need help

[bcbirkhauser]

i feel like an idiot asking this, but I have searched and searched and can't find where the inlet is for my two water tanks. I have both fresh and a salt water tanks on my 1968 Bristol 29 and I can't find how to get water in there. If anyone knows where I should look, that'd be much appreciated. thanks.

[sailortjk1]

If there is not a deck plate, I would look for a filler cap/cover right on the tank. You would need to run a hose through your cabin to fill them.

[hellosailor]

"I have both fresh and a salt water tanks "
I've never heard of having a salt water tank on the boat, it sounds like you have two fresh water tanks and one of them has simply become contaminated.
Like tj said, it is not uncommon on smaller less expensive boats to pull a hose into the cabin and fill the tank directly. You need to access both tanks, and see what filler plates or hoses are on them. If there are no filler hoses...there's no fill from the deck.
Check the lines running out from the tanks, usually they are joined by a "t' or "y" fitting that runs to the galley & such.
Salt water tankage on a 29' boat? That would be *most* unusual.

[Faster]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"I have both fresh and a salt water tanks ".....
Salt water tankage on a 29' boat? That would be *most* unusual.

Agree with Hello that there is absolutely no need nor likelihood of a salt water tank on any boat.. If you need salt water, there's a world of it outside the hull - why would anyone lug it around?

In any event, clean them both out and use them for fresh water once you figure out the filling routine.

[TrueBlue]

Unless the boat was modified, 1968 Bristol 29s had a single 50 gal SS water tank installed BEFORE the fiberglass sole was installed - so removal requires some deconstruction. The B29 I looked at had an access hatch in the sole, through-hull vent and a deck fill plate . . . but no salt water tank.

[hellosailor]

Faster-
Well, if you were on a fresh water boat sailing inland, and you were having a problem with Triffids, you might *need* a saltwater tank on board to fight them.

It's so hard to be sure about these things.<G>

[Faster]

Hello: Right you are.. one can never be TOO prepared, I suppose <G>

[bcbirkhauser]

I appreciate all your help. ya, the whole salt water didn't make sense to me, but the guy i bought it from said it had one. All i know is it has two faucets, one with a whale on it, which I can only assume means saltwater after listening to the previous owner. He said he would wash with the saltwater and rinse with the fresh. go figure. I'll try and follow the hoses and see what i come up with. Thanks again for all your help.

[sailingfool]

Originally Posted by bcbirkhauser

I appreciate all your help. ya, the whole salt water didn't make sense to me, but the guy i bought it from said it had one. All i know is it has two faucets, one with a whale on it, which I can only assume means saltwater after listening to the previous owner. He said he would wash with the saltwater and rinse with the fresh. go figure. I'll try and follow the hoses and see what i come up with. Thanks again for all your help.

You should find one hand pump goes right to a thru hull, no tank at all, and will serve up whatever type of water you are floating in...Ths a common arrangement for minimizing the demand on the fresh water tank.

[TrueBlue]

Yep - what sailingfool said. In addition to a 140 gal fresh water tank, we have a salt water tap in our galley, which draws water from the ocean via either a PAR 12v pump, or a Whale manual foot pump - within the cabinet under the sink.