Some simple checks on various water systems onboard are a great way to make sure your boat is in running order for the new boating season. Below are some quick walkthroughs to help keep your water systems in running order, including stuffing box adjustment, bilge pump cleaning and testing, potable water maintenance, seawater supply maintenance, and holding take emptying and flushing.

Bilge Pump Cleaning and Testing

1. Remove the bilge pump fuse (the fuse is wired directly to the batteries, so even if all house switches are off the bilge pump will still run).
2. Unscrew the hose and press the buttons on either side to lift and remove the bilge pump.
3. Inspect the bottom of the pump and basket for debris, and clean if necessary.
4. Reinsert the bilge pump into the base until it is secure in place and reattach the hose.
5. Reinstall the bilge pump fuse when complete.

To verify proper automatic operation, listen for the one second burst that occurs every two and a half minutes. To manually check, press the manual bilge pump switch on the breaker panel. Although this will confirm the pump itself is functional, this does not confirm the automatic burst every two and a half minutes. After checking, be sure to leave this switch off.

Potable Water Maintenance

• Disinfecting: Use a ratio of one part Clorox regular bleach per 150 parts of water (1:150).
• Flushing: Turn on the freshwater pump, open all faucets and drain all fresh water, and turn the pump off. Refill the tank at the freshwater fill cap, and rinse and repeat as necessary.
• Faucets: Over time, debris can get caught faucet strainers. Use sink stoppers or cover the drain with a cloth to ensure no small parts are lost down the drain. Unscrew the retaining nut, remove the strainer, and rinse it out or scrub with a bristle to clean. Reinstall the strainer and restraining nut.
• Shower Sump: Remove the four top cover screws. Unclip the shower sump strainer and remove. Clean the debris on the inside of the strainer (in the trash or off the boat). Reinstall the strainer and screw the cover back on.
• Pump strainer: Slide and remove the blue retainer tab on the strainer housing, and the tab on the pump. Pull the whole assembly away from the pump, remove the strainer, and clean the strainer by rinsing or using a bristle brush. To reinstall, reinsert the strainer, and reattach the blue retainer tabs on the pump and strainer housing.

Seawater Maintenance

We recommend Barnacle Buster to safely remove marine growth. Barnacle Buster is a safe, non-toxic and biodegradable marine growth remover. With minimal dismantling required, Barnacle Buster can be safely recirculated through seawater cooling systems, dissolving barnacles, zebra mussels, calcium, rust, lime and other mineral deposits. Vessel-wide applications can be completed within 4 hours, encompassing the following systems simultaneously:

1. AC & refrigeration cooling systems
2. Inboard seawater cooling systems
3. Bow thrusters
4. Water makers
5. Sea strainers
6. Propellers
7. Seacocks
8. Pumps
9. Piping
10. Hulls

Emptying the Holding Tank

1. Make sure the Y-valve position is set correctly – “Whatever two arrows are showing, is the direction it’s going”.
2. Open the waste tank cap. Be mindful the cap is loose and doesn’t have a lanyard. Place it in an area where you won’t lose it!
3. Turn on the dockside pump out machine. These can vary, but generally have simple on/off instructions.
4. Prime the hose by sticking the tip of the hose in the water and opening the ball valve. Close the ball valve, fully insert the hose into the tank (enough to create a vacuum) and reopen the ball valve.
5. Reattach the waste tank cap when finished to complete!

Emptying the Holding Tank

We recommend flushing and cleaning the holding tank each time you empty it to avoid buildups and odors.

1. Make sure the Y-valve is in the correct position and fill the tank about halfway or two-thirds with fresh water. Make sure the freshwater hose is not inserted in any manner in the holding tank or used for potable water.
2. Repeat the emptying pump out procedure as described above. Make sure to reattach the waste tank cap so it doesn’t get lost or misplaced!
3. To apply the tank cleaning treatment, apply it by pouring the recommended amount directly into your boat’s head and flushing several times.

Stuffing Box Adjustment (inboard boats only)

To monitor drip rate with the shaft spinning, have a captain pilot the boat, have a lookout on hand, or secure the boat to a dock. We recommend using two Rigid E110 offset hex wrenches.

1. With one wrench, hold the stuffing box in place and loosen the locking nut by turning clockwise while facing aft.
2. With the locking nut loosed, tighten or loosen the stuffing box with the second wrench as needed until you achieve a drip rate of a single drip every 15 – 20 seconds with the engine running idle.
   • To tighten: Turn the stuffing box clockwise facing aft until the desired drip rate is achieved.
   • To loosen: Turn the stuffing box counterclockwise until the desired drip rate is achieved.
3. Once done, hold the stuffing box in place and tighten the locking nut by turning it counterclockwise while facing aft.

If the proper drip rate cannot be achieved, the packing material in the stuffing box will need to be replaced.