A simple man with a simple boat needs help

[Stevep]

Hi all -- My Contest 30 sailboat has no hot water heater, no refrigeration, and no pressure fresh water system, and I have only recently come to accept a roller furling genoa. Now, I think that I am ready to add a pressurized fresh water system, but am not sure how to proceed, particularly in regards to choosing a pump. Do you have any advice to share about what capacity/model pump would be suitable for the 2 sinks (galley and head) that I have? Is any kind of water supply hose better than others for a cold water system? Any other advice? I hope to maintain the current manual pump system in parallel with the new pressure system. Thanks very much for the help.
Steve

 

[Tim R.]

A jabsco 31750 is an excellent pump that is quiet and does not require an accumulator tank. PEX hose and fittings work great in boats. It can be gotten cheaply at any big box home store and it can freeze solid without bursting. An Isotemp 6 gallon heater is a great choice for a water heater. These are all products I have on my boat and I am very happy with.

 

[Jim]

Steve, I have one

I got for my C-36 that I don't need. I let you have it cheap. It is more than you need but you might want an electric freshwater head or a cockpit shower someday.

Hit me with a message if you want it. It is brand new in the box.

Jim

 

[Ross]

Re: Steve, I have one

For a simple boat with simple systems I have a 7 gallon stainless steel garden sprayer for my cold water pressure water supply. I pump the tank with a "Whale" brand foot pump and pressurize it with the hand pump one tank full usually is enough for a couple of days if I pump up the pressure each morning. If someone leaves a faucet open I can loose only about 5 gallons of water. For hot water I have two half gallon coffee pumper thermoses, one installed near the galley sink and one near the head, that we fill every other day.

 

[Steve Dion]

Steve:

I have had several pumps over the years and by far the best one ever has been the Flojet VSD one in my old Hunter 31 and another in my current Hunter Vision 36. You can get them at the RV stores for a lot less then WM (approx $165). Assuming that you have a tank, it is not that difficult to install. One major feature is that the pump only uses as much power as is required by your flow. Very quite (no hammering) and it does not require an accumulation tank.

 

[higgs]

There are answers

I cannot remember the name of the system I put in my Irwin 32. It pumped cold water from switched faucets at the head and the galley. The faucets activated a 12 volt pump that gave running water. I bought the whole set up from West Marine for well under $100.

 

[Stevep]

Re: Steve, I have one

Ross -- thanks for the idea. Could you please provide some additional detail, e.g., where is the sprayer tank kept and how the Whale pump is connected?
Steve