FRESH WATER BLADDERS

[Catigale]

It comes down to how much water you need, really,

Ive found I dont use more than 7 gallons on Cape for 7 days with crew of 3-4, so I put a 9 gallon hard tank up front (work in progress)

Putting in a 30 gallon tank takes up too much space and the weight is really becoming a problem too.

With the pressure systems - correct - you wire the pump through your fuse panel and then turn it on to use. At night, you would shut it off to prevent a leak from draining your tank. Its always good to have a days supply of secondary water when cruising anyway - we keep a couple of 2 gallon jugs (right from grocery store) under galley.

[RickJ]

Isle of Wong

Very drole ...

Puns on "wight" abound here, esp. names of local businesses, you become immune to it after a while. Latest is a property (real-estate to you americans) search site. There's a national UK one called "Rightmove", so we now have a local island one called ... "Wightmove" See what I mean?

Actually I'm thinking of renaming my boat "Wight way up". Then I can also write on it, upside down, "Other way up"

Cheers

[Wind of Freedom]

Catigale - you have always been so much help and I appreciate all of your writings on this site and your wisdom.

Thanks so much. Also, did I tell you that you look exactly like my older brother in that picture/avitar of yours ... you could be his twin!

Anyway, roger on the water consumption and I appreciate knowing that I'm thinking too big at 30 to 50 gal. ... not that that much water would fit in the spaces I'm looking at anyway. With the shower option, don't you think I would use more the 7 gals. for 3-4 people for 5 days???

Also, I don't know what type of water pump would be best to get the amount of pressure & flow I need ... centrifugal, diaphram ?? I'm planning on using the type of sprayer with the hose that pulls out that you see on a standard kitchen sink to wash dishes ... only one made for boating ... Thanks again!

[eric3a]

..

[Craig LaForce]

Hey Catigale,

How do you mount that tank you mentioned.
I have one that I bought and never used. Can you post a photo or something? Sounds way better than the blue reliance tank I use now. I have a little pressure water pump for the sink, but it loses prime a lot, and the blue tank is a pain to fill down below, a pain to remove when full, collects mold inside, etc. The PE tank mounted on the stern somewhere sounds a lot better. Is it mounted below deck in the aft cockpit or on the poop deck somehow?
THanks

Alternative to the flexible kind

I just scored a Todd 9 gallon PE water tank at the local WM discount table at half price (40 USD)

CHecking defender, they list it as discontinued, but I still see it at Jamestown

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... o?pid=6479

This is the largest tank I think that you can fit through the front seat on an and then mount on the 'shelf' next to the ballast valve FG out of the way - dimensions are 17x14x10

The next size up (13 gallon) wont go through the seat opening and also wont fit on the shelf

A 9 gallon tank is perfect for my cruising needs - in 7 days I have just used one of my 7 gallon reliant portable tanks and started on the second with 3.5 of us on board.
I carry 5 gallons of spring water in 2.5 gallon portable containers under the galley for cooking and drinking too. I like having water in a couple of different places in case there is a leak or contamination.

[Moe]

7 gallons for 5 days?
If you do everything using sea water maybe... Otherwise nowhere near enough. It's not even enough for drinking purposes.
If you use an electrical pump, there will be more waste than manual one.

We've done 5 days aboard the X using almost 10 gallons for TWO people, and except for coffee, this didn't include drinking.

Note this was on a Midwest freshwater lake with water unsuitable for bathing or washing dishes. We did this with a manual water pump and extreme water conservation, having only one two-quart shower each halfway through the stay, using baby wipes other days.

I'll attest that we use much more water with a pressure water system than we did with the X's manual pumps.

Growing up on the Gulf Coast, I know I'd want to shower off the salt spray pretty much daily before bed. Including drinking, I'd want at least 5 gallons PER DAY per COUPLE.

[Catigale]

On water consumption - the reason this is low is this is our house consumption, and not our total water usage.

Im basing this on three separate trips Ive taken to the cape with 3 crew for the SUN-SAT and 4 THURS-SUN....ergo my 3.5 crew for 7 days

On all three trips, I loaded two Reliant tanks (7 gallons each) and never got to the second one except on the third trip, when I switched on the last day, and maybe used a gallon from tank #2

We dont drink at all from those tanks. We carry separate bottled water drinks and juice boxes for that, as well as cold milk and lemonade from the cooler.

We take one shower each mid trip - for that I have one of the hot water pressurised showers that I bring fully charged - another 3 gallons of water on board maybe?

And finally, for cooking, we carry another 5 gallons of water (2x21/2) under the galley in grocery store water jugs. Here I am trying to ensure fresh water for cooking and also providing some redundancy to the supply in case of failure or contamination.

So adding it all up, we are consuming more like 15 gallons on the week cruise, plus drinking water.

I carry two of the 21/2 gallon collapsibles, so if I need to go get water on the Cape I can bring back a decent amount in one trip if Im running short

We dont have a pressure water system, and that does keep the usage down Im sure.

[James V]

I started using 2 gal per day and a salt water shower with a fresh rinse. Now I am down to 1 gal per day by washing dishes water in Salt water with a fresh water rinse. The water is clean here. If I had to carry water that I am using I think that 3 gal's pwer day would not be unresonable but 5 would be best per person. I have also never been farther than 2 days to fresh drink water.

[Bawgy]

Wind Of Freedom
No only does he look like your brother he looks like one of our news anchors here in NC
http://www.wral.com/rs/bio/1011886/
David Crabtree

[Craig LaForce]

Catigale,

Can you add some detail on the Todd tank mount at the rear of the boat?

THanks

[johnnyonspot]

Also, did I tell you that you look exactly like my older brother in that picture/avitar of yours ... you could be his twin!

My heartfelt sympathy to your brother.

[Gazmn]

Wind of Freedom,

Sorry I'm a little late to this & not to toot my own horn but This might be what you had in mind.

31 Gal Plastimo, triangle shaped housed in the V berth. Deck fill on starboard stripe. 5.7gpm johnson water pump used to power galley and head sinks. Also plumbed transom shower. I can switch the pump suction's inlet to raw water draw and have an unlimited supply to the transom shower/ washdown and galley faucet

[Craig LaForce]

Hey Catigale, I have a Todd tank and am interested in how you mounted it at the stern.

Can you provide any details? THanks

[Catigale]

Mine is up front Craig, right up against the forward bulkhead of the flotation compartment. I dont like the idea of breaching that space.

I just put eye straps into the bulkhead (backed with washers) and tied it in place. Its hard to take pix in there - also unpleasant this time of year.

I kept the fill below decks btw.

[Craig LaForce]

Thanks, I misunderstood.

The comment that it was next to ballast valve threw me, since I have a '97 and the only ballast valve I haved is at the stern. You must have meant the one at the front on the newer model.

Makes sense now.

Thanks