V berth water tank?

[fishstalker7]

All,

Thank you in advance for your thoughts!

I have a family of 5 and would like to go 72 hours without re-supplying water...to include a daily rinse off for cleanliness/clear the salt off (submarine shower style).

I checked every mod for the Macgregors to add water capacity to the boat. All seem to opt for under the rear berth.

It also seems easier to load the port side of the 26m with gear bags, coolers, etc (galley in rear position), versus the smaller, table-usage area of the starboard side.

It seems to me that with 24 gallons of fuel, a 60 hp outboard, 5 people (2 adults (150 lbs each), 3 kids from 50lb-100lbs each) in the cockpit area, weekend gear stowed in the rear berth/central part of the boat (cooler, drinking water (versus cooking/shower water in a tank), food, snorkeling gear, fishing gear, etc)...puts a lot of weight in the aft end of the boat...therefore you would want the extra weight of the water forward of the daggerboard or around the center of gravity (daggerboard area) and possibly on the starboard side???

I'm thinking of a water tank in the v-berth starboard storage area to balance the boat...BUT no one seems to put one there in the mods section??

What am I missing/don't know about this boat??

Any suggestions?

Anyone done as I propose (starboard v-berth)?

Thanks again for your thoughts, ideas and suggestions!

Respectfully,

David

PS the autopilot magnetic compass is located just starboard aft of the daggerboard trunk on my boat...thus the starboard forward table locker is unusable for bulk water storage as it would disrupt the magnetic field of the autopilot compass.

[Doug W]

I'm thinking of a water tank in the v-berth starboard storage area to balance the boat...BUT no one seems to put one there in the mods section??

I'm actually working on that mod right now. I've got two Reliant 7gallon tanks that I'm plumbing in. It's a tight fit but I have them in and fairly centered. I'll post pictures in the mod section when I'm done.

We sleep in the vberth so getting to that locker is a pain with the bedding made up. With that in mind, I'm also putting a thru-hull inlet so that I can fill the tanks from the outside with a hose.

Doug & Angie

[seahouse]

PS the autopilot magnetic compass is located just starboard aft of the daggerboard trunk on my boat...thus the starboard forward table locker is unusable for bulk water storage as it would disrupt the magnetic field of the autopilot compass.

Hi David - I assume it's a fluxgate compass - did the manual recommend somewhere that the water would interfere with it, or are you thinking about a metal tank, and/or fittings?

- Brian.

[Boblee]

Been a few in the vee berth area, not sure whether I put mine in there as there was changes made to the mod section that beat me and really haven't been there for years.
See if I can find some photo's.
First photo is of the aluminium tank roughed in and ready to have lid screwed down with a sikaflex gasket, this space is normally filled with polystyrene so removed enough to fit tank in making sure it would fit at each stage of manufacture.

Secind photo of tank with lid on and all crevices filled with loose or flowable foam to fill space and ready to have factory covers fitted to cover.

Third photo shows valve arrangement, two valves on left come from bottom of tanks back to aft valve arrangement and other tanks, these two valves serve as fillers and drains for one or both tanks, the other two are connected to the top of the tanks and serve as overflows/air relief vented to the ballast bowl when one or both vents the tank is full, they are at the top so if any salt water is in the bowl they can't suck salty? water.
If using one or both tanks the both valves for that tank/s need to be on if empty by closing all valves the space occupied by the tank reverts to positive flotation as it is then completely sealed.


These tanks are piped back to the valves and pump under the locker on the aft side of the galley and are connected to the inlet/outlet under the rear cockpit seat and the 150l (holds 100l) bladder under the rear bunk all tanks can be filled or emptied individually or together, the galley tap (faucet) has two filters a primary and a .5 micron which removes tastes and even mud.
Others have used a bladder but make sure you anchor it if you go that path, the pipe holes were also sealed eventually too.
Note each of these tanks holds a neat 50l (13 gals) which gives us 200l (52 gals )storage all up.

[Boblee]

Re the fluxgate we had plenty of metal and stuff in that space and nothing seemed to affect it and ours was there too.

[Wayne nicol]

very very slick cobber!!
nice mod.
think i will be looking into that!!

[Tomfoolery]

We sleep in the vberth so getting to that locker is a pain with the bedding made up. With that in mind, I'm also putting a thru-hull inlet so that I can fill the tanks from the outside with a hose.

My H340 had a 75 gallon tank with the water fill in the anchor rode locker. Since it's a water tight plug, with o-ring seal, it doesn't really matter where you put it, but in the locker keeps it out of sight. The tank vent was also in the bow, but through the hull, high up, near the numbers. The clamshell at the bow is one of two locker drains (the other is on the starboard side), and the small vent behind the registration sticker is the tank vent, oriented towards the back so it didn't scoop water when cutting big waves. I don't have any pics of the fill port in the locker, though.





Something to keep in mind, especially if you don't want to put more holes in the non-skid.

[Russ]

We have the same situation with too much weight in the aft, 24gal fuel, 70hp motor, lots of people, so adding water weight would only make the boat heavier there.
So the bow is where I chose to add more water weight.

