What to do about Water? tankage, requirements, watermakers.... etc.

[hearsejr]

kewl deal..I'll be looking out for ya. lol. I'll be the one who bangs on your hull one day asking for a cup of water. lol.

[hearsejr]

 ok, I will have about 20 gal of water, in plastic jugs, for now, and one of those blue filters for RVs from walmart.  I figure I can go ashore and fill them from a hose. useing just my dingy.
also I will just get 2 of the gal., bug sprayers for now and get something better in a few months..once I find out what will work. I also might get one of the solar shower things. I found one that's pretty cheap.
any other ideas?
thanks,
  Bill

[s/v Faith]

I was using one of those blue RV filters, they do seem to help the taste of the water (we also use a brita).

One thing I read that made sense was to be mindful about using those filters when filling large quantity water
tanks... the article suggested they have activated charcoal that might decrease the chlorine content to the point it would be more friendly for "wee beasties".

[skylark]

How to take a bath with a bucket of water...

http://www.gadling.com/2007/05/26/how-to-take-a-bath-in-half-a-bucket-of-water/

[hearsejr]

 kewl
I have been adding bleach to my water, so if I use the blue filter and then ad bleach will it help or should I look for other ways to kill the bugs?
I'm thinking about getting those big blue water jerry cans. I think 4 of those would be easier to move and carry around then a bunch of the things I am now useing.

Thanks for the tip on the bucket bathing. I hope next sept to be in a place where I can jump over board and bath then rinse off on the deck. lol
  oh yeah I gotta learn fast..25days till I am in the yard then looking at maybe 20 days of work and I'm gone. lol.

[Capt. Tony]

One thing I read that made sense was to be mindful about using those filters when filling large quantity water tanks... the article suggested they have activated charcoal that might decrease the chlorine content to the point it would be more friendly for "wee beasties".

That's a very good point, Craig.  All to often we are disapointed by the 'chlorine taste' in our water yet it is is an easy way to keep a safe water supply. 

I've cobbled together filters for work in the past that utilized a sediment prefilter and then a carbon block filter.  They worked to remove particulates, chloramines and other offending 'tastes' in the water.  One could easily fabricate one of those to use at the hose end when filling.  Then dose the onboard tanks with chorine at the appropriate rate and then use another carbon filter (block or Brita or both) on the end before use.

One can't be too cautious when it comes to cooties. ;D

[Chattcatdaddy]

As I was surfing the net last night I ran across the website of the guy who did a circumnavigation on a tiki 21. I would post the website but I`m at work ant cannot connect to the site to get the exact address. Anywho, he had a unique water storage solution for such a small vessel... 50 1.5 liter soda bottles! As I glanced over that little detail I just couldn`t figure out why he didn`t have a installed tank. Granted a Tiki 21 is pretty spartan on space, but I`m sure something could have been fabricated. Then as I was laying down to sleep it hit me! I was in a "mono" frame of mind trying to figure out how "I" would place a bunch of little bottles around a small boat. In case some of you do not know a Tiki 21 is a catamaran and moveable weight would be pretty important to balance the hulls. Not that this would help anyone solve a water tank issue I just thought it was an interesting simple soluntion for his particular boat.

[hearsejr]

I can get the bottle water by the case of20 oz bottle for $3, and stuff them in the cubby holes all over the boat and I would not evern put a dent in the un used hiding places. lol.  these bottles seem a tad flimsy though. I refilled them at home in the past and reused them but I'm not sure how long they will hold though.
I'll try it and see. lol.

[Chattcatdaddy]

I can get the bottle water by the case of20 oz bottle for $3, and stuff them in the cubby holes all over the boat and I would not evern put a dent in the un used hiding places. lol.  these bottles seem a tad flimsy though. I refilled them at home in the past and reused them but I'm not sure how long they will hold though.
I'll try it and see. lol.

It would seem that the bottles are kinda flimsy and would not hold up over time. Maybe get a bulk buy on the personal water bottles everyone seems to carry around these days! ;D With the right shape they could be easily stacked. Would make a nice picture trying to get them all in the dingy for a refill! ;D

Here is a source http://www.discountmugs.com/nc/category/sports-bottles/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Water%2BBottles%2B-%2BNS%2BBroad&gclid=CNjsrdzi96cCFcrt7Qodaxj_rA

[hearsejr]

 hehehehe I'll stick to the bigger gallon  jugs and the jerry cans..lol.maybe buy the case of 20 oz bottles to use as I start to get low on the jugs. not sure I want to try a fill 50 of the them things up every time I go ashore..lol.

well it looks like I'll be delaying my departure date. I got asked to help bring a friends boat up the East coast here shortly..lol.  ;D  ;D  ;D

[s/v Monomoy]

Here are some additional "conservation" numbers.  We are a family of four and we use AT MOST 5 gallons TOTAL per day.  That's cooking, drinking and 'showers.'

When required, we can definitely cut back on water by washing dishes in saltwater and rinsing in fresh, using paper/plastic, limiting showers to maybe a rinse down, etc., but we couldn't do that every day. 

Our water breakdown for reasonable use, meaning turn water off in shower while soaping, etc...

Tea/Koolaid/Coffee: 1.5 gallons/day
Drinking Water for two adults, one child, and a dog (body needs a lot of this, especially when dehydrating in the summer sun): 3.5 gallons/day
Washing dishes (breakfast/lunch/dinner with no paper/plastic used): 2 gallons/day
Showering: 2 gallons (male), 3.5 gallons (female with lots of hair), 1 gal (boy), 1 gal (dog who swims in saltwater a lot) - total showering 7.5 gallons per day

We drink a lot of water and showering is our biggest consumption.  We carry 80 gallons of water, so we can get right at a week away from dock before needing more water, but work rarely lets us get away for more than a week anyway.  When we do get away for two weeks, then we cut back to make our water last, but I don't see how we could cut back to 5 gallons total for the day with as much water as we drink especially in the summer months.

