The galley sink on Banyandah is a good size measuring 380 x 340 x 150mm deep with a centre drain. Into this I use a 310mm round basin for washing up. This small basin minimizes freshwater use, and yet removing it, the sink is large enough to handle a banquet or clean the odd fish. When underway I find it very handy to drain the dishes in the sink around the basin.
Three taps service the galley sink. The left faucet delivers freshwater by both hand and foot operated pumps plumbed in series. The centre faucet mixes pressured hot and cold freshwater for those odd times when plugged into shore facilities or when hot water is wanted after running the engine. The right faucet delivers seawater from a foot operated pump – quite useful for rinsing hands or dishes, and there’s no handle intruding into the bench area.
Banyandah carries 700 litres of freshwater, held in four tanks, two each side of the ship, controlled by a manifold within easy reach through the aft engine room door. Only one tank is used at a time. As each tank empties and another is turned on, we record these stats in our logbook so our freshwater situation is always known. As a young family of four sailing the seas, this amount easily lasted our 45 day passage from Japan to the USA. Nowadays, with just the two of us, we have stretched this to three months in areas like the Kimberley where freshwater is scarce.
Using manually operated pumps helps save freshwater. As does washing dishes in clean seawater. To eliminate the salty taste where it’s most noticeable, our easily controlled freshwater foot-pump lets us rinse glasses and mugs with a tap of our toe.
Being water-wise means we do not need a desalination plant. And that means less maintenance, less dependency on others, and more time for fun and Nature.
Tip. A piece of non-slip mat under a sink bowl keeps it in one spot.
For more photos and details: Practical Boat Bits and Tips by Jude Binder
