I bought a 13ft Whaler with a 25hp Johnson. I also found a place to store/park it on the island for a very good price. The problem with the storage lot is that there is no water available. Does anyone have any ideas about how or where I could flush my motor after I use it and before I park it? I don’t live there, but my family has a second home (townhouse) there at Palmetto Dunes. PD won’t allow boats to be parked there so that isn’t an option.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
Some gas stations have a water hose connection…you may have to look around for one willing to let you flush. Alternately, you could carry a tub, like the rope handled tubs at Lowes that folks use for shrimping, plus some 5 gallon buckets of water with lids. But that seems like a great big hassle.
PD won’t allow you to cycle the boat in long enough to flush and then move to your storage area? If not, I’d be contacting them for an exception. Tell 'em they wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for fishermen coming to HHI back when there was nothing on the beach except a burned out hot dog stand and a bunch of sand dollars.
If that don’t work…look for a house for sale sign and sneak in and use the water, which is likely still on.
I do need to ask PD if I can bring the boat in on an occasional basis. That would be the easiest way to go.
Love the idea of using a house for sale’s water. I also saw a landscape company that had their vehicles and whatnot parked on their lot. Might ask them if I can bring them a case of beer occasionally and use their water every now and then.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
I made a rig myself for flushing my 15hp motor. I get funny looks all the time and the DNR said he was wondering why I was cranking it up “on the hill”. hahaha.
Everything you need is available from lowes!
Get a 5 gallon bucket and lid (grey bucket, white lid)
Drill a “fill” hole into the lid and one to attach a hose bib into.
Buy the union fitting to attach to the lid.(they’re white, come in two pieces and are on the plumbing isle mounted on the board of other fitting items)
Buy your hose bib, i use the one that has a lever for easy on/off.
Buy the 6’ hose from the garden area that’s used to connect a hose reel to the house.
Use your own flush ears since you probably have those.
I fill up my 5 gallons of water at the apartment and rinse out WHILE THE MOTOR IS HOT at the ramp and that’s what’s recommended! I have a 15 hp and it runs for around 2 minutes.
I stick a plastic bag in the fill hole to keep it from sloshing everywhere in my truck during transport.
It will still cost around $30 even without the ears, but it works. Set the bucket on it’s side on the back of the boat(with the fill hole on top and the bib on bottom, make sure you lay the ears on the ground and get a good stream of water going through them first is the key.
If that confuses you too much I’ve attached a picture, but feel free to PM me if you need some help.
I still like to think this is my idea but I’m sure it’s not. It works!
Dude, that is brilliant. I actually have several 5 gal buckets with lids, so I could even take an extra and run 2 buckets through. Thanks for the idea.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
The key is making sure the hose has all the air out and you should be good to go. Sometimes my engine won’t pump at first so i have to run water through the hose with the valve wide open for a second and then it works like a champ.
I thought about having the spigot come out of the side of the bucket, but this way it’s completely water tight standing up plus you make a connection on the flat surface of the lid so you don’t have to worry about the roundness of the bucket messing things up.
Kinda leaning towards just moving the boat to a storage facility that has a water hose. Would have done this in the first place, but the one I plan to move it to is off-island in Bluffton and I hate getting caught in Saturday afternoon traffic when I am off-island trying to get back to HHI. If it gets to be too much of a hassle, I’ll put together one of these flushing kits and move it back to the cheap lot on the island.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
I keep my boat in Bluffton at the storage lot behind the BMW dealership. It has 24 hour access and a hose for washing and flushing. Very well lit lot with cameras and its close to Alljoy and Colleton ramps. You can get to Alljoy without getting on 278
Thanks ejinsc; I will look at that one. The one I am thinking about is just behind Tanger I and has a hose, and security gate but access is more like 12 hrs a day. It’s only $45 a month. Do you mind saying how much you pay?
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