[s/v Monomoy]

I should also add that we have electric (12v) pressure water on the boat coming from a ~3 gallon per minute pump.  It's real easy to burn through water with an electric pump.  Washing hands and brushing teeth also use water through the day and is included in our overall calculations. 

[Captain Smollett]

Thanks for the discussion, Monomoy.  I think real-world numbers are ALWAYS helpful.

Couple of points below intended in the spirit of discussion and comparison, NOT criticism.

Washing dishes (breakfast/lunch/dinner with no paper/plastic used): 2 gallons/day

We wash breakfast and dinner dishes for four and use around 2 quarts per day.  We don't tend to use dishes for lunch (sandwiches and fruit is a typical lunch).

Showering: 2 gallons (male), 3.5 gallons (female with lots of hair), 1 gal (boy), 1 gal (dog who swims in saltwater a lot) - total showering 7.5 gallons per day

2 gallon pump up sprayer gives us 2-3 showers without loss of comfort.  Last year, I gave this "idea" for showering to a friend to try out ... he was looking at 'simplification strategies'... and he commented to me that he was amazed that he and his daughter could each get a shower from 2 gallons, with, in his words, "nothing missed, no loss of comfort."  So, there's statistics of "two" at least.   ;)

It is, of course, personal choice, but we don't feel the need to full-on shower every day.  Between swimming and sponge bathing (and that Peace Corps bucket technique looks VERY interesting), and the technique of the 'three baby wipes,' I think we manage to stay clean while stretching the water use.

I should also add that we have electric (12v) pressure water on the boat coming from a ~3 gallon per minute pump.  It's real easy to burn through water with an electric pump.

Yes, therein lies the ultimate difference.  We are not really using water a whole lot differently (though we mostly use jugs and bottles for drinking, not out of the tank) than you, but we have no electric pump and thus no "running" water.

The pump up sprayers are VERY conducive to conservation.

[hearsejr]

 I to drink water..lot's of water, and if it is cold, man I'd be set for lifde. lol.  I recently come to find out I have a huge watr tank built in up fron, and if I add another tank and a good filter system I could carry 50 gal. of drinking water, and 50 gal of of just fresh water for what ever I'll need. I plan on paper plates and plastic silverware.  this way I'd save some water. I have stacks of paper plate from the state when I got some of the surplus poop...I got like 900 of them along with the plastic silverware!
  I'm looking turning my ice box in to water.  it doesn't have much insulation, it's hard as heck to reach anything in near bottom. 

[CharlieJ]

Nice to have plenty of water, but do remember- water is 8 pounds per gallon. Your two 50 gallon tanks is 800 pounds. Add another 20 gallons here and there and you are close to half a ton, just in water.

You'll probably be adding another ton in gear- anchors and rodes, clothing, books, charts, electronics, books, what have you. Plus your own weight.

Tehani has a dry displacement of 5300 pounds ( per the specs) and we figure her at 7500 fully loaded at the start of a cruise, or when we have just fully supplied. And that may be a tad low ;)

Not saying it's wrong for you or your boat- just something to bear in mind. Things have to be kept in balance.

And on your paper plates and plastic silverware-How much space do you have to store bags of trash? It isn't always a simple thing to get rid of. Many keys in the Bahamas already are loaded with their OWN trash- they really won't want yours.

[hearsejr]

 yep I hear ya.
my boat was said in the specs to have a draft of 5' 5"...but I descovered the draft to be just about 6'. it doesn't sound like a lot but it sure makes a diffrence when you find a shallow spot. lol.
   I think the specs said the boat displaces 8500lbs but I think thtat's a little under stated.

[s/v Monomoy]

Thanks for the discussion, Monomoy.  I think real-world numbers are ALWAYS helpful.

I do appreciate your reply.

My other thought on the matter is that our holding tank will only get us about a week, so we have to enter port for a pump out anyway and might as well fill the water tank while we're at it.  We do have a macerator pump for overboard discharge, but rarely find ourselves over three miles out in open water for an extended period.

[Captain Smollett]

Of the s/v Kolohe, an Alberg 30 that recently completed the passage from San Diego to Hawaii, skipper Don had this to say about the water tankage/use (quoted from a longer post on the Alberg 30 Mailing List):

We have a 30 gallon tank in the V-berth. An additional 30 gallons was stored in
lockers under the settee seats; those were a variety of plastic bottles and jugs
ranging from a mere 8 oz bottle up to 2.5 gallon jug and a few sizes in between.
We added flavored powders to the bottles as we used them, propel, crystal light,
etc.
We also had a flat of soda and tetra packs of chocolate milk, 25 one quart packs
of UHT milk for cereal and baking. (I Bake a lot of muffins, cakes, and brownies
offshore, major morale boosters).
Cooking evening meals with a pressure cooker and the liquids from the canned
meats and veggies helped reduce water ( and propane) needs. We use about a
gallon of water per day for three people. I always carry enough water for sixty
days and in a pinch that can be extended by survival rationing if need be.

(emphasis added)

Their passage was 26 days.

[hearsejr]

26 days...so that would be 26 gal, for the trip, right? that sounds pretty good. I figure add half more for me for that same trip and I'll be close to the real number I'll use, till I learn more about how to save my resources. lol.
  Thanks.

[s/v Faith]

I have been saving the bladders out of the boxes of wine for a few months now...

... who was I saving these for again?

I am pretty much tripping over these things where ever I turn now. Who was asking for them?

(Please answer before I am covered and smothered by them)