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Practical projects
During our fi rst season with
the boat, domestic harmony
was somewhat marred by a
problem with the sink drain.
We have a double sink and
every time we pulled the plug
on one side it promptly fi lled
up the other side until
eventually it all drained away.
This got me thinking as I
recalled it happening to other
boats which I had sailed.
In our case it became
apparent that since the
drains from the two sinks
were closely connected, as
you tried to drain the water
out of the fi rst sink it was
being held back by a pocket
of air in the drain pipe and
therefore the easiest route forthe waste water was to fl ow
across to the second sink.
So what was needed was awas to add a splitter or
divider in the connecting
drain pipe which allowed the
waste water to go one side
and the air to escape the
other side.
Such a divider could not
be sourced over the counter
so I made one by modifying
the existing parts as
described here.
By adding the divider it
completely eradicated the
problem and domestic
harmony was restored.
The technique of using
plastic pipe as a source of
material that can be heated
and formed and then glued,
can be applied to numerous
other fabrication projects.Twin sink situation
Simon James improves his galley’s dual sinks
means of allowing the pocket
of air in the drain pipe to
escape. What worked for meLEFT
Simon James
sails a Najad 360
called Dolphy8
out of Plymouth
BELOW
The twin sinks
aboard Dolphy8:
any attempt to
drain one would
lead to the waste
water back-fi lling
the other, until
they both slowly
drainedFirst sink
Second sinkTrapped air
in down pipeWater in
down pipe
below sea
levelDivider in
positionWaste waterSea levelEscaping
airDividerSea levelSink elbow
jointsT section T pieceDown pipeSea
cockComponents and stages of assembly of the T-piece with its integral dividerC
Foley