Sea Water Foot Pump for Galley Sink

[j-hood]

Late to this, I know, but I am looking at a 35' Southern Cross which I will live aboard. My experience on board friend's boats leads me to think that seawater foot pumps are indispensable as water savers. I am currently trying to determine the level of knuckle-busting and stress involved in the installation of both fresh- and seawater pumps. Are the plastic bodies of the Whale pumps durable? Friends' boats all had older metal structures, at least on the pedals.

[surfmachine]

J-hood, they all have alloy arms on the foot pumps, plastic bodies are adequate?
They are wonderful, and solve many problems!
Cheers from Keith.

[j-hood]

Thanks, Keith. Should I be lucky enough to score the gal I'm interested in, I shall surely install them in both galley and head.

[j-hood]

Furthermore, nice blog and beautiful pics. Hope to run into you (figuratively speaking) off the coast of Phuket.

[mrohr]

Best upgrade I ever did on my current boat. My whale foot pump has proven just as durable as per its reputation. Years back I threw a bucket over the side for my dish washing, but salt water often sloshes out and drips on way down to the galley.Really a primitive yet workable solution for the smallest of craft. I do have a fine hand pump in head from New Zealand that works a trick,but cannot recall manufacturer.

FWIW: For those of you who wish to become hard core salts and need a bucket of seawater while underway, the technique is as follows. Stand well braced along leeward deck facing outboard,forward arm hooked around shrouds is very secure. Aftermost arm holds a SMALL yet very robust bucket(rubber seems best)
with a strong handle tied to a lanyard few feet longer than the distance to the water surface.Now lean out and energetically toss the bucket (opening downward) forward of your position into your wake.Bucket tossed this way will instantly fill as boat sails by it and lanyard goes taut,at this point give a jerk to the line before bucket is totally filled and bucket will arc out of the water and land upright on for side decks or cockpit to the amazement of all onlookers.With practice ,one can catch the bucket as it swings back toward you and slop down the decks in a single motion thereby ridding you pride and joy of vomit,anchor mud,and fish blood to the further admiration of the crew.
A few caveats : One can be pulled over board or dislocate a shoulder if the bucket is too large ,the lanyard is too short and one does net have a few extra coils in the tossing hand.Best to try this first with no way on and progress from there.It might be worth noting that an inverted bucket can trap air and serve as an emergency life preserver while the sneering crew turns the boat around.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by mrohr

FWIW: For those of you who wish to become hard core salts and need a bucket of seawater while underway, the technique is as follows. ...lean out and energetically toss the bucket (opening downward) forward of your position into your wake.Bucket tossed this way will instantly fill ....Best to try this first with no way on and progress from there.

Very good advice. Opening down works a treat, all the time.

[carstenb]

Dare we ask how you know about the upturned bucket as a PFD?

Originally Posted by mrohr

Best upgrade I ever did on my current boat. My whale foot pump has proven just as durable as per its reputation. Years back I threw a bucket over the side for my dish washing, but salt water often sloshes out and drips on way down to the galley.Really a primitive yet workable solution for the smallest of craft. I do have a fine hand pump in head from New Zealand that works a trick,but cannot recall manufacturer.

FWIW: For those of you who wish to become hard core salts and need a bucket of seawater while underway, the technique is as follows. Stand well braced along leeward deck facing outboard,forward arm hooked around shrouds is very secure. Aftermost arm holds a SMALL yet very robust bucket(rubber seems best)
with a strong handle tied to a lanyard few feet longer than the distance to the water surface.Now lean out and energetically toss the bucket (opening downward) forward of your position into your wake.Bucket tossed this way will instantly fill as boat sails by it and lanyard goes taut,at this point give a jerk to the line before bucket is totally filled and bucket will arc out of the water and land upright on for side decks or cockpit to the amazement of all onlookers.With practice ,one can catch the bucket as it swings back toward you and slop down the decks in a single motion thereby ridding you pride and joy of vomit,anchor mud,and fish blood to the further admiration of the crew.
A few caveats : One can be pulled over board or dislocate a shoulder if the bucket is too large ,the lanyard is too short and one does net have a few extra coils in the tossing hand.Best to try this first with no way on and progress from there.It might be worth noting that an inverted bucket can trap air and serve as an emergency life preserver while the sneering crew turns the boat around.

[wolfenzee]

There are two extremes of water usage, (there is another thread about water makers where people are seriously considering watermakers that produce 20-30gph) and then there is useing sea water for as many things as possible.
My rule of thumb on a boat is to conserve all resources as much as possible with "crimping your style"

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by surfmachine

J-hood, they all have alloy arms on the foot pumps, plastic bodies are adequate?
They are wonderful, and solve many problems!
Cheers from Keith.

My boat at one time had a sea water pump installed (using a Y off of the engine cooling hose).....the spigot that came with the unit was aluminum and dissolved from the inside out, the pump body is plastic.

[svmariane]

Add us to the list of those "for" having and using a seawater foot pump in the galley.

We have Whale Gusher Galley MK3 foot-pumps for both salt & sweet water, and use seawater a lot when underway or in clean anchorages.

[wolfenzee]

I have two foot pumps on board, my galley sink is at or below the waterline so until I rebuilt the galley it drained into a bucket...someone else that had the same problem had a foot pump set up so to drain the sink he pumped it over board with the foot pump.
I recommend that anyone with a salt water pump have a separate sink for it. (rinsing the salt out of the sink sort of defeats the purpose).