Height of Raw Water Strainer above waterline

[Refueler]

Rather extreme position, Nigel! I installed my first Vetus filter in 1992, immediately above the intake for that very reason. NOT ONCE since then have I had cause to clear the inlet. Why? because I am afloat in a marina all the time and I never ground in mud. Despite that on my new installation with the intake in a different position, I have still mounted the filter immediately above the intake. Why? because it is just as easy to do that as mount it elsewhere. However I would not have got too worked up about it if there was no space to do that.

As I pointed out on my Bavaria it is a long way from the intake, but as you cannot "rod" a saildrive, the alternative that some people say works is to use the dinghy pump to blow anything out. However, again I have never had the intakes blocked, only weed being sucked up into the filter which is easy to clean because it is well above the waterline. If I sat down in mud regularly with that boat I would have two intakes, one through the leg and the other through a skin fitting and a Y valve to switch from one to the other. More than one way of skinning a rabbit!

Yes .. and I defend it.

I can close seacock, undo filter top ... take out filter - clean - put back, open seacock and all fine. If necessary I can push a rod down through to clear a mud plug or other ...

As I say - I moor in a private channel with lots of reeds / debris from river .. 1m deep on a 1m draft - it means I pull in loads of cra* every time I exit mooring ... and I have to clear my filter each time.

So others are lucky not to have to do it so often ... no good saying - "I wish we listened to that idiot Refueler" when filter and intake blocked ... Yeh go for the dinghy pump ... great until you have a significant pipe run to clear ! I know - I've had to do it. In fact what we did in end was to use the vacuum of the bog to clear it ... dinghy pump just hardened up the blockage.

Old Seahand !

 

[mitiempo]

I think above the waterline makes the most sense. It doesn't make sense to install a proper seacock and hoses for safety and then install a strainer that is not as sturdy below the waterline. As posted Vetus suggests above the waterline as well. My strainer (not a Vetus) is above the waterline and there is no problem with air or prime.