Freshwater hook up

[Dkk3000]

I have a 1986 grand Banks classic 36. It did not come with a designated fresh water hook up for the sink and shower. However, I do have a hose bib on the outside that’s hooked up to my freshwater system. What is the best way to install A designated fresh water hook up.

 

[Bmarler]

i take it the hose bib must be for washdown or something?
my dock water hookup is right after the freshwater pump. there's a t in the line, a check valve, and a hose routed up to a handy place to mount the dock water inlet. most good quality water inlet fittings will have a regulator built in so you don't overpower your water plumbing.
the check valve in the waterpump keeps you from filling the tanks with the dock water, the check valve you add keeps the waterpump from pushing all your tank water out the inlet fitting.

 

[Cigatoo]

I have a 1986 grand Banks classic 36. It did not come with a designated fresh water hook up for the sink and shower. However, I do have a hose bib on the outside that’s hooked up to my freshwater system. What is the best way to install A designated fresh water hook up.

Not sure that I understand the question. Are trying to get fresh water from a spigot on the dock?

 

[FF]

The choice by the builder NOT to bring dock water into the boat was a safety choice.

Should the dock have high pressure it is possible to blow off a FW hose inside the boat , and sink it. A failed check valve could have similar results.

Sure many folks claim they will shut off the dock water on departing every time, but stuff happens.

If the fresh water tank fills easily , and filling overflow simply exits at the deck fitting its not a big deal to refill the tank, rather than risk, Water Water Everywhere.

 

[LenBuchanan]

We have a 1989 Jefferson 37 Sundeck, which did not come with a dockside water supply inlet. A previous owner, not the one we bought the boat from tried to install a dockside water supply using the faucet on the swim platform as an inlet to the water system. There is 'additional' hose installed partway through the boat, but not really hooked to anything. The surveyor I used when buying the boat suggested strongly not to try to hook up dockside water supply for that very reason, possibly too much pressure, especially with older supply lines on the boat. We have 120 gallon freshwater tank and for what we use it is plenty. We use enough to keep it fresh, although this past summer as we travelled for 3 months we were more careful with how much we used.

 

[Bacchus]

David
If your hose bib is truly supplied with fresh water and that location is convenient for locating a dockside connection it should be easy. Most dockside inlets include a pressure regulatory and check valve so connecting it via a tee anyplace in the fresh water system should let you use dockside at any of the fixtures that are supplied by fresh water.
Our home port marina has very high pressure (100 PSI) and I simply use an inline 50PSI regulator at the pedestal to prevent bursting hoses or onboard lines.
We do just fill our tank and use it frequently to keep it fresh but it is a nice alternative to be able to hook up to dockside water.
I use a quick connect fitting on hose and inlet to simplify connect/ disconnect and ALWAYS disconnect when leaving the boat.

 

[slowgoesit]

The choice by the builder NOT to bring dock water into the boat was a safety choice.

Should the dock have high pressure it is possible to blow off a FW hose inside the boat , and sink it. A failed check valve could have similar results.

Sure many folks claim they will shut off the dock water on departing every time, but stuff happens.

If the fresh water tank fills easily , and filling overflow simply exits at the deck fitting its not a big deal to refill the tank, rather than risk, Water Water Everywhere.

THIS!!!


Personal choice, I understand, and our boat has a fitting to use for "shore water". But I totally agree that it is a real good way to sink your boat, and there are already enough ways to do that as it is.


I would recommend just filling your on board water tanks, and using your fresh water pump. That way, if a hose ruptures, or someone leaves a faucet on, the only water that will flow on the boat is the water that is ALREADY on the boat. . .

 

[kthoennes]

This is why I turn off the marina valve and disconnect the hose from the boat's inlet entirely whenever we leave.

 

[backinblue]

My boat has something similar to this for fresh water hook-up. It can be easily plumbed into your system after the water pump.
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/jabs...ZFayMYypMWc4kUZ-ZqhRTEam4XiikTFhoCPzEQAvD_BwE

Built in regulator and check valve. I don't normally hook up to dock water unless I am staying on the boat at my home slip or a transient marina. It's much nicer to be able to turn off the water pump and have an unlimited supply that works like your home faucets. I admit I don't turn off the water supply if I leave the boat for an hour or 2, but the risk should be low of anything catastrophic.

 

[Comodave]

Personally I do not hook up to dock water for the reasons stated above. Also I like to turn over the water in the water tank more often. When we are on the boat full time I usually fill the water tank about every 4 days or so. Not a big deal, certainly better than forgetting to turn off the water and filling the boat up with dock water.

 

[dhays]

I don’t have a fresh water inlet and I don’t want one. It is easy to refill the tanks as needed. I am sure it could be done safely, but there is no reason to do it.

