Adding to those thoughts, I have seen one larger sailboat under construction that has a spot for a "small" electric pressure washer (you can buy them at Home Depot). I'm not sure how they intend to supply water, but it looked like a good idea.
There are lots of systems that are unlikely to be used at the same time as your washdown system. You can tee your washdown into the intake of air conditioning cooling or toilet flush water, or into a sink drain.
I agree - tee it into an existing line. If you install it in the anchor well (assuming the 28 has an anchor well), it is out of the way. There are some kits to do this that actually keep the hose coiled and everything.
Still, the idea of a mobile washdown is cool! It seems doable, as long as the unit has power and water. There are mobile bilge pumps that run on batteries. Why not a washdown with an AC or DC pump that plugs in?
RE pressure washer, there are some small units out there now, and they are not that expensive. There's an ad for one here on the right for $138. But they are still big vis-a-vis a boat. They also draw power. All this this I know from personal experience. But they are great for washdown. The solution is to have one in a dock box, I think.
What did you decide to do? I'm leaning toward mounting my new washdown pump on a board so that it can be moved around and used as a (god forbid) emergency bilge pump.
It would stay in the anchor locker and, when needed to wash down the anchor, it would be placed on the trampoline with the intake hose going through the net and into the sea. The board would keep the pump on deck and out of the sea. When needed to pump out a bilge, the pump would stay on deck and the intake hose would extend through a hatch into the bilge. I haven't totally figured out the wiring yet, but a cigarette lighter plug might make the pump even more portable. Has anyone else tried this? Thanks.
Well, I'm not far enough along that I have made final systems decisions, but my general trend is toward low-cost, portable solutions where they make sense. Something like you describe is probably about right. Given that its only a 28' boat, it may just have to have a dirty anchor :-)
When I get that far, I'll be sure to detail my solutions.Â
I have built several "pump sticks". I mount a cheap bilge pump on the end of an aluminum handle and connect a long hose and DC power wires. The end of the power cable plugs into a cigarette lighter socket. I can move almost anywhere on the boat and either pump out a compartment or hang it over the side and use it as a wash down pump...
Joined: 2007-06-22