The Wash Tub – fresh water boat washing

by Bob Wonders on 28 Jun 2007 While parts of Australia's southern states, NSW and Victoria have been deluged with rain (much of it most welcome) over the past month or so, the good citizens of the Queensland Gold Coast have been enduring Level 5 water restrictions.

Level 5 under Gold Coast City Council regulations means no washing of cars, gardens can only be watered by bucket or watering can, with residents restricted to the ‘odds and evens’ system and, of course, no hosing down of boats! For those who like their craft absolutely pristine, shock, horror!

We all know salt water is a fierce enemy and all responsible boat owners make for the hose when returning to dock. Well, if you live on the Gold Coast, forget it, those disobeying the council regulations can be hit with $150 fines.

Fortunately, there is a way out thanks to John Casson, proprietor of the Sanctuary Cove brokerage, Cruiser and Yacht Sales.

Those of us who have been around for a while (like me!) will remember John as the public relations officer for what was then called the Maritime Services Board of NSW (now NSW Maritime). He spent 34-years with the MSB keeping is finger on the pulse of all things happening on NSW waterways.

These days, it’s a relaxed and happy John Casson operating Cruiser and Yacht Sales, a brokerage on the Sanctuary Cove waterfront.

Like all good boat brokers, John knows that boats need first rate presentation when offered to prospective buyers. He knew that boats in stock had to look their best, but there was no way he was going to ‘wear’ $150 fines for hosing down vessels.

'We knew there had to be an alternative and we more or less invented it with the ‘Wash Tub’,' he explained. The ‘Wash Tub’ is a locally built, pontoon-style craft that previously operated as a ‘coffee boat’, selling coffee, snacks and other refreshments to moored vessels around the Gold Coast.

Now, instead of coffee, ‘Wash Tub’ sports a United States-made desalination unit, the Sea Recovery, capable of desalinating 100-litres of sea water per hour.

Coincidentally, that’s about what it takes per hour to effectively wash down a vessel. It can carry 300 litres aboard.

Ian Jefferson, service and operations manager for the brokerage, said the desalination unit was fitted with two filters, one of 20 microns and one of five microns.

The water is pushed through the filters under pressure, effectively removing salt and anything else that comes aboard.

A 3kVA genset operates the unit, which automatically backwashes itself. It is also re-charged via 240 volt, takes 20 amps to start up and runs on 10-12 amps.

Cruiser and Yacht Sales was established by John Casson in March and is already making a name for itself.

The brokerage team comprises John, Ian Jefferson, two experienced brokers, Richard Dickson and Derrick Lucas, yard manager Scott Copal, assistant yard manager Allan Baldwin, office manager Jette Baldwin and secretary/receptionist Karen Colbran.

'Too early yet to claim anything like astonishing success,' John joked, 'but we’re certainly working towards it.

'The ‘Wash Tub’ is just one more service we’re offering, not only to our own clients, but to any boat owner needing a wash down.

'We don’t know how long we’ll be saddled with Level 5 water restrictions, but bearing in mind that boats are a considerable investment, I’m sure people will come to realise the advantage of calling in the ‘Wash Tub’ from time to time.'