Deck Wash are they worth putting in

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by silverdart

Hi
I am considering having a deckwash installed in my Catalina 445 sail boat.
Its a luxury I know but a nice one to have when the anchor comes up covered in black mud.
Is anyone out there that can give me a few tips on how to go about the install and the things not to do.
Cheers
silverdart

We have sea water wash at the bow. We also use it to anchor wash through two nozzles.

We have a fresh water outlet at the rear of the center cockpit.

We use both often.

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[Talisman 2]

Installed sea water deck wash on my 445. Love it.

Aside from cleaning anchor, it's great when in islands to wash down deck when anchored or as my wife calls it: 'de-pooping'.

Also good for shower before final rinse with fresh water.

[Amapola]

Ditto transmitterdan. We don't consider it a luxury on our 48' trawler. We use it to wash the muck off the chain & anchor. Plus, we have a hose that extends to the stern for deck washdown.

[silverdart]

Thank you all for the feedback. Will keep you posted on the outcome. Cheers Silverdart ����

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by hlev00

We are on the a mooring. We don't have regular access to fresh water at a dock to wash down after a weekend. We have plenty of fresh water that otherwise gets stale if not used. Finding a place to refill once a month has not been a problem. So...


Pros -
Easy to do.
Uses water that otherwise goes stale
Provides freshwater to get the salt off to reduce corrosion, etc.

Water is going stale? Mine stays fine for months on end, I just add silver iodide when refilling the tanks. The drinking water also goes through a Britta in-line filter under the sink.

[Hank Kivett]

I am installing a new one as we speak...it a Johnson 5.5 gpm @ 70 psi...found it on Amazon..came complete with all the fittings...less hose from pump to outlet...hooked it up to the thru hole for head intake...

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

When tapping into the sea water intake of the head for a wash down pump is there anything required beyond a T-fitting? A Y-valve for example to keep the wash down pump from pulling on the head's pump? I might be hesitate to put a Y-valve below the water line.

[J Clark H356]

Mine is just a T off the head intake, but after that I have another strainer.

[AnchorageGuy]

We never use the wash down while someone is flushing the head at the same time so it has never been a problem. Chuck

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

I suppose with the water in / water off switch closed on the head pump the wash down won't be pulling air from the head? Or perhaps the way the head pump works allows for all of the wash down pump's suction to draw from the thru-hull intake?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by scottthardin

When tapping into the sea water intake of the head for a wash down pump is there anything required beyond a T-fitting? A Y-valve for example to keep the wash down pump from pulling on the head's pump? I might be hesitate to put a Y-valve below the water line.

Just a "T". Ours is the vanity sink drain, head water inlet, and the wash down pump inlet. I've never even so much as pulled air from the sink drain, so the head won't even be an issue.


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[rwidman]

Originally Posted by scottthardin

When tapping into the sea water intake of the head for a wash down pump is there anything required beyond a T-fitting? .

Nope. A "T" is all you need. The PO of my boat used a two way valve. It was a PITA. I replaced it with a T fitting and it has been fine for a few years.

[a64pilot]

I plan on freshwater washdown.
For those that don't want to or don't have the water to waste, I've found that a bucket of fresh as a final rinse off does wonders, just like bathing in salt water, if you rinse off the salt, things are, well salt free, keeps the salt crystals from forming on everything.

[wingless]

My raw water bow washdown is used every time I yank the anchor.

When I installed this I put in an assembly that mounts flush to the deck, hanging down into the anchor chain locker w/ a removable plate covering a coiled hose. (I made sure to select one w/ a cover that doesn't float, so now I clip the cover handle onto the anchor safety cable when using the hose. It was very entertaining to others when I jumped in after my sinking cover.)

Mine has a dedicated through hull, seacock, strainer and pump. The pump is wired for power when the windlass has power.