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ohdrinkboy · 31-12-2020, 06:50

I've heard these work well for short term use. Cheap, and stow small when not in use.

https://smartbottleinc.com/product/5...BoCtA4QAvD_BwE

chris mac · 31-12-2020, 10:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohdrinkboy

I've heard these work well for short term use. Cheap, and stow small when not in use.

https://smartbottleinc.com/product/5...BoCtA4QAvD_BwE

We actually have some of those, we fill them as emergency backup for multi day crossing.
They are pretty strong but awkward to move around. They store very small and easy

Amapola · 01-01-2021, 09:42

We got terrible water from Marsh Harbour Marinas in the past. Not fit to drink. PPM numbers over 1000.

zemurray · 01-01-2021, 20:32

As sailors I think we should consider how much plastic is going in the ocean and think about the huge environmental impact of consuming mass quantities of bottled water. Perhaps you could clean your tanks out, get a filter if you really want, and drink out of the tanks too! Most people in the world drink water in much less desirable conditions than we have. We cleaned our tanks out when we got our boat with a cup of bleach, and visually inspected them. They were perfectly fine before we sanitized them, but did it anyway. We dont allow plastic water bottles on our boat. Reusable 5 gallon jerry cans for additional capacity are an exception.

sailorboy1 · 02-01-2021, 04:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaintedKite

We will be cruising the Bahamas for 3-4 weeks in Feb/Mar '21, and we're wondering about the availability, generally, of good, potable water.

We're on a 37' boat with plenty of storage and no watermaker. And we generally don't drink from the tanks, reserving that water for cooking, flushing, showering, etc. So it'll be bottled water for drinking.

The two of us generally drink about a gallon of water (plus beer, sodas, Pellegrino, wine, etc) per day.

What I'd LIKE to be able to do is to leave FL with half our total requirement (say, 15 gallons) pre-purchased, then get the other half along the way, in the form of buying bottles, refilling our bottles, catching rainwater, etc.

So whaddya say? Is this feasible? Or are we better-off making it a priority to pre-purchase a greater % of our total requirement?

If you are going to spend you boat life afraid of the water in your water tanks why don't you just get a Brita type water pitcher/filter and refill your drinking bottles?

sailjumanji · 02-01-2021, 05:38

Clean up your onboard water tank to the point that it is usable for drinking water.

Look at your expected voyage and compare with Explorer charts notes on where potable water is available. Its not readily available everywhere, but with planning you can make it work. But that will likely include hauling some 5 gal jugs back to the boat, or frequent marina stops.

PaintedKite · 02-01-2021, 08:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

If you are going to spend you boat life afraid of the water in your water tanks why don't you just get a Brita type water pitcher/filter and refill your drinking bottles?

This question springs from a false premise. We drink from bottles in order to increase our total on-board water capacity, not because we're "afraid of" water in the tanks. The tanks empty plenty fast enough from flushing, cooking, clean-up, hand-washing, etc. Since we have lots of interior storage, it makes sense to bring bottled drinking water and re-use then recycle the bottles.

It's a volume/capacity management measure, not a fear of the sanitation of the tanks.

rslifkin · 02-01-2021, 09:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaintedKite

This question springs from a false premise. We drink from bottles in order to increase our total on-board water capacity, not because we're "afraid of" water in the tanks. The tanks empty plenty fast enough from flushing, cooking, clean-up, hand-washing, etc. Since we have lots of interior storage, it makes sense to bring bottled drinking water and re-use then recycle the bottles.

It's a volume/capacity management measure, not a fear of the sanitation of the tanks.

In that situation, is there any reason not to just carry 5 gallon jerry cans of extra water to transfer into the tanks? Those are also useful for collecting water when you can't just run a hose to the boat.

zemurray · 02-01-2021, 19:46

^^ Exactly. I carry 3 extra 5 gallon jugs that are reusable and just dump them in the water tank when there is room. You will reduce your plastic consumption by tons, eliminate a lot of trash you need to carry around on the boat, and save money.

https://www.amazon.com/Scepter-04933...645534&sr=8-27

PaintedKite · 03-01-2021, 12:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by rslifkin

In that situation, is there any reason not to just carry 5 gallon jerry cans of extra water to transfer into the tanks?

We do that, for sure.
The only "catch" is my microbiologist wife/first mate telling me constantly how fast algae will bloom in that water because the filling was not performed under sterile conditions.

rslifkin · 03-01-2021, 12:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaintedKite

We do that, for sure.
The only "catch" is my microbiologist wife/first mate telling me constantly how fast algae will bloom in that water because the filling was not performed under sterile conditions.

If they're cleaned out first and filled with chlorinated tap water and then closed tightly, the water stays fresh for a while. A couple drops of bleach will give it more time.

PaintedKite · 03-01-2021, 23:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by rslifkin

If they're cleaned out first and filled with chlorinated tap water and then closed tightly, the water stays fresh for a while. A couple drops of bleach will give it more time.

Yes, that's the counter-argument I usually offer.

Merriweather · 12-01-2021, 16:58

We have a 70 gallon water tank that we use for everything but drinking water and if we are careful it lasts a little over a week with 2 adults. For drinking water we now have an amazing water maker that makes 70 gallons of reverse osmosis water in a few hours. Before we had our water maker, we used tough plastic 2 gallon jugs (5 of them) and they lasted about one week as well. We never bought plastic water bottles because they make so much trash and trash can be hard to get rid of in some cruising areas.

Mickeyrouse · 28-01-2021, 06:39

It’s hard to say how our internal gut-bacterial systems may have evolved in 500 years, but I would recall to you how the early explorers didn’t complain of the water going bad until they had been at sea two or three months. Sterile water fill conditions? Ha. Wooden water casks? You bet. Bleach? Whazzat? They did use vinegar to “sweeten” the hold ( imagine what was in THAT bilge water).
When my wife and I were out for a couple years, we topped up our 110 gallon tanks about every two weeks. We knew it was time to re-fill when we needed to open the forward water tank valve which we would immediately close when full. It told us what our safety margin was. We used our water supply for cooking, dish washing, drinking, and the occasional spritz shower. (Definitely impacts romance). We drank more water when in Cuba and South Florida, less when in Maine- no surprise.
We never noticed any signs of deteriorated water supply, especially any stomach or intestinal discomfort. We did not add any bleach, though when we go out again this spring we’ll probably take that precaution. We’ll probably use more bottled water, which I dislike for all the obvious reasons.
Consumption patterns will vary boat to boat. Some cook with as much seawater as possible. Some do laundry from on-board supply- a washing machine impacts water use hugely. Personal consumption varies. Some cruisers indicate as much as one gallon per day per person drinking water (REALLY flushed kidneys), others much less. If you’re a beer drinker, that certainly impacts water consumption- and more work for the kidneys involved.
I also encourage going over the water system checking for tiny drips. Hose clamps need to be checked over time and hoses do crack at the edges or chafe. A tiny leak may not be noticeable, and the extra bilge pump activity may not stand out either, but even a slow drip adds up over a couple weeks. And be sure faucets are sound as well.
We once had a lengthy episode of the water pressure pump clicking over every three or four minutes- a tell-tale sign of a leak in the pressurized part of the system. I tore the galley apart repeatedly looking for that leak. I finally surrendered, and got the service department of the boat builder involved when we visited it’s launch home. Turns out a previous owner had installed a fresh-water wash down faucet in a hidden spot in the lazarrete. It had developed a slow drip. It kept cordage damp that was stowed there, but not enough to make bilge pump cycling from the slow drip at the stuffing box seem any more than usual.