Portable Boat Cleaning/flushing System

[TylerO]

I know we've got some really creative boaters on this site so help me out with your ideas/suggestions or even existing systems!

I'm looking to have a portable boat cleaning/motor flushing system that I can use after I pull my boat out of saltwater. Instead of waiting to get home (where help is less frequent) I want to have clean water with pressure to wash down the boat and flush the heat exchanger (I have the ZR6 motor).

I was thinking of getting a water tank for the back of my truck, hooking up an electric water pump to a garden hose and I'd be in business but is there a better way? Anyone else out there washdown their boat with a portable system?

[hundo]

RE: Portable Boat Cleaning/flushing System

Ya, my wife and all the riders

I just had to say it

[Grant_West]

This is how Chocolate would do it.

Make it so you can fill your factory ballast tanks with fresh water from home, I.E put a hose atachment thats fill all your balst tanks form a single hose input. Than when your done have a valve that drain's the fresh water from you factory balast Into your water inlet of your motor when you pull out of the water you can flush your motor with the clean water thats in your balast.

If you want to be super trick Im sure you could hook it up with factory blalast switches/leavers ( the cable acuatued shureflow one's) and you could open and close them from the drivers seet. You would open and drian your factory balast tanks and open the valve that woud go into you motor by the sea **** and just let it run keep a eye on the balast tank level and when its all empty your done flushing.

[TylerO]

Chocolate,

Now that's thinking! So when do you start your Consulting gig for Correct Craft?

I like your idea and I've got a new project on my hands.....

-Tyler

[Rick]

I Think I would install one of these http://www.mstguardian.com/. Then I would get a Fat sack or some other bag that holds around 500 gals of water. Attach it to a 12V pump with hose to the guardian and run it on down the road. You could also t in your fresh water brake flush line and do both at 1 time.

[TwinTip]

Whitechocolate, wouldn't that require that you tow your boat with the added weight of the balast tanks? If so, one will have to make sure that the added weight falls within the trailer load specifications (and tires). I don't know how much extra loading capacity there is to add additional weight to the trailer.

[Grant_West]

"Twin Tip" oops my bad, your right I forgot. You will need to install DESALINATION or reverse ozmosis treatment plant in the back of the boat to remove the salt from the balast tanks before its filterd into your motor, LOL

I knew my plan was to easy. :lol:

[TwinTip]

Tyler, check your marina. Some marinas have faucets with fresh water and don't charge for the use of them. All you need is to take your own hose and you are set. The only drawback is if you go to a different marina that does not have fresh water or have people waiting to make use of the faucet, for which you could take your own Y adapter and allow someone else access to the same source of water.

[TylerO]

I would install one of these http://www.mstguardian.com/

Rick, I was impressed with this product and would go for the Guardian system but it seems a little overkill for just the heat exchanger on a boat that I will only run in salt water about 30% of the time. If I was keeping in salt water or used it there more I would defintely go that route. Can you elaborate a little more on what you meant by:

You could also t in your fresh water brake flush line

I planned on washing down the trailer and wheels well but is there a flush for the trailer braking system?


Chocolate, I'm not ruling out your idea yet as I could at least have the crew wash down the boat with the water from one tank which wouldn't overload the trailer too much. My other option is back to the tank in the truck with pump and garden hose idea.

[Rick]

If you have a closed cooling system I would agree. If that is the case you could use a flushproto flush the heat exchanger/manifolds. Some traqilers if they are salt water have a hose connection on one of the fenders. This flushes the brakes and axles automatically. If yours does nopt you might ask the dealer about an install. By the way where do you use it 30% of the time are you in San Diego?

[TylerO]

I'll check into the flushing system option. As for the salt location, we will ride Mission Bay when San Vicente is closed (weekdays or weekends in the winter). I hadn't seen the course off of Fiesta Island until you told me about it and I have heard a few stories about joining clubs so you can have access to that area. Do you know the scoop?

-Tyler

[Rick]

I beleive that all you need is an AWSA card. UCSD and San Diego State uses it as their home course. I try to get use details for you. We had a tournament there in October.