Washdown and Live Well

[dencaw]

Hi,

I am new to my 1991 25' Grady Sailfish and am trying to figure everything out (some of you may have read my other recent post). This question is involving the Y valve located on the port side secured on the stern (picture provided). I can't get either the washdown or the live well to work. On my dash I have two switches that I think are relevant. The first is the "live well" switch, the other the "pressure water" switch. And I have also tried to put on every other "accessory" switch as well. When the "live well" switch is on, I do hear a pump in the stern running, and the noise seems to be coming from under the port battery compartment, just didn't have time to lift the hatches. With the y valve in any position, I get no water either to the washdown spicket or the live weill. What is strange, at least to me is that the house to the left in the picture is designated as the live well, but really goes to the water spicket just left of the battery compartment. The hose to the right designated washdown runs to the live well behind the passenger seat at the helm. Is this right? Anyway, no matter where I have the y valve lever, I get no water anywhere. First, I assume that this is a fresh water washdown since I have no hose coming from any salt water intake. So that's why I tried using the "pressure water" switch at the helm as well to see if that is what is needed. Still nothing. Do I need to prime these hoses with water to get them to work? I hear the pump so I know something is happening. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cgmiller]

Den,
The first thing you have to check is to find the thru hull/seacock that lets seawater get to the washdown/livellwell pump that you hear running. The seacock might be closed and you are not getting any water to the pump. I found mine deep in the rear bilge.

The pressure water switch is for a different pump that pumps water from the freshwater tank to the sink in the cabin or where else you have fresh water.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Agree with Miller, find the seacock and open it. I had a slightly different 'Y' valve, but ditched it for one of these. Works so much better than the plastic stuff Grady uses ... :wink:

http://www.wmjmarine.com/gro-twv750.html

 

[dencaw]

Thanks for the information. I guess I am a little surprised that Grady would place a thru-hull valve in a location you can't get at unless you remove one of the major cockpit hatches, requiring tools to remove. If there was a leak and you needed to get to the valve quickly you are in big trouble. When I have time later this week I will go down and track the valve down. Does anyone know for sure where this valve is located in case I don't need to start tearing the boat apart. Thanks.

 

[Sully4755]

Hello, I have a Seafarer 228G and the seacock has a rod with a black knob on it about a foot to the left of the Y valve. It is mounted in a L bracket and you pull up on knob to open seacock and push down to close. Mine maybe a little different but maybe the same knob arrangement.

 

[cgmiller]

Den,

We dont know what boat you have. Do you have an open transom or bracket? My boat has an open transom and the seacock for my washdown system was under the port pie plate. I had to pry out the plate and reach down into the bottom of the bilge to open or close the valve. It was at the limit of the reach of my arm and not very convenient. I added a new seacock under the new hatch I installed in the rear section of the deck just forward of the wave gate. If you have a full transom, you may have to reach inside one of the acces doors and down into the bilge.

 

[dencaw]

I think I have the same setup as you. I dont have a bracket and I do have the gate that goes up and down in front of the outboards. However, I don't recall having a port side pie hole at the stern. I have one directly between the the two outboards behind the gate and two forward of the gate in the middle, one of which gives access to the fuel tank top. When I get to the boat I will look for the valve in the pie holes. I know it isn't right near the valve pictured because the port side battery is right below it and the is no room. Thanks.

 

[Curmudgeon]

:uhm Did you call Grady?

 

[Grog]

The seacock is almost directly under the 6" plate in the rear hatch cover. If you have a bracket model it's easier to open the center drop down cover and reach in. The pump should be on the port stringer under the hatch cover, if it's making noise the motor is OK but the impeller may be shot. Open the seacock and see what happens. Those hoses look like @#$@, there can be a decent amount of pressure and if one of the hoses rupture you're going to have problems. If you didn't find it yet, the fresh water pump and the trim tab pump are behind the wall in the aft berth, & the shower sump is under the hatch cover in the cabin. Also under the cabin hatch are the valves for the head discharge and inlet. If you aren't using them, keep'm closed.

 

[cgmiller]

Dev,

I made a mistake..there is only 1 access plate in the splash well, which is access to the original seacock and bilge pumps. I also have 1 forward of the transom gate, which is for access to the fuel filters and my washdown pump. I cut that out and put a real access hatch. Here are some pics..

 

[cgmiller]

I also cut out the shelf that the oil tanks used to sit on (I have 4 strokes) so I could get into the bilge, where I installed a tilted element transducer and a new seacock for the pump that I can actually reach and open when I want to use it.

 

[dencaw]

Thanks for the pics. I have the same guts below the deck as you, but was confused about where the oil tanks were until you told me that you didn't need them anymore. You guys were right, the thru-hull seacock is directly below the pie hole, and the pump is to the port side mounted on a stringer. I can barely just touch it with my arm fully in the hole, so to do anything with it I will have to unscrew the smaller of the cockpit hatches and remove it. I was able to open the seacock and then turned on the pump, but still getting no water. Even though I hear the pump working it must not have suction. Probably end up just replacing the pump. One more quick question. When you remove these hatches, do you need to put any sealent down before putting the hatch back down or do you wait until it is seated and then caulk or silicone around the seams? Thanks.

 

[ROBERTH]

dencaw, make sure you don't have an airlock. Once in the water, work the sea cock valve several times open/closed/open, then move your plastic valve back and forth with pump on and see if it starts to pump. If noise and no water, it likely is time to replace it. Check in the livewell to see if anything is coming out and make sure you open the water hose spigot to make sure it is allowing air lock/water to come out.
Mine is located in same spot as yours. Just pull the access panel and then it is easy to get to. Replace the hoses while you are there if they look old/bad. When re-installing the panel, clean good with acetone around all the edges to get a good bond with silicone. I tape off and then apply the GE Silicone II Kitchen and Bath series in almond color and it looks great. Just apply the bead of silicone in the crack, smear with finger and pull tape quickly before it begins to skin over and it will be perfect.

 

[BobP]

Chris, if those are the old electric primers Grday installed and fuel filters at the bottom of the photo, time for the primers to go. The Fs don't need them. I hope the filters are not so low as they seem in photo. The bypass loop fittings on the primers can leak in air w/o fuel leaking out.

 

[dencaw]

Hey Chris,

Regarding your 150 motors, did you repower or was the boat that way when you bought it. At some point I will be looking at repowering. Right now I have the original twin 200 Yammies, and was curious if the 150 four strokes give you enough get up and go. Thanks.
Dennis

 

[cgmiller]

Bob,

That picture is from last year. Those primer pumps were scary looking. I removed them thos spring and replaced them with safe rubber primer bulbs.

Den,

The former owner repowered the boat in 2004 with the F150's. These engines rock on this boat and for a big fat girl she humps along. WOT is 40 mph. She planes off at 2600-2800 rpms. 3500 rpms pushes the boat at 25 mph, 4000 rpms sees 30 mph, 4500 = 35 mph and 5500 = 40 mph. Average fuel economy is 2.0 - 2.3 miles per gallon. I removed 60 gallons from the auxilliary tank and there has been no real change in performance numbers. The same hull with a little more length should run pretty much the same. A significant increase in weight will slow the boat a little, but not too much. I remember watching a show about the queen elizabeth II liner and she was not making her required speed in trails so they added 40 more feet to the hull bulb and she picked up 2.5 knots at the same cruising rpm..go figure....