Scattered Showers

[trev]

Been having intermittent problem with shower pump in a Sealine 365. There is no obvious access to this pump which is situated somewhere beneath the aft cabin sole.
Sealine tell me I have to lift the carpet to access the thing - but the carpet seems to be well fitted and glued down, and I am loth to disturb this. Did they really build a boat with no simple access to an important bit of kit ?? or is there another way?
Ideas anyone.

P.S. and N.B.- This post actually has something to do with boats !


Trev

 

[burgundyben]

Very refreshing to see some one post a note about boating, I worked on a 365 charter boat about 12 years ago when they first launched the 365 (and a couple of 305s and 310s), generally they did not stand the test of charter very well at all and I can well beleive that there is really poor access to pump that you are likely to need to get to. I reckon pull the carpet up and find a way of securing it back down so that it is easily removed, you can fit press studs to carpet, a bit of a work up I know, but will leave you well prepared to fix the replacement pump when that dies/gets clogged up with those mystery curly hairs....

Has yours got 3 * 200 hp tamd 40s? The one I looked after was tripple engined and drove well like the clappers, managed a memorable blast to Cherbourg from Hamble for Brunch one day....

I keep my own boat near their Swannick yard and they do now look better built, not sure what later owners find?

 

[tcm]

ah shower pumps. Not a sealine owner...but lots of boats have carpets taped down with double sided tape, and spose it would be that or lots of little naff hatches with exposed hinges to catch yr feet on.

Shower pumps are notoriously crap. They seem to use lousy kit in an attempt to replicate a hoome shower. So frexample, a little float switch, to trigger the pump, with float switch in a box. Then the float switch works sometimes and not others so the whole thing floods. Better wd be a switch to turn on/off the pump. Eventually I got so hacked off with shower pump twiddling that i directed the pipes to the main bilge pump gives it summink to do from time to time and to hell with the shower pump.

 

[markc]

Carpet may be stuck down, but it was probably the last thing that went into the cabin, so shouldn't be too much of a problem - I would guess that the carpet is of good enough quality to not fall to bts when you take it up? On the other hand, it could just be the excuse you need to buy that new carpet you have always promised yourself!

 

[Guest]

I can't believe that a mainstream manufacturer does something like this. The shower pump needs regular attention as invariably the float switch clogs or otherwise ceases to function.

I would presume that your carpet must be fixed down with double sided tape and that there must be a hatch under there somewhere. I would look for a better way of fixing the carpet, if it needs fixed. If not, why not just get the edges of it bound to stop fraying and then just lay it loose.

In my own case, I had a Birchwood TS33 which had a single large sump which, apart from the shower, also collected waste from the galley sink. This was not a good arrangement and I would not recommend it as it involved regularly having to clean it out. If you think hair and stuff is disgusting try fermented galley waste! Also if the pump or float failed, the sump would overflow leaving a pleasant sewage smell in the boat.

To help keep the thing working I did the following:

1) The pump/switch was in a stainless steel wire mesh cage. The gauge of this was a bit too large so I enclosed the lot in an old nylon stocking which was changed at the quarterly clean outs.
2) A second stocking ( the othe half of that old pair of tights) was taped around the inlet pipe as a sort of sack. This captured the assorted solid waste - bits of sweet corn, curried chicken, etc and was removed and changed at clean outs
3) I fitted an override switch to the pump so that it could be turned on independently from the float switch
4) I fitted a warning light at the dash to indicate that the pump was operating. (switched from a flow switch in the discharge)

This made the best of a bad job although I was often tempted to dispense with it altogether and just go for a skin fitting to dump the galley waste. Good luck with yours!

Nick

 

[Col]

Send simon ( tripleace ) an email, he has a 365 and may be able to advise
clever@dic.co.uk

 

[burgundyben]

I thought I saw Tripleace afloat and well recently, I think I remember her being the Sealine demonstrator of the 365? I think the triple engine ones were a much better boat than the twin and had novelty value. I cant remember for the life of me the one I drove, it was a privately owned but up for charter boat with Westerly Sea School at Hamble Point. The 305/310's were 'Rhythm', 'Ragtime', 'Rhumba' and something else, also a 215? called Gypsy's kiss, proabably have all long since fallen to bits......thatshoudl raise some comment.

 

[byron]

Tripleace is alive and moored on the Thames. I think she may shortly be up for sale as he washed her last year. ;-)

ô¿ô

 

[trev]

I almost bought 'Tripleace' about five or six years ago when she was on brokerage at RYB. The next time I saw her she was in a sorry state at (what used to be) Reading Marine Services. I next saw her somewhere around Goring - cant remember exactly - probably p*ssed.
I eventually bought twin engined model - very satisfied, except for stated shower pump!!

Trev