Realize that our boats have a limited amount of capacity for extra weight. You will have to learn to conserve water. "Showering" with sea water and rinsing with fresh works well. Those solar sunshowers make a nice warm shower. Fill it at home.

We use 1 gal bottled water for drinking. It seems easier to deal with and tastes better. We refill portable bottles from the 1 gal we keep chilled.

It was a real battle between installing fixed tanks (even bladder tanks) and removable ones. Fixed tanks need flushing. You hope the marina hose is giving you clean water.
I went with the KISS system. I bought two 5gal jugs, plumbed them to a hose that feeds a pressure pump to the sink. When one tank runs out, we are halfway out of water. I put both of them under the v-berth lockers. They simply sit in there leaning against the hull. Never had a problem with them moving around or needing to be strapped down.
If I were going longer, I might add more jugs. The weight in the bow helps the boat's performance.

I drilled out the jug valve and stuck a thin hose to the bottom of the jug. My freshwater supply tube fits over the thinner tube. Easy to remove and move to the other jug.

No need for venting. There is enough slop in the jug to vent. Nothing has ever spilled. I fill them from my house and bring them to the boat. I have a $50 garden cart to wheel them down the dock. Trusted water source and easy to rinse the jugs each week.

Simple works for me.



--Russ

[RobertB]

Secind photo of tank with lid on and all crevices filled with loose or flowable foam to fill space and ready to have factory covers fitted to cover.

Third photo shows valve arrangement, two valves on left come from bottom of tanks back to aft valve arrangement and other tanks, these two valves serve as fillers and drains for one or both tanks, the other two are connected to the top of the tanks and serve as overflows/air relief vented to the ballast bowl when one or both vents the tank is full, they are at the top so if any salt water is in the bowl they can't suck salty? water.
If using one or both tanks the both valves for that tank/s need to be on if empty by closing all valves the space occupied by the tank reverts to positive flotation as it is then completely sealed.

Once the tank is installed, how do you get to the tank fittings? I would think any plumbing fittings, especially ones with flex hose should be accessible.

[Doug W]

very very slick cobber!!
nice mod.
think i will be looking into that!!

Agreed! Very impressive mod!

I'm doing something similar to what Russ has done.

Doug

[Russ]

It has been said that pressure water wastes a lot more water. This is probably true, however I have a hard time washing my hands while I pumped the faucet.
With a pressure system and a faucet, you can set the flow to very slow while rinsing. I'm sure it wastes more, but I also rarely open it full blast.
My next mod is to find a way to have a stronger drain in the sink. This will probably require a larger hull exit.

My first attempt was a pump and faucet with switch. That seemed to waste a lot of water. It was either on full or off. The pressure pump sucks water out of the plastic jug perfectly. I'm amazed at how simple this works. I borrowed the jug idea from Duane Dunn on this forum. Love this forum.

--Russ

[Boblee]

Robert the only ones not accesible are the four at the tank, the hose is not so much flexible as a drinking quality hose and this is important or you get the taste but the double filter takes that out anyway.
The hose connections to fittings are made with stainless wire and a tool I picked up at a marine show and have never had one fail yet but yes if there is a failure it would mean draining the tank and literally cutting it out of the polystyrene but only the sides as the bottom is not glued etc.
From memory the hoses there are silastik'd around the fitting and around the edge of the hose, I really don't think they will fail and I really hope they don't fail there is very little pressure involved except when tank is being filled and when full (18"? head).
Re the sink drain we made ours bigger and it works providing care is taken to make sure there is a constant slope, ours exits into the locker below near the aft end of the galley not where std but needs replacing as the flexible hose I used has a problem..
We need the water as we are 2-3 weeks without any means of replentishing but when travelling or a supply is available we usually only have 20l in the tank at a time and carry a spare in the truck although with the higher rated trailer this is not so important.
We can use muddy water if that is all thats available and the filters will clean it up very well with no taste but will not take salt out.

[kurz]

Ok, why it is a must, that the tank has exactly be where the solid flotation is?

In relativ small boat you just want save storage space?!

Why not taking out the solid foam under the vbirth an store lightwaghted things in these whaterproof things?
So you stoere the things in these sacs make it full of air, close it and store it where the solid foam was.
And put the tank somerwhere else. So just have benefits?

[Boblee]

Don't know about others but my tanks are all in normaly unused places eg under the vee berth right at the bow and under the rear berth the only part of our water system in a usable area is the two filters at the rear of the gally and they don't have much displacement and the pump under the galley locker which also takes up little space.
We have never used all our storage so someone using these boats normally would have no drama.

[topcat0399]

We try and have enough water on board to last2 weeks for the 2 of us.
About 20 gallons does it. I put in an electric pump but that was
a serious water/electrical waster so we got a Whale Foot pump.
Its perfect. Right amount of water hands/electric free.

I have 3 five gallon hard plastic jugs under the Vberth that JUST fit while
keeping all flotation. It works but having jugs in there so tight its a hassle
switching jugs when the vberth is made up.

Someday we hope to do a bladder I'm thinking.

And to think many worry about keeping water out of the boat.