Anchor Washdown Question

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Capitaine R said:
Now you guys need to set up one of those blowers, like the type you use to dry your hands off with when using a public restroom, to blow the excess water off the chain before it enters the chain locker.

[emoji16]
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That’s a great idea! ;)
 
Finally got to use my new washdown on real mud today. 4.5 gpm at 70 psi set to a tight cone spray down the chain removes mud very effectively. And it didn't take much to clean off the anchor either.
 
rslifkin said:
Finally got to use my new washdown on real mud today. 4.5 gpm at 70 psi set to a tight cone spray down the chain removes mud very effectively. And it didn't take much to clean off the anchor either.
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Music to my years! Are you using a wand or just a regular nozzle?:popcorn:
 
Codger2 said:
Music to my years! Are you using a wand or just a regular nozzle?:popcorn:
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It's one of the narrow brass cone type nozzles, but with a nice rubber grip on it. Fairly cheap on Amazon. If you look at post 28, you can see the nozzle in the picture there. I put that on the hose, opened it up to a fairly tight cone and then turned up the pressure switch on the pump to where it stopped cycling plus a little more. From what I know about the adjustment, I've got the switch set to somewhere around 75 - 80 psi (pump is set for 60 out of the box, but rated for 100). Yesterday's test confirmed that once the nozzle is adjusted, it's easy to use that in 1 hand with the windlass remote in the other hand.

Considering how restrictive an average hose nozzle is, I'd say the spray is a bit better than using the hose at the dock. The volume available with an open hose is less, but the pump can push more pressure than most dock water has, plus the massive amp-sucking motor on the pump keeps the flow drop-off reasonable at high pressures.

According to Delavan, the pump I'm using is good for 7.2 gpm open flow, 6.3 gpm at 20 psi, 5.5 at 40, 4.8 at 60, 4.5 at 80 and 4.1 at 90.
 
Only takes a single belt to drive a 1 1/2 or 2 inch Jabscoe clutched pump.

Not as cheap as some cures but while it will wash down well (100GPM) it can also be a great emergency bilge or fire pump. Mud stinks!

And great fun on the 4th of July.
 
Another solution to nasty, sticky mud is to pick a deeper part of the anchorage. All of the ground tackle gets pulled up through more water on the way up, leaving less mud that needs to be rinsed off. There's one bay locally where the bottom is thick, sticky, nasty mud. It's amazing how much cleaner everything comes up after anchoring in one of the deep coves in 50 feet of water compared to anchoring elsewhere in the bay in 20 feet.
 
OK, here is the washdown system to be installed. I’ll report how it works. Amazing how many components you end up with on a “simple” project like this.

The 3/4” Tee will be cut into an existing S.W. line for a second head that is unlikely to be used while the anchor is being raised. Black rubber hose will run to the strainer and pump above the waterline. The pump is only 3 GPM but our current hand wand works well from the F.W. system even after going through a filter, 50 feet of hose, and spraying from a few feet away. With the nozzle of the fixed system only inches away from the chain, I think it should work. It’s a hand windlass BTW so I have a lot of control over how fast the chain comes in and can slow down if the mud isn’t clearing.

3/4” braided hose will then run from the pump to just aft of the anchor locker bulkhead where it will join 1/2” PVC to run up inside the upper part of the locker and along under the deck. It will then join 3/8” copper pipe that will run through the stem and along under the bowsprit. The union is to permit moving the PVC pipe to install and remove a plywood panel that raises usable part of the chain locker. There will be a compression fitting about 6” aft of the bow roller so I can quickly change nozzles until I find the right configuration or in case one gets bent by a mooring line or the anchor chain.

Yes, there is brass in the system but cheap parts well above the waterline that can be obtained at any hardware store before or if they fail.
 

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bligh said:
I use a 80 dollar electric pressure washer form amazon connected to a hose bib on deck. It cuts mud, weeds, etc in a timely fashion and I didnt have to spend days to make it work.


]
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We do the same when needed but worth noting, the similarly priced Karcher pressure washer uses a composite pump so is unaffected by saltwater.

Karcher is a german company that is the biggest pressure washer manufacturer in the world. So it makes sense that they make their own pumps. They've designed their pumps from the ground up using corrosion-free “N-COR” material which is a combination of polyamide and glass fibre
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https://www.amazon.com/Karcher-Elec...c0c07&pd_rd_wg=EV7sq&pd_rd_i=B01BMETJAY&psc=1
 
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Capitaine R said:
Now you guys need to set up one of those blowers, like the type you use to dry your hands off with when using a public restroom, to blow the excess water off the chain before it enters the chain locker.

[emoji16]
Click to expand...

I think that is a good idea too.

I have thought of this before. The chain comes into the chain lockers hawse pipe from the outside of the bow, up to and through the foredeck, around the deck mounted windlass' wildcat, and chain drops down into the chain locker.

My thoughts are the blower near the top of the hawse pipe and the nozzel/s lower. All of these attachments, of course, below deck, just havent figure out how yet.
 
Personally, I don't worry about getting the rode dry on the way into the locker. The windlass chain hole isn't watertight, etc. so any time it rains the contents of the locker get a bit wet. That's what the drain hole is for. If needed, I'd add something to pull air through the locker, but I haven't had issues with mine getting gross.
 
rslifkin said:
Personally, I don't worry about getting the rode dry on the way into the locker. The windlass chain hole isn't watertight, etc. so any time it rains the contents of the locker get a bit wet. That's what the drain hole is for. If needed, I'd add something to pull air through the locker, but I haven't had issues with mine getting gross.
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Likewise. Our locker is isolated from the interior of the boat. In a previous boat the anchor locker access hatch was from the forward stateroom (behind a mirror). It had a hatch but if the chain/rope combo rode got nasty, eventually the smell would get to the interior. That's not an issue now, both due to the rode being all chain, and the locker's construction being sealed-off from the interior.

I added some Dri-Dek grate tiles under the chain and this has helped keep the bottom links of the piled chain from sitting in moisture, and has made it easier to hose out the drain holes when gunk accumulates.
 
rslifkin said:
Personally, I don't worry about getting the rode dry on the way into the locker. The windlass chain hole isn't watertight, etc. so any time it rains the contents of the locker get a bit wet. That's what the drain hole is for. If needed, I'd add something to pull air through the locker, but I haven't had issues with mine getting gross.
Click to expand...

I see your point
 
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