Boat Blue Prints

The boat carries 3 x 200 litre fresh water tanks and has one water maker that converts salt water to fresh water at the rate of 90 litres per minute. The fresh water is for drinking, cooking, washing and the washing machine. Yes we have a washing machine on board. Additionally one of our two heads (toilets) operates on freshwater. The other on seawater. This has proven to be very practical as we have had that seawater inlet blocked by seaweed, which consequently meant no water for flushing from that head.

The salt water system services the forward head (toilet), the two air conditioning units, refrigeration, the deck wash down and most importantly, it cools the diesel motor and genset.Most of the seawater is brought in from a single inlet under the motor and has any flotsam strained out at a master filter that we have to clean regularly. at the air-conditioning units and the forward toilet have their own inlets.

The waste water system shows how complex the simple job of removing waste water from a boat is while it is sitting in water. We have: toilet waste,  kitchen sink and bathroom/shower waste. Then also the outlet plumbing for sea water used for the air conditioners, refrigeration and sea water head/toilet.

The system has to allow for possible syphoning of sea water back into the boat too. So all waste water has to travel as high above the water line as possible before emptying into the sea. There will also be a pressure relief valve at the top of the “anti-syphon’ loop to stop the syphoning by opening ad allowing air into the plumbing if there is negative pressure from a syphon starting. Let’s face it, we want that water to stay outside…

We have two 300 litre diesel tanks under the floor, set at the lowest part of the boat. Our Yanmar 55hp motor will use about 2 litres an hour at 5 – 5.5 knots. So 600 litres is enough for 300 hours running at 5 – 5.5 knots which covers a maximum distance  1500 nautical miles or 2700km. That’s the theory – we’re not about to test it…

The boat has two systems. 240vac (same as your house) and 12vdc. The 240vac runs our washing machine, water maker, refrigeration and various appliances such as toaster, microwave etc. The 240vac is supplied from one of three sources: 1. shore power when we are on a marina and can plug into their power. 2. Our 8.5kW genset or 3. from the battery bank (2 x 220ah deep cycle AGM batteries) via a 3kW inverter. The 12vdc system is from the batteries and runs our lights, fresh water supply, all navigation instruments, electric toilets, etc. There is also a 12vdc circuit with outlets in all the areas to plug 12v equipment into. The batteries are kept charged via the shore power when available, the genset or the engine’s alternator. We will be adding solar panels shortly too.

All the lights are 12vdc. including navigation lights and deck flood lights. When we got Saboteur she had some tungsten and some standard light bulbs. We are changing all to LEDs. Slowly, but nearly there now.

This blue print is not show exactly as Saboteur’s interior was ultimately fitted out. But it gives you an idea. The external hull and superstructure is the same in profile though.