How do people do their water?

HoffaLives · #1 11-17-2007

And I don't mean pee -that's another thread -; I'm wondering if people have hooked their boats up directly to city water or do they use tanks and pressure pumps?

It has been a real learning for me as we use our water tanks and find we go through about 75 gallons in just over a week. I blame the wife - she has this obsession with cleanliness and showers every day. Rather Petite Bourgeois that.

k1vsk · #2 11-17-2007

A simple "T" onto the high pressure side of the 12V water pump hookup with a pressure reducer hull fitting and a back flow preventer on that side of the pump and you have all the watet you'd ever need. Just make sure to shut it off when you leave the boat.

Slooptattoo · #3 11-17-2007

Hoffa,
As a full time, long time live a board, I use dockside water normally. I have a hydrallic quick disconnect much like motor yachts use and immediately inside the lazerette where the connection is, I have a pressure regulator. I've found that the further north we travel the higher the water pressure. I have mine set to 30 psi and it seems to keep us pretty happy. The only thing you MUST do is to turn the dockside water off when you leave the boat. Even if it's a five minute trip, we turn it off and back on when we return. I don't turn the water heater off and I don't turn on the boat pressure pump. I keep my water tank (150 us gal) full and flush it once a month on a schedule to avoid stagnation. This is just FYI, but that's how we've been doing it for some time. The pressure regulator and the turning off of the water on departure is a must in our case. Murphy's law says that the plumbing lines will rupture as soon as I'm 1/4 mile away. Have a good Holiday!

Lion35 · #4 11-17-2007

I've always used my tank (100 US gal) but I've been thinking a lot about shoreside preasure water lately. I always thought it would take a routine like Slooptattoo, shuting of the water everytime you leave the boat. Let us know if you switch over and how unlimited H2O changes things for you.

xort · #5 11-17-2007

Because of the possibility of flooding the boat just when you turn your back, I prefer not to hook directly to city water feed.
Filling the tank regularly also keeps fresh water in rotation in the tank.
I make sure I run the hose for a few minutes before inserting into the tank fill.

jerryrlitton · #6 11-18-2007

I get a shot of single malt, pass a tumbler of water overhead and whisper water very softly, tossing it over my left shoulder. Then drink the scotch.

Jerry

Valiente · #7 11-18-2007

Try Irish single malt, Jerry. I recommend Redbreast Pot-distilled. Whisper uisge over it.

jerryrlitton · #8 11-18-2007

Hey buddy, hello from Chicago. I will try that but I may have more then a little difficulty pronouncing uisge. However after a few shots it will not matter much eh? By the way I just took a whirlwind tour of your western part of your beautiful country commencing in Tuktoyaktuk, St George, Kamloops then ending in Victoria, BC.

Jerry

jerryrlitton · #9 11-19-2007

If anyone is interested I took pictures from the helicopters between Tuktyaktuk and Victoria. Let me know if you want to see them.

Jerry

RandyonR3 · #10 11-19-2007

Hoffa
I've built a pretty cool setup for water, as we often leave the docks for months at a time.
I've installed 2 tanks, 50 gallons each. the inside water is pulled from the port tank. The other tank is fed from either the watermaker or outside fill. the water is transfered from starboard to port with a transfer pump.
The idea behind this is that at any time, we know we have at least 50 gallons of water. If away from the dock, we transfer the water and then turn the watermaker on... I feel we have more control on how we use the water.......