The Ultimate Upgrade

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waterdog

It's time.   

We are getting ready to disappear for the entire month of August.  The box arrived from Catalina Direct yesterday.   New cowl vents.  Anchor rollers.  Rubrail.   I've called my old roommate who has made arrangements for a 40% discount off of the new inverter and battery monitor.   An extra propane tank.   We are laying down a supply of rum. 

A full month of boat upgrades and maintenance in beautiful remote anchorages.

And today, the ultimate.   A new shower for the cockpit.   Hot and cold running water right where it is needed.   No more of Scupper's wet dirty feet in the cabin.   I can hose off Foster as he comes out of the water.  I'll be able to stand naked in my cockpit and rinse the shampoo out of my eyes while the rest of the anchorage chokes on the ice cubes of their evening cocktails, recoiling in horror. 

Whoops.  Too much information.   

Oh.  Yes.  The question.  I recall some discussion about preferred hoses for fresh water lines.  I'll be running 1/2" teed off the feed to the sink in the head.  What sort of hose / pipe should I be using?  It seems to me Stu suggested some Ace Hardware special that was better than marine hose at a fraction of the cost?  Or maybe it was something to be avoided?  Rigid PVC?   I can't seem to find the old thread or remember what the advice was.   

Please feel free to give me guidance.

Oh and if you're in Desolation or the Broughtons next month, approach Blackdragon cautiously if you've just seen her motor into the anchorage.   I'll be wanting to take advantage of that hot water and hate to steam up the head...



   
Steve Dolling
Former 1988 #804, BlackDragon - Vancouver BC
Now 1999 Manta 40 cat

Craig Illman

Steve - I re-plumbed my fresh water system with PEX. The push-in fittings are a bit pricey, but no hose clamps. The PEX tubing is pretty rigid though. I removed the T's from the head sink area to my swim step shower and ran the lines completely back to the fresh & hot water manifolds so I could put in valves and drains for winter, so I don't have to winterize the whole system.

One option, probably not for everyone.

Craig

Stu Jackson

Steve, I simply found similar hose material at ACE which was less expensive than West Marine.  It's the reinforced clear stuff, not completely clear.  There's not a lot of pressure to deal with on that run and you cold go with clear hosing but would have to be careful about kinks in turns, which is why the reinforced helps, since it is less likely to kink at a bend.
Stu Jackson, C34 IA Secretary, #224 1986, "Aquavite"  Cowichan Bay, BC  Maple Bay Marina  SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)

"There is no problem so great that it can't be solved."

waterdog

Thanks guys!   

I've decided to go with the PEX tubing.   It seems rigid enough (no kinks) .   Flexible enough.   Opaque (no green stuff growing in there).  Tough.  Light weight.  Dirt cheap.   

I'm going to use the push type connectors on the shower fittings and I'm trying the crimps on the T's in the head.   I don't want "mystery metal" crimps buried somewhere where I can't see them.   

I've only ever done plumbing with copper, PVC, and ABS.   And on the boat - exlusively hoses and clamps.  So this will be interesting.  It's an expensive tool for crimping, so Foster and I just "tried it out" at the rental center - doing the crimps we needed while we were there.  I think I understand now why they don't use copper much any more...









Steve Dolling
Former 1988 #804, BlackDragon - Vancouver BC
Now 1999 Manta 40 cat