Increasing water storage capacity

[booke23]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

 

A tank about 2' wide x 6' long down the centreline under the bed doesn't make the boat list, and depending on depth will hold something like 400l -- the 2' wide space behind it can be used for storage.

 

On my boat, add that to a 500l bow tank and for sure the bows drop a couple of inches between empty and full... 😉

 

That may well be, but when you're retrofitting as in the OP's case certain limitations come into play. In my case there are drawers under the bed on my boat which means the tank would have to go in the space behind the drawers along the port side which would result in a list. 

[IanD]

51 minutes ago, booke23 said:

 

That may well be, but when you're retrofitting as in the OP's case certain limitations come into play. In my case there are drawers under the bed on my boat which means the tank would have to go in the space behind the drawers along the port side which would result in a list. 

 

Retrofitting anything big is always a PITA... 😞

[booke23]

6 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

Retrofitting anything big is always a PITA... 😞

 

True.....and expensive when you get into rebuilding beds etc. Which is why I ultimately abandoned the idea myself. 

[LadyG]

9 hours ago, cheesegas said:

They have a watermaker - an appliance to desalinate sea water. Small sailing boats couldn’t possibly have the space to store all the water you need for a long passage otherwise. 

Oh?...... I don't think you read up on the early pioneers of round the world sailing.

Water makers are relatively hi tech, it's the demand by larger crews that requires water makers. 

So, people have been known to harvest rainfall, how do you think the Polynesians managed?

[romanyrose]

They had nuts

[manxmike]

On 17/01/2024 at 20:08, romanyrose said:

They had nuts

nuts, whole hazel nuts - ugh, cadbury take them and they cover them in chocolate!

[DandV]

On 18/01/2024 at 08:42, LadyG said:

Oh?...... I don't think you read up on the early pioneers of round the world sailing.

Water makers are relatively hi tech, it's the demand by larger crews that requires water makers. 

So, people have been known to harvest rainfall, how do you think the Polynesians managed?

I was once given the specifications to construct and to operate a hot water shower for off shore cruising.

Given to me by a very experienced off shore solo sailor, so he was a bit odd anyway.

 

A design that was evidently well proven by numbers in the offshore cruising community.

Start with an empty 1 litre plastic milk bottle.

Drill a 5/32 hole in the middle of the screw cap, the diameter was evidently crucial.

 

To use boil a cup of water. (or was it half a cup? can't remember)

Top off with cold water.

(I don't know why you just did not heat 1litre of water to the correct temperature)

 

Squirt  half the contents with soap around targetted areas of the body.

Squirt the remainder to rinse off the soap.

 

So a 300l tank should be able to shower 300 people.

 

Never tried it though. Only had a metric drill set. 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, DandV said:

I was once given the specifications to construct and to operate a hot water shower for off shore cruising.

Given to me by a very experienced off shore solo sailor, so he was a bit odd anyway.

 

A design that was evidently well proven by numbers in the offshore cruising community.

Start with an empty 1 litre plastic milk bottle.

Drill a 5/32 hole in the middle of the screw cap, the diameter was evidently crucial.

 

To use boil a cup of water. (or was it half a cup? can't remember)

Top off with cold water.

(I don't know why you just did not heat 1litre of water to the correct temperature)

 

Squirt  half the contents with soap around targetted areas of the body.

Squirt the remainder to rinse off the soap.

 

So a 300l tank should be able to shower 300 people.

 

Never tried it though. Only had a metric drill set. 

 

 

 

 

Use something very similar when  camping. A 'shower head' that screws onto a typical water bottle (500ml, 1 litre or 2 litre)

If you dont want to heat the water using gas etc, then just leave the bottle lying in the Sun - if possible on a dark cloth.

 

Designed for watering plants - 3 for £1 on ebay

 

 

[blackrose]

I once had a shower on a deserted French canal towpath while travelling on a friend's sailing boat, using a pump up garden sprayer filled with hot water. It worked quite well.

 

[nb Innisfree]

With Innisfree I had 2 baffled polypropylene tanks made (6'.5' x 2' x 1'each) and installed them lengthwise under the dining area/bed. Midships one was used mainly, water was added gradually to 2nd (stbd) to counter balance holding tank (port) as it filled up.

Centre tank was filled from the roof via a large dia pipe and standard flat filler cap. Tops of both tanks were vented outside of boat just below gun whale height via 2 large dia pipes to minimise hydraulic pressure to top of tanks. 

 

All a bit complicated plumbing wise but it doubled our capacity to 1400 lts (2 of us used 45 lt per day each) realistically we could go 2 weeks between fillups (generous use) but could easily double that. Also boat could be kept on an even keel. 

 

Edited February 16 by nb Innisfree
Cocked up volume (fading memory!)

[magnetman]

2 hours ago, blackrose said:

I once had a shower on a deserted French canal towpath while travelling on a friend's sailing boat, using a pump up garden sprayer filled with hot water. It worked quite well.

 

 

Yes. Hozelock hanging basket watering device can work as can a fire extinguisher full of water pumped up with a tyre compressor or bike pump. 

 

The ideal thing in a way is a stainless fire extinguisher. Hang it over a fire to warm it up. 

 

 

[Tacet]

I recall being taken to the municipal slipper baths on a couple of occasions while boating.  No recollection of where - and they all seem to have closed now.