Killing aquatic life, without harming aquatic... oh

[Guest]

So, on old boat we stuck safely to prosecco, nosecco (for the minors) and the odd coffee. On new boat we may, potentially, for a week or so of 'dry' January, try drinking some water...

 

Tank is integral to boat and now reasonably clean-looking (big hatch lid like a gas locker as gas-free boat) with new-ish looking pale paint and we've removed the visible particulates from the tank. Looked at Aqua Clean tabs and decided they were too toxic for canal life to use to flush through the system. Not sure if there *is* a practical substance to add that is OK for wildlife? I mean, the whole point is to kill stuff in water...

 

Not against fitting a filter at some point but that isn't a 'top of list' job and would need someone to crawl into bows to get it 'before' the head for teeth washing etc so may need to get a boat rather than filter person to do.

So, thinking just to fill tank and run it straight through all taps a couple of times and have done?

 

Am quite OK with treating self to a new food grade hose (with what? little sandwich bags elastic taped over the nozzle when not in use?!?) simply for the joy of not having to clean up the decidedly scruffy garden one I have during winter months.

[WotEver]

There was a recent poll on here that showed the vast majority drinking the boat’s water either straight from the tank or via some kind of filter. Me and the missus did and we’re still here. 
 

Any treatment you used would be so diluted when it ended in the canal that it would do no harm to aquatic life. 

[mrsmelly]

Dry January!!! Not a hope, lifes too short. Use any hose and drink from tank. One of those cheap water filter jugs do a good enough job for the missus, for her tea but I use nowt for my water, not that I drink much.

[ditchcrawler]

Just now, mrsmelly said:

Dry January!!! Not a hope, lifes too short. Use any hose and drink from tank. One of those cheap water filter jugs do a good enough job for the missus, for her tea but I use nowt for my water, not that I drink much.

I like all of the points you made

[Guest]

Yep - I read that thread ? I'm planning to drink from it normally going forwards (on non-prosecco days) was just thinking what to do after it has been sat empty for a while/pressure washed/transported etc. Sort of like I've wiped all the cupboards out with vinegar before popping plates in but will probably never do that again!

 

Ooh, cross-posted. Yes, do have filter jug for use on land which can come with us. Boat fridge is smaller though (and sometimes I need coffee urgently so prefer to pre-filter) hence thought of installing a filter to taps later, later.

 

For anyone who thinks 'any' hose is fine... I'll swap you! (I may even swap with myself as garden hose on old boat significantly less oily/muddy/composty/etc but don't tell anyone on here that as I'm hoping someone will buy the old boat!)

Edited December 31, 2019 by TheMenagerieAfloat

[ditchcrawler]

I use a standard garden hose but I seal the ends after use and flush it before use. Its on a reel so I plug the end that normally plugs onto the tap onto the spout in the centre where the short hose goes.

[Guest]

I'm maybe getting too festive already (no water yet you see) but am struggling to visualise that... I have

 

Tap-> little plastic thing that goes over tap/into hose -> short mucky hose -> middle of reel -> 'some internal reel magic' -> long filthy hose -> pretty filthy spout

 

Are you making your hose into a circuit or just reversing the short bit? Am confused!

(And Happy New Year!)

[David Mack]

When filling attach the hose to the tap first, turn on the tap and allow water to run to waste for a while to flush any nasties in the hose out. While it is running, clean the outside of the tank end of the hose. Only then put the end of the hose into the tank filler.

[ditchcrawler]

40 minutes ago, TheMenagerieAfloat said:

I'm maybe getting too festive already (no water yet you see) but am struggling to visualise that... I have

 

Tap-> little plastic thing that goes over tap/into hose -> short mucky hose -> middle of reel -> 'some internal reel magic' -> long filthy hose -> pretty filthy spout

 

Are you making your hose into a circuit or just reversing the short bit? Am confused!

(And Happy New Year!)

I have a cassette hose reel with a crank handle on one side and the hose is wound up inside it and comes out through a slot at the bottom. On the end of the hose I have a Hozelock socket that I plug onto a screw adapter I put on the tap on the bank. The opposite side to the crank handle is a small spout, I have a short length of hose, about 1.5 M with another Hozelock socket that I plug onto that, the free end I stuff in the water filler hole on the boat. When I have finished I unplug the short length of hose, wind the hose back on the reel and plug the end of that long hose onto the spout coming out of the middle of the reel opposite the crank handle. Both ends of the long hose are now effectively joined together

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have a cassette hose reel with a crank handle on one side and the hose is wound up inside it and comes out through a slot at the bottom. On the end of the hose I have a Hozelock socket that I plug onto a screw adapter I put on the tap on the bank. The opposite side to the crank handle is a small spout, I have a short length of hose, about 1.5 M with another Hozelock socket that I plug onto that, the free end I stuff in the water filler hole on the boat. When I have finished I unplug the short length of hose, wind the hose back on the reel and plug the end of that long hose onto the spout coming out of the middle of the reel opposite the crank handle. Both ends of the long hose are now effectively joined together

Got it! Cunning plan, yes.

 

Thank you @David Mack also.

 

Happy New Year all

xx