T connection in raw water inlet?

Sep 13, 2015
19
Catalina 22 Eugene
So I'm newer to my 1989 Newport 33 and I've been slowly working my way through the maintenance tasks. Last time I was making a small adjustment to my packing nut I ended up bumping a small ball valve in a hose that was coiled up near my hot water heater. When I later started the engine I noticed that things seemed different and upon inspection my raw water strainer didn't look right. Turns out that this ball valve I accidentally cracked open caused a vacuum leak in my raw water inlet and I was not able to pick up raw water for cooling. Thankfully I noticed things before any issues were permanent. Yes I even popped open the water pump and checked the impeller.

So now in looking at this ball valve. I have a hose that goes from my raw water seacock to my raw water pump. Then from that line I have another hose that is Teed off of that line. It is then run near the hot water heater and coiled up. There is a ball valve in the end and then a few more inches of hose after the ball valve... The end of this hose is then just open. I can't for the life of me think why its there. I've been contemplating replacing the hose between the raw water strainer and the seacock with a straight hose that doesn't have this T connection in it but not knowing why it may be there I hesitate to change things that I don't yet understand. So any help in understanding why this is setup this way would be very much appreciated.
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Maybe the PO was planning for a genset or something else that needs raw water cooling? If you have no such plans it could be eliminated.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
A picture would be great but possibly serves as two things.
1-assists in winterizing engine
2-emergence pump..... if sever flooding it would serve as an engine driven bilge pump....
:plus: winterize.

If it is used as an emergency bilge pump it should have a strum box to prevent debris from entering the hose. If the pump picked up something that damaged the impeller, there would be bigger problems, no engine and a boat full of water.
 

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
I have a similar setup in my boat, but mine has a strainer at the pickup point of the hose. The idea originally was to have a backup bilge pump, but I also use it to winterize the engine and bilge pumps. Occasionally, I will fill the bilge with fresh water and use this hose to flush salt out of the heat exchanger.
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
Winterizing is the most probable use, you leave the seacock closed stick that other hose in a five gallon bucket of potable antifreeze and suck it through the engine. It might also allow the engine to be run while the boat is hauled out of the water by using a bucket and keeping it filled with a hose at the rate the pump is drawing it. Useful if testing the motor after major repairs or replacement of parts, checking for leaks, etc.
 
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Sep 13, 2015
19
Catalina 22 Eugene
This all makes total sense I did think that I'd seen a tiny amount of pink fluid in the hose at one point in time so this is totally a winterizing trick... Now I can think on if I wanna keep it.... Usually I go and hang out on it for winter and keep starting the engine and if I truly winterized I'd not be able to do that.... Thanks so much guys!
 
May 17, 2004
5,026
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Groco makes a special fitting for winterizing and emergency bilge pumping.

Anyone else uncomfortable about Groco’s suggestion to use pressurized dock water, or a separate pump to flush the engine? I thought that was frowned upon as a potential way to flood the engine, especially if the impeller is missing a vane or two.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Anyone else uncomfortable about Groco’s suggestion to use pressurized dock water, or a separate pump to flush the engine? I thought that was frowned upon as a potential way to flood the engine, especially if the impeller is missing a vane or two.
If the engine is running, it should not be a problem. The trick would be to get the water flow in the hose to match the pump's capacity. A safer method is to draw water from a bucket and fill the bucket as needed with the hose.
 
Jan 24, 2017
666
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
I agree with NYSail most likely correct emergency bilge pump or possibly previous owner may have used this to flush cooling system with fresh water after every use. Plus maybe used it as a way to add nontoxic anti freeze.
That was on my to do list to add, thirty five years later still on the list.