What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

[hd883chopper]

Hey guys, I'm new to the boating scene and while anchored in a cove this weekend I noticed something. Some of the larger pleasure boats (26' and above) at anchor had a steady flow of water coming from thier port side. Actually two steams of water. One was probably the bilge...but what the heck is the other? My rig is only 23' and the only water expulsion I have is a bilge.

Could it be the cooling system for the motor? Not sure because these cruisers were at anchor with engines off.

Just curious!
Thanks.
hd883chopper.

 

[Mordekai]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Could be airconditioning.

 

[Grand Larsony]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Air conditioning discharge

 

[hd883chopper]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Do marine A/C's pull in lake water for cooling? This expulsion of water appeared to be much more than the typical A/C sweating.

Thanks.

 

[Grand Larsony]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Yes, reverse cycle air \ heat units have a sea **** that pulls lake water through the system. It is discharged via a thru-hull fitting, usually just ahead of mid-ship.

If you wanna look really dorky walk down the dock exclaiming "THAT BOAT IS SINKING !!! ". It'll brand you as a small-boat guy for sure (don't ask how I know this).

Actually, it could also be forward bilge pump but that would be fairly unusual (and worth mentioning).

 

[45Auto]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Most likely one stream was the A/C as others have stated, and the other one was the generator discharge. The generator (water cooled) exhaust is mixed with water and discharged overboard also. My 30' Searay has the A/C discharge on the forward port side and the generator discharge on the aft port side.

 

[shrew]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Inboard engines draw raw water for cooling. Even if the engine is a closed cooling system, the heat exchanger still requires raw water for cooling. Onboard generators draw raw water for cooling. Even if thegenny is closed cooled, the heat exchanger still requires raw water cooling. Air Conditioners draw raw water for cooling. Someone on anchor running an AC would have water coming out of two different through hulls. One fo the generator to power the AC and one for the AC.

All of these would push the raw used cooling water outboard through a through hull fitting. Well, technically the main motor would come out a jacket surrounding the exhaust, but the Genny and AC would come out through hull fittings.

BTW, showers, sinks, and deck drains also purge outboard through through hull fittings IF the boat is in salt water.

 

[hd883chopper]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Great info everyone. Thanks for the explanations. The Genny and AC make perfect sense.

Cheers hd.

 

[soggy_feet]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Generally accepted to discharge gray water on Lake Champlain... freshwater...

 

[shrew]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Generally accepted to discharge gray water on Lake Champlain... freshwater...

Yep, and if I left it as graywater being discharged overboard I would have gotten 5 statements that graywater discharge in almost all (with the exception of a handful) freshwater bodies is illegal. I got lazy and decided not to specify which specific freshwater bodies do allow gray water discharge. My bad.

 

[soggy_feet]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Yeah, thats the funny thing....

It is illegal in Champlain, but it's not enforced.

More concern with getting votes with the bureaucratic BS than worry about the lake.

I get what you're sayin though.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Interesting note on the Grey Water.

I understand holding tanks and not going into the water, but what about sinks, and showers? My sinks drain directly overboard. No other place for it to go. My shower has a pump, but the pump is plumbed to a thru hull. Are both of these items not supposed to be directly drained overboard? I boat on a fresh water river, but have actually not used my sinks or shower yet.

 

[emoney]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

I know if you're down here in FL, at least on the west coast, they're getting really, really sticky about gray water going anywhere but a holding tank. There are some spots that you can get boarded just to verify that you DO have everything going to the tank. Key West is getting pretty rigid about it and any of the Corps' owned Islands, etc. you can't moor at without proof it's all in the tank.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: What is the water being expelled from the hulls?

Interesting note on the Grey Water.

I understand holding tanks and not going into the water, but what about sinks, and showers? My sinks drain directly overboard. No other place for it to go. My shower has a pump, but the pump is plumbed to a thru hull. Are both of these items not supposed to be directly drained overboard? I boat on a fresh water river, but have actually not used my sinks or shower yet.

At least from a legal perspective, that is 100% illegal. Greywater is water that has gone through a sink or shower. (vs blackwater from a toilet...) Doesn't matter how dirty it is, just the fact of how the plumbing runs means its greywater.