Pressurized Water On A Small Boat

[John Stevens]

Thought I'd post this if anyone is interested in having pressurized water on their small boat.

I put this system in my previous boat, a Precision 23 and now in my 26.

I wasn't happy with the pumps on my O'day 26, awkward and hard to wash up while one hand is on the pump.

I cut the water line going to the cabin sink and put a windshield wiper pump in line. I used a 1999 Honda Accord pump @ 15.99(just because that's what I drive), you could probably use any, you'll need a hose or two to adapt to fit the hose on your boat.

I ran one wire to the battery and the other to an on/off switch I installed at the sink.

I also put a shut off valve in line with the pump to keep the flow down, I found I was using a lot of water. With the shut off, you can dial in the exact amount of water flow for your needs.

I used a plastic 5/8 shut off valve with a threaded 5/8 to 1/2 hose on each end.

The entire project cost around 25 dollars and works really well.

John

 

[Joe11688]

That's pretty ingenious John. My OD 222 came with just a 5 gal. tank and I used it quite a bit but I hated filling it. I drank out of it, washed dishes, and used it like I'd use a faucet at home. Today I just use it for washing my hands and that's about it. I carry some one gallon jugs for water for coffee, plus a 2.5 gal. water cooler with ice in it for drinking water. For my dishes now, I either use my shower bag to rinse them, or a 1 gal. garden type weed sprayer filled with water.
Last spring I installed two fair leads on top of my companionway sliding hatch to use for tying off my Stern's 4 gal. sunshower. This was the best place I could find to store it where the sun could heat it. It's out of the way, yet it's accessible to me whenever I need it. I can rinse off my washed dishes without untying it. It's great for rinsing off large pans or my stove top grill which I use quite a lot. I went to a yard sale about a week ago and they had a Sterns 5 gal. Sun shower similar to the one that I bought last winter in Cabala's for $25.00. The thing was in new condition. I asked them how much they wanted for it and the guy said ten cents! I pulled a dime out of my pocket and gave it to him and grabbed that sunshower like a hobo on a hot dog. Now I have two of them. If one craps out on me, I'll have the other one to replace it. :dance:

 

[Mich222]

John:
Great idea. Does the manual hand pump in the open position work as the faucet or did you have to remove the hand pump faucet?

 

[John Stevens]

No modifications to the faucet at all, the water works regardless of the position of the pump also.

Washing dishes is a problem, mostly because of the size of these sinks. In the past, I've precooked everything when cruising. I put my meals in ziplock freezer bags, freeze them and use as "ice", take them out of the cooler and boil them in the bag to heat them.

The pot stays clean, and I use the water for coffee after dinner. I use paper plates and usually use just one fry pan in the morning, non-stick so that it's easy to just wipe off.

 

[Joe11688]

No modifications to the faucet at all, the water works regardless of the position of the pump also.

Washing dishes is a problem, mostly because of the size of these sinks. In the past, I've precooked everything when cruising. I put my meals in ziplock freezer bags, freeze them and use as "ice", take them out of the cooler and boil them in the bag to heat them.

The pot stays clean, and I use the water for coffee after dinner. I use paper plates and usually use just one fry pan in the morning, non-stick so that it's easy to just wipe off.

In your travels John, see if you can find a used stove-top oven in a yard sale or flea market. They were manufactured by West Bend and Stanley Ovenette in the 1950s I think. Mine came with baking pans and some small muffin tins. All I needed was a round wire rack to place on the baffle plate to prevent the food from burning in the baking pan.
What I do is bring cooked food from home and heat it up in the oven with Aluminum wrap to cover the pan. I have baked fish, cakes, and muffins in this oven. Last year I started baking small pizzas in it.

Another useful item is a stainless steel Burton stove-top grill with the aluminum dome plate to cook on. These are great for hot dogs, steak, toast and etc. I wouldn't cook greasy hamburgs on it, but it would be great for precooked hamburgers. It's great for toast if you are cooking on a non pressurized stove such as an Origo.

 

[John Stevens]

Joe,

I've thought about building some type of oven, much like yours. I see you have the 2 burner alcohol stove. I had one of those on my 23 and liked the two burners. I have a single butane on the 26 and it works great but miss the extra burner at breakfast.

John

 

[Joe11688]

Joe,

I've thought about building some type of oven, much like yours. I see you have the 2 burner alcohol stove. I had one of those on my 23 and liked the two burners. I have a single butane on the 26 and it works great but miss the extra burner at breakfast.

