Dry storage, raw water system for marine vehicles

Abstract

A system for use with a Luxury Boat, when the Luxury Boat is in Temporary Dry Storage involves a sensor is configured to sense a trigger signal from a boat-based pump controller indicating that raw water is to be pumped to at least one Auxiliary System and send a signal to a second controller that will cause the second controller to start a pump, external to the Luxury Boat, pumping antifreeze from a reservoir to at least one Auxiliary System on the Luxury Boat in Temporary Dry Storage. An associated method is also disclosed. A system involving a a raw water collar that forms a seal against a hull of a Luxury Boat about a scoop strainer of the Luxury Boat through which raw water can be supplied when the Luxury Boat is in Temporary Dry Storage is also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a Dry Storage Lift;   a pump, coupled to the Dry Storage Lift, and having a raw water inlet and raw water outlet;   a raw water collar is coupled to the raw water outlet and has a peripheral edge configured to be able to form a seal against a hull of a Luxury Boat about a scoop strainer of the Luxury Boat,   wherein the scoop strainer is an inlet for raw water used to cool an Auxiliary System of the Luxury Boat when the Luxury Boat is not on the Dry Storage Lift and a portion of the hull containing the scoop strainer is submerged within a body of water;   wherein the pump is located external to the Luxury Boat;   wherein, when the Luxury Boat is on the Dry Storage Lift in Temporary Dry Storage and the raw water collar engages the hull and forms the seal against the hull, the pump is controlled to provide raw water to the scoop strainer of the Luxury Boat, via the raw water collar.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the raw water collar comprises a bladder, associated with the Dry Storage Lift, wherein the bladder is moveable between a first position and a second position;
 wherein, in the first position, the bladder will be sealingly engaged with the hull such that a periphery of an edge of the bladder will surround the scoop strainer, and   wherein, in the second position, the bladder will be disengaged from the hull.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first controller, on the Luxury Boat and associated with the Auxiliary System; and 
 a second controller, different from the first controller, associated with the pump. 
 
     
     
         4 . A system for use with a Luxury Boat, when the Luxury Boat is in Temporary Dry Storage, the system comprising:
 a pump, external to the Luxury Boat in Temporary Dry Storage, the pump having an associated inlet and outlet;   a reservoir of antifreeze, wherein the inlet of the pump is within the reservoir of antifreeze;   a hose having a first end being coupled to the raw water outlet and a second end configured to matingly couple to a connector on the Luxury Boat that is coupled to at least one Auxiliary System of the Luxury Boat;   a controller coupled to the pump external to the Luxury Boat;   a sensor coupled to a boat-based pump controller on the Luxury Boat, wherein the boat-based pump controller is used to control pumping of raw water to the at least one Auxiliary System on the Luxury Boat; and   wherein the sensor is configured to sense a trigger signal from the boat-based pump controller indicating that raw water is to be pumped to the at least one Auxiliary System and send a signal to the controller that will cause the controller to start the pump external to the Luxury Boat pumping antifreeze from the reservoir to the at least one Auxiliary System on the Luxury Boat in Temporary Dry Storage via the hose.   
     
     
         5 . A method for use with a Luxury Boat, when the Luxury Boat is in Temporary Dry Storage, the method comprising, at a first time:
 coupling a pump that is external to the Luxury Boat to a reservoir of antifreeze;   sensing a trigger signal from a boat-based pump controller at a controller for the pump that is external to the Luxury Boat, when the Luxury Boat is in Temporary Dry Storage, such that the pump that is external to the Luxury Boat will pump the antifreeze from the reservoir through an Auxiliary System of the Luxury Boat to a discharge port of the Luxury Boat; and   plugging the discharge port so that antifreeze remains in at least the Auxiliary System of the Luxury Boat.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein, at a second time occurring after the plugging, the method comprises:
 unplugging the discharge port; 
 coupling the pump that is external to the Luxury Boat when the Luxury Boat is in Temporary Dry Storage to a source of raw water; 
 sensing a new trigger signal from the boat-based pump controller at the controller for the pump that is external to the Luxury Boat such that the pump that is external to the Luxury Boat will pump raw water through the Auxiliary System of the Luxury Boat to flush antifreeze from within the Auxiliary System of the Luxury Boat out through the discharge port of the Luxury Boat.