 

[backinblue]

Personally I do not hook up to dock water for the reasons stated above. Also I like to turn over the water in the water tank more often. When we are on the boat full time I usually fill the water tank about every 4 days or so. Not a big deal, certainly better than forgetting to turn off the water and filling the boat up with dock water.

Wouldn't your bilge pumps keep up especially when plugged into shore power? Like I said I would never hook up to dock water and leave the boat for days, but for me it's a luxury to have unlimted water without having to run the water pump. I guess the type of boat, size of tanks, and other variables make a difference to some.

 

[Hygge]

Wouldn't your bilge pumps keep up especially when plugged into shore power? Like I said I would never hook up to dock water and leave the boat for days, but for me it's a luxury to have unlimted water without having to run the water pump. I guess the type of boat, size of tanks, and other variables make a difference to some.

I don't think a household sump pump would keep up with the incoming water at our marina. The pressure is like a darn fire hose. ok, maybe a household sump pump, but not the bilge pump...........

 

[Bacchus]

My feeling is everyone should inspect and know the strengths & weaknesses of their fresh water plumbing system.
If the boat has hoses with clamps I would be much more reluctant to use dockside water. If a modern build or refurbished system using PEX and the correct fittings it is very similar to a home system. How many turn off their house at the curb / pump when leaving the house?
I know / admit houses can't sink but it can still cause a lot of damage. If there are going to be PEX failures it id usually a short term to failure and can be tested above normal operating pressures to add confidence.

 

[tiltrider1]

Some marina's may have such poor water delivery that a bilge pump can keep up but you won't find that here in the PNW. I have a Fresh Water Inlet on my boat and for safety reasons I never use it. I found a Nylon pluming reducer that screwed right into my tank inlet. I reduced it down to a 3/8" barb. I then connected it to a sprinkler valve which is connected to shore side water. I have a button inside the boat. Push the button and the sprinkler valve turns on. When the Tank gets to 3/4 full, my Gobius sends a signal to a relay that turns off the sprinkler valve off. If there is a failure water keeps filling the tank at a rate less than my 1/2" vent hose can spill overboard.

Remember, the manufacture gave you a fresh water inlet as a convince for using while you are boating. They did not put it there to be hooked up full time.

 

[rgano]

Another option to add to your shore water connection on the pier is to add a lawn sprinkler with a selectable amount of water. I had one that I could set to as little as a hundred gallons or so. If something did let go inside your boat's potable water system, you'd only have a set amount of water in your bilge. I did not ever use it on the boat because like others here I do not believe in connecting the boat to shore water, even during the five years I lived aboard.

 

[FF]

The habit of using on board water will save lots of hassle when cruising as dock water in many towns tastes like swimming pool removal.

 

[backinblue]

I don't think a household sump pump would keep up with the incoming water at our marina. The pressure is like a darn fire hose. ok, maybe a household sump pump, but not the bilge pump...........

That's why there is or should be a regulator at your water inlet. Something in the neighborhood of 30-40 psi.

 

[catalinajack]

The habit of using on board water will save lots of hassle when cruising as dock water in many towns tastes like swimming pool removal.

A carbon block filter will remove chlorine from municipal water supplies. No more bad taste.

 

[catalinajack]

That's why there is or should be a regulator at your water inlet. Something in the neighborhood of 30-40 psi.

This device is an absolute in my opinion to guard against high-pressure municipal supplies. However, I do not use mine, ever, for a few reasons. One, I prefer turning over the water in the tanks. Being a live aboard, our water supply, with no conscious thought as to conservation and never useing the marina showers, lasts about 15-20 days. Not a big deal to refill the tanks. The other plus for us is that our fresh-water pump supplies a constant 50 psi of pressure. Thirty-five pounds of pressure is just not enough for a nice, strong, hot shower.

 

[backinblue]

This device is an absolute in my opinion to guard against high-pressure municipal supplies. However, I do not use mine, ever, for a few reasons. One, I prefer turning over the water in the tanks. Being a live aboard, our water supply, with no conscious thought as to conservation and never useing the marina showers, lasts about 15-20 days. Not a big deal to refill the tanks. The other plus for us is that our fresh-water pump supplies a constant 50 psi of pressure. Thirty-five pounds of pressure is just not enough for a nice, strong, hot shower.

Thanks CJ and I don't disagree. Like I said earlier, it depends on the boat and also your boating style. I have a relatively small tank and we are always concious of water usage. We can get through a weekend+ at anchor, but at a transient marina, its a luxury for us to have unlimited water and never hearing the water pump cycle. Turning over the water in the tank happens all the time. We usually only connect to dock water a few times a year when visiting other marinas.

 

[Redhook98]

I ONLY fill my water tanks and use that water. Reason being is the boat does not have a hotel water connection, and if it did , I would have sank my boat already. I had a split T once that pumped all my fresh water from the tanks into the bilges. 300 gallons worth. Found out at that time that I had a few bad bilge pumps. If that had been a hotel connection that I neglected to secure, it would have sank the boat, or made life more miserable.