John

Actually John, I have two Origo boat stoves and next year I plan on using the single burner Origo on my boat. The cost of denatured alcohol is sky high and most of the time I have been using only one burner anyway.
When I modified my galley cabinet a few years ago I discovered that my table wouldn't clear the two burner stove and swing out of the way over the sink when it's not in use. Now I can move the single burner stove to one side of the stainless steel plate that it sits on and the table can clear it.
As for the oven, I think that you may be able to find one if you go on line or check out some antique shops. You may find one on Ebay. I've found about four of them in my area through the years. The first one I found was in a thrift shop in Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard back in the mid 90s. They kind of resemble a cake container but it has a temperature gauge on the cover. Here's one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120747778413+

 

[John Stevens]

Thanks Joe, I'll check it out.

John

 

[Joe11688]

Thanks Joe, I'll check it out.

John

My pleasure John. You know,--I hate to advertise anything over a forum because when the people who either own these items or have access to them find out that they're in demand, these people get greedy and raise the price up sky high. I used to recommend a book on this forum on sailboat modifications by Bruce Bingham entitled, "The Sailor's Sketchbook." It's a book published in 1983 by Newport Press in RI and of course it's out of print now. I didn't realize it at the time but the greedy people who were able to lay their hands on these books were asking over $100 a piece for used copies of this book. It sold for $9.95 new when I bought it and it sure ain't worth no $135. today.
I paid $4.00 for my Stanley Ovenette when I bought it and I bought another one in a yard sale for $6.00. I gave two of them away to some friends and I'll bet you that they chucked them out or put them in a yard sale because they're old and they didn't like the looks of them on their boat, but believe me, I wouldn't trade mine for anything out there today. In fact, if West Bend is still in business they ought to reissue these stove-top ovens again for people who have small RVs and Boats.

 

[emergpa1]

i like that joe, and i intend to copy it of you don't mind. there are other things that could be tied off there also. the hatch screens for instance.

 

[Joe11688]

i like that joe, and i intend to copy it of you don't mind. there are other things that could be tied off there also. the hatch screens for instance.

By all means Keith. Feel free to use any of my ideas. That's why I put them out there.
I used to keep my 4 gallon Stern's Sunshower tied to my mast and it was a pain getting to it with the polytarp in place over the boom not to mention the inconvenience of getting it without the tarp to crawl under.
Now, all I need to do is slide the hatch shut and reach it easy from the cockpit to place it at the end of my boom when I want to take a shower.
I just picked up another Stern's SS in a yard sale for only 10 cents a couple of weeks ago. It's a five gallon shower and it's just like new. I paid $25.00 for my 4 gallon Stern's SS at Cabelas on sale.

 

[Sunbird22358]

Joe, is that the voice of experience talking in your advice not to try to cook "greasy" hamburgers on the galley stove? We did that once and only once on our old CAL 21......... good thing the interior was all smooth, painted fiberglass (well, and varnished mahogany plywood countertops) since we had a greasy residue over most of the cabin interior afterwards!
I'd hate to have to figure out how to degrease all that cloth ceiling and overhead on an O'DAY!
Hot Dogs were fine in a frying pan, but pan frying hamburgers was a mess!
<GRIN!>

 

[Joe11688]

Joe, is that the voice of experience talking in your advice not to try to cook "greasy" hamburgers on the galley stove? We did that once and only once on our old CAL 21......... good thing the interior was all smooth, painted fiberglass (well, and varnished mahogany plywood countertops) since we had a greasy residue over most of the cabin interior afterwards!
I'd hate to have to figure out how to degrease all that cloth ceiling and overhead on an O'DAY!
Hot Dogs were fine in a frying pan, but pan frying hamburgers was a mess!
<GRIN!>

It sure is Rod. I had a ball of fire and smoke in my cabin that came up so fast it almost scorched my eyebrows. Luckily I grabbed a large pan cover to contain it just in the nick of time. I was tied up at the club dock and Wayne was standing there when it happened. He said, "what the Hell are you cooking in there???" I said jokingly, "how do like your hamburgers, well done?"
You're right though. Hamburgers make a real greasy mess. My youngest son Tim gave us some precooked restaurant hamburgers a couple of years ago that were absolutely delicious. You put them on the grill and they leave no greasy mess. This would be the way to go for stove top hamburger cooking in a boat.
I know that some of the people on the forum have barbecue grills that hang over the side and they like them. I just don't have the room on my boat for one of those. Besides, I love hot dogs and my stove-top grill is the best thing I've ever used for cooking hot dogs. It's also great for toast.