Seawater tap

[Lu_Be]

I currently don‘t have a seawater tap in the galley.
I‘m looking for an option to supply a new tab
wirhout drilling more holes in the boat.
(There are only a few, would like to keep it that way)

Ideas so far:
- Using the sink outlet is recommended often
however, when washing dishes, I‘ll suck in
the dirty water?!
- Put a Y piece after the engines sea strainer
combined wirh a one way valve between the engine
and the tab (is this a smart idea?)

I‘m looking forward to your pros and cons,
ideas and inputs.

Thanks!

[sailormed]

Use head intake.

[Ballsnall]

Just tee off the closest intake through hull. You'll be fine teeing off the engine intake with a non return just to be safe.

[Grith]

I also had issues drilling a below the waterline hole in my yacht as currently there are none.
In the end I drilled an above waterline inlet hole in my stern next to my swim ladder and installed a fitting with cover designed to be connected to a clip on garden hose fitting.
I now have a short length of potable hose with garden hose clip on fitting at one end and a strainer at the other which is weighted and hangs about a foot into the water.
It is attached when at anchor and removed when sailing.
I just felt more comfortable with this than a first below waterline hole as my engine is an outboard and much of my hull is double skinned.
My galley sink now has a pressurised on demand hot and cold potable water mixer and a separate salt/fresh water tap also pressurise on demand with its own pump and switch.
Saves a lot of drinking water and the bit chancy previous practice of getting a bucket of salt/fresh water from over the stern on the swim platform.
I hadn’t seen this done before but I am sure others have their own take on it.

[SailingHarmonie]

Using the sink outlet to feed water going into the sink is (as you recognize) an idea that is, shall we say, "sub-obtimimal"

You don't tell us any details about the layout of your boat or the design of your seawater tap (foot pump? Hand pump? Electric pump?) But my first cut is that teeing into the engine feed (with check valve!) is a good solution here.

I would definitely avoid teeing into a head supply line. Sounds like a good idea, but.... Heads that use salt water to flush rarely have the kind air gap that would be required to be sure you can't suck "stuff" out of the toilet back into the plumbing, and from there to the galley sink. Yuck.

[Grith]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

Using the sink outlet to feed water going into the sink is (as you recognize) an idea that is, shall we say, "sub-obtimimal"

You don't tell us any details about the layout of your boat or the design of your seawater tap (foot pump? Hand pump? Electric pump?) But my first cut is that teeing into the engine feed (with check valve!) is a good solution here.

I would definitely avoid teeing into a head supply line. Sounds like a good idea, but.... Heads that use salt water to flush rarely have the kind air gap that would be required to be sure you can't suck "stuff" out of the toilet back into the plumbing, and from there to the galley sink. Yuck.

I absolutely agree and also note many sink drains are above the waterline.
Just make sure if using a tee off the engine cooling line that you have the best quality non return valve as the engine sucking air back though the sink tap could create a very expensive issue.

[Ballsnall]

Originally Posted by Grith

I also had issues drilling a below the waterline hole in my yacht as currently there are none.
In the end I drilled an above waterline inlet hole in my stern next to my swim ladder and installed a fitting with cover designed to be connected to a clip on garden hose fitting.
I now have a short length of potable hose with garden hose clip on fitting at one end and a strainer at the other which is weighted and hangs about a foot into the water.
It is attached when at anchor and removed when sailing.

It's your boat and not having any below water through hulls is achievable but a bit anal in my view as they have been used successfully for centuries.

Nice out of the box thinking though.

[Grith]

Originally Posted by Ballsnall

It's your boat and not having any below water through hulls is achievable but a bit anal in my view as they have been used successfully for bf’s centuries.

Nice out of the box thinking though.

I do a lot of drying out in high tidal conditions where mud can clog below waterline through hulls and also cruise in areas where creatures can target below waterline apertures as ideal locations to hide.
PS I have also seen a fair few sunk at their moorings yachts and powerboats that the owners blamed on failed below waterline through hulls. (as distinct from poor maintenance and checking!)
Not so much anal I feel as just didn’t want to create the first through hull below the waterline when I figured out an alternative that works.
Yes it’s a maximum unrestricted towing sized cruising equipped trailer sailer that uses water ballast as well as conventional hence a large part of the lower hull areas being double skinned.

[Sailorman Ed]

Grith, Any problem getting this primed with so much air in the suction line to start with? Is the connection at the stern like an air hose that shuts off to prevent loss in the horizontal line?
Ed

[Grith]

Originally Posted by Sailorman Ed

Grith, Any problem getting this primed with so much air in the suction line to start with? Is the connection at the stern like an air hose that shuts off to prevent loss in the horizontal line?
Ed

Yes the fitting shuts the line when the connection is pulled and the about 6 foot of charged hose between the fitting and pump is adequate to draw the water back up into the yacht. The outer ring in the unit depresses to lock or unlock the connection.
The seaflo pump has no problems with priming due to this I feel.
Below is a photo of the sink with the new seawater tap with fold down spout as well as the hot/cold regular tap set also with fold down spout.
The sinks friction press fit chopping board lid relocates and locks on to an opening cupboard to create another working surface in my very small galley. My yacht is only 28 foot but has 6 foot 1 standing headroom at the galley just adequate for my 6 foot 2 height.

[Sailorman Ed]

Grith, who is the mgf of the stern fitting? What would be the generic name?

[capt jgw]

On one of my boats the engine intake was in the cabinet under the galley sink, so it was a no-brainer to just tee into it. Didn't seem to effect the engine water flow at all, and in fact the foot pump didn't work well with the engine running. Don't know why, but that's way better than the other way around. I had planned to put in a check valve if flow was effected, but didn't have to.

[Grith]

Originally Posted by Sailorman Ed

Grith, who is the mgf of the stern fitting? What would be the generic name?

NUOVA RADE Case Sea Water Inlet White One Size
They also do an outlet one that looks identical except for external markings. I didn’t realise and purchased the outlet one but they operate identically I believe.
They also are available with straight or right angle attachment fittings on the rear.
I purchased it online through Waveinn.
Same company that makes many of the hatch openings and other associated products.

NUOVA RADE Case Sea Water Outlet White One Size
Ref: 1251466
Quantity: 1
103.49 AU$ (103.49 AU$ /u)

[Fore and Aft]

I will second Captain Jgw, with our Yanmar diesel running it was almost impossible to use the saltwater tap teed of the engine intake. In the end we put a seperate skin fitting in for the saltwater tap. Checking our seacocks is a regular thing for me.
Cheers

[Lu_Be]

Thank you very much for your inputs.

2 reasons why I wouldn't use the toilet intake:
1. It's completely across the boat
2. Toilets and sinks for washing dishes is not something
I want to mix up.
Keep it like the own body: at opposite ends

The engines sea strainer as well as the engines
sea water intake are about convenient 2 meters away from the
kitchen sink. It will be a manual hand pump.
I can imagine, that having the engine running will
probably reduce the flow to the handpump.
Simple solution there: don't wash dishes during the
occasional few hours a year the engine runs...

Now the question is, what works best:
Teeing at the seacock or after the strainer?

Thoughts?