 

[kthoennes]

This is a good discussion because I'm really paranoid about shore water filling the boat, for a few reasons. (1) for some reason even though I'm very diligent turning off marina's the shore water valve when we leave, I almost always find it turned back on when we come back, probably because I have a "Y" valve on the bib with a washdown hose and dock neighbors probably use it. I can never trust it's going to stay off. (2) I had a check valve fail on one of our water tanks a couple years ago, so the shore water filled the tank and then it rose up the vent line and ran out the side of the boat. Good design, thank you Mainship, but if that vent line had been plugged or hadn't been there, who knows what might have happened. (3) when we first bought the boat the shore water pressure reduction valve had failed so the boat's water supply was full city pressure for a while. Luckily we got a new valve at Shady Harbor Marina on the Hudson and replaced it immediately, but that always made me nervous. And then (4) last season we generally switched to always using tank water instead of shore water and the often stale or skunky tank water suddenly was all nice and clean and wasn't skunky any more. Much better practice to turn it over frequently, instead of letting the water sit there stewing all summer, whether I do the bleach dose or not. Just a better practice.

 

[Moonfish]

We have a shore water inlet, but have only ever used it when the 12V fresh water pump was out/being replaced. And we've only used it when we are aboard. If we have to leave the boat for any length of time while still hooked up to city water, it gets turned off.

 

[Andiamo2018]

I love having my water tanks always full. My buddy down the dock has the that spigot on his ChrisCraft and it goes to his sink and shower but not the tanks.

Here is a link to how I set up my system a few years ago:

I found a much better automatic water cutoff valve. Here is a link to it:

Amazon.com

I haven't tested it with just a trickle of water because it takes a VERY long time to trickle 13 gallons. But after a shower I cleaned the head and kept the water running the whole time and it worked great.

Of course you should still turn off the water going to your boat whenever you aren't on it. Here is the best I could find valve for that. It is lead free / potable and very easy to turn on and off.

Brass Garden Hose 2-Way Splitter

Good lucking figuring out what you want and making it happen

 

[Flatswing]

I have a 1986 grand Banks classic 36. It did not come with a designated fresh water hook up for the sink and shower. However, I do have a hose bib on the outside that’s hooked up to my freshwater system. What is the best way to install A designated fresh water hook up.

On my GB36, I only had the hose bib also. By hooking up dockside hose to the hose bib it will provide fresh water to the boat since it is downstream of the water pump & check valve. Be sure to use a pressure limiting device on the dock supply. Pressure needs to be above water pump cut in pressure to prevent pump cycling, but roughly same as cut out pressure. If it’s much higher, you risk exposing lots of new leaks in your fresh water system.

Of course, turn off dock supply whenever you leave boat. Still best to use the on board water in your tanks to keep it fresh.

 

[Bacchus]

"Of course, turn off dock supply whenever you leave boat. Still best to use the on board water in your tanks to keep it fresh."
I'm in the camp that feels turning off is not enough to be safe. I use quick connect fittings on hoses aboard so easy to completely disconnect dockside supply hose.
You never know when someone that doesn't have a clue starts turning valves to try to get some water at a pedestal and may leave it on when not successful.

 

[Frank Mogridge]

I have a 1986 grand Banks classic 36. It did not come with a designated fresh water hook up for the sink and shower. However, I do have a hose bib on the outside that’s hooked up to my freshwater system. What is the best way to install A designated fresh water hook up.

The hose bib on the outside (likely plumbed in by the steps leading to the flybridge) I also have on my '81 GB 36'
We use the bib attach a short hose with a navy/shower on/off shower head and use it to wash off salt water from ocean swim.

 

[Mainecoast]

I've seen a boat go down because of an improperly installed shore water inlet. That being said, I installed a shore water inlet on my last boat and used it for many years with no problems. The inlet was actually an RV one which was the same as the "marine" one for 2/3 the price, and had a built in pressureregulator. Anyway, the t fitting on the outlet side of the fw pump was already installed, so it was a simple matter to plumb in there. There's a backflow valve in the fw pump which will prevent flow into your water tank. I used the clear reinforced PVC hose to connect the shore water inlet to the t fitting. I plan on doing the same with my 36CL. And getting rid of that stupid shower sump. Last boat had a pump right on the drain outlet hose right overboard.

 

[kthoennes]

Yeah, I physically disconnect shore water with quick-connects too, even though we are trying to use cycle tank water more often. I mentioned that I have a washdown hose attached to the hose bib just like Dan's video, which I'm sure invites people to turn it on and then never turn it off when they want to borrow the hose when we're not there. I'd remove the wash-down hose every time we leave but then it's not convenient for me either and my shut-down check-list is 900 items long already. I figure if I've disconnected the hose on the boat's inlet fitting too, they can accidentally fill the marina with city water, but not my boat.