Freshwater (saltwater) Wash Down

[Sadey]

I’m looking for advice on installing a fresh water washdown system and by fresh I mean lake Michigan. I have a number of thru hull fittings that are currently not in use. Most of them are for the overboard waste discharge however I have one that was for the water maker that we removed. I won’t reinstall a water maker so that one will work.
My question is should I just plumb a 24V demand pump off of that fitting? I plan to put the washdown at the pulpit. The main reason is for anchor cleaning.
I have a Hatteras quick disconnect fitting on my aftdeck that is plumbed directly to the onboard freshwater system. I have been using a hose run from that fitting to the pulpit but for obvious reasons it is very undesirable.
Questions:
1. What type of pump would be best
2. Should I put a strainer on the thru hull
3. Is it as simple as: supply line from thru hull/strainer to pump then supply line to faucet

Sorry for such a rudimentary long winded question but the other option to doing this is having Skipper Buds install the system. It does not seem like rocket science and I have an awesome set of tools and time.

Spicoli out

[Pascal]

You want something with enough flow and pressure. The shurflo blaster is a decent pump with built in pressure switch. Then yes, put a strainer and plumb a faucet on deck.

Now the question is why would need it? It s not like you have to rinse the whole chain since it a fresh water. Just the anchor and whatever chain may have picked up some mud. Just for that why not use onboard fresh water !

[bigbill]

not sure where your city water connection is but i took the check valve out of mine and pot a Y on the hookup, i can now use it for fresh water washdown and as a city water hookup

[Pascal]

not sure where your city water connection is but i took the check valve out of mine and pot a Y on the hookup, i can now use it for fresh water washdown and as a city water hookup

I used to have the same set up. I haven’t re installed a city hook up, so for now I m using a faucet I added in the aft deck. It covers the whole boat with a 50’ pocket hose so we can rinse the chain

[Sadey]

Lots of mud in these here parts. Wish I had pictures but sometimes the chain is almost unrecognizable with the amount of mud and crud that comes up. I’d rather save the fresh water and use the millions around me to wash the chain and anchor. Did I mention I have CDO. No true OCD’R would allows those letters out of alphabetical order.

[carolinacoast]

Does the old school technique not work?.... drag the anchor and dirty chain off anchorage at slow speed to stay off of the hull for 2 or 3 minutes to clean it.

[Pascal]

Does the old school technique not work?.... drag the anchor and dirty chain off anchorage at slow speed to stay off of the hull for 2 or 3 minutes to clean it.

On a calm day you will have more chain on the bottom. You can’t drag it thru the water as the anchor will still be set.

[Sadey]

The light just went on Pascal! I’ve never thought about it but there have been times in the same anchorage that we have had a long length of muddy chain and times we have not. We have a fair amount of clay around us as well. So dragging the anchor in forward gear doesn’t always clean it. We have also brought up lots of cabbage at times which makes a colossal mess on the deck. Again I have major CDO and would prefer to have it clean before we leave an anchorage. On my port side engine room DC panel there is a breaker labeled salt water washdown. I also have the schematic for the salt water washdown but there isn’t any evidence of one on the boat. The only thing I have is a dockside fitting on my aft deck that is plumbed to my freshwater system.
I just had a thought.
What would be better a faucet or another dockside fitting on the bow?

[SKYCHENEY]

I have the same issues with mud. We always spray the chain as it comes up. We have a blaster pump hooked up to a through hull and strainer with a faucet on the bow. It works great and its essential on the lakes.

[Sadey]

Agreed. What is the PSI on your pump? I’m thinking anything 70 or better would be good. Can’t decide on a faucet or Hatteras quick disco.