Washdown pump/ mystery seacock

[MTurvey]

ok so our washdown pump hasn't worked since we bought the boat, and I started messing around trying to find out why. I can't even find the pump - I think it might be stuck behind the fuel tank (not sure -still haven't really crawled around) But here's a weird thing - I found a seacock that was turned off, but had a hose coming out of it. I thought - AHA here's why!! So I turned it on...nothing comes out of the pump. ok.... I keep fiddling around, and about an hour later I go to get some water out of the galley sink to make coffee, and it tastes like salt water.
what the heck?
I flushed out the water tank, turned off the seacock and refilled with fresh water and its fine... but what in the heck was that seacock for? I can't imagine anyone would want salt water to drink

[MTurvey]

got the washdown pump working. Success! But I still don't know what the deal is with the saltwater going into the freshwater tank - the only idea I have is that its to drain the water tank when you pull the boat out of the water?
I dunno.

[Paul]

That would be my guess

[wowzer52]

That makes sense to me too.

[k9th]

I'm not sure it makes "good" sense to put another through hull below the water line when you can dump it into the bilge & pump it overboard but it makes more sense than drinking salt water or lake water.

[Big D]

Only time I saw something like that was in a water maker installation. Perhaps there was one installed before, then removed?

[mhandley]

I have an '85 10 meter - its new to me.

There's a breaker on the 12 volt panel for washdown, but other than that, I have NO idea where it might be.

Can anyone help?

Mark