hole in the bottom. Dishes can be washed in a bucket.



Sabre

[delmarrey]

We had a shop sink but no place for it to drain. We purchased a 5 gal. plastic holding tank that had a sump pump in it with a level.

When the tank was reasonably full the pump would come on and drain the tank thru some pipes into another area that had a drain. You could do the same to your holding tank, or with a loop and overboard discharge.

I think on most boats one has to screen out their sinks for large particles. I do on mine. When the boats are in motion it actually sucks out the water, on mine anyway!

[Squeaks]

Sabre:
As I dealt with the almost same problem I am very glad I finially installed the under-sink seacock and thru-hull. Even on the lee tack, only a couple of inches comes into the 10-inch deep sink so no big deal. But my point is; 1) in comparison it's luxury to have a properly draining sink, 2) the time spent using the sink while under way is likely minimal compared to using it "on the level" while at anchor or in port, and 3) dishes in the bucket is NOT very "babe worthy" :-).
My 2-cents.
John

[SabreKai]

hehe, they do get a bit narked when the niceties of life are denied them, don't they? But for simplicity I deleted the sink on my last boat, and never had a problem. Most of the time when Im afloat I do eintopf cooking (one pot) and eat from the pot. I'm rather a barbarian, or so most of my lady friends seem to think.

Sabre