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How big is your water tank?


BarnOwl

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Hi guys,

 

Firstly, would like to say this may be my first post, but it comes after many hours delving through the fine advice which has been offered out to others, so thanks to all... your help has been invaluable so far!

 

I've been looking for a live aboard for a while now and think I've come across something that looks the business for me... however the water capacity, through 2 plastic tanks, totals only 100 gallons which strikes me as pretty small in comparison to a lot of other boats I've looked at. I've lifted up the plate on the well deck and taken a look, and it might be roomy enough to accommodate something a bit bigger.

 

I know it is a bit of 'how long is a piece of string' as to how much water you use but given I won't be running a washing machine, and theres' just me, do you think the tank size will be sufficient to last longer than a few days? It would be good to know what sizes other live aboarder's have, and generally how long they can stretch them out for!

 

This forum has been soooo useful, so thank you!

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Our tank is basically just the whole front of the boat so there's no seperate tank as such... Plastic or stainless steel... Not sure the size though. There's 4.54 litres to a gallon tho so that's around 450 litres??? I know of boats I think that have 1000+ litre tanks. Not sure if I'm exactly right with that though. Someone more in the know should be along shortly to advise better than me!

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My tank is 300 litres, this is on the small side for a liveaboard.

Just me on the boat, showering every day (and I am not particularly frugal about my showers- I don't turn the water off while I wash my hair etc!) washing up as needed and giving the cats water from the tank but not drinking it myself, I get 5- 6 days use out of the tank. This does not include using my little washing machine, which I only do when I can fill the tank up again right after.

Edited by Starcoaster
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I also have an integral tank, meaning that the hull sides/baseplate are also the walls of the actual tank, which I have to get into every couple of years and paint just like you do with the outside of the hull. We have 'measured' it in a manner of speaking. Basically we set the hose running on full, timed how long it took to fill a 1 litre container, then timed the tank filling, then measured it filling the 1 litre container again just to be sure that the water was coming out at a consistent rate (it was). Based on the calculations we did from that I believe my tank is somewhere around 1000 litres, which sounds about right for the size of the space (1000 litres being 1 cubic metre). 1000 litres is a large tank for a narrowboat but not unusually large, for us (2 adults, living aboard, 1 showering on the boat every day one approximately every other day, no washing machine) a full tank lasts around 3 weeks. I also keep three 25 litre containers of water in the gas locker for emergencies, a practice I highly recommend having been caught out with conditioner in my hair on more than one occasion.

 

My tank is 300 litres

I get 5- 6 days use out of the tank.

 

Wow, I thought I took some long showers but you've just made me feel a whole lot better! I'm assuming you've got an instant water heater because there's no way my little calorifier could handle that!

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Our tank is not big enough, would be nice to extend it. Takes 30 minutes filling from the tap, not sure how large that makes it.

 

Washing machine is the biggest killer, the shower doesn't seem that bad on water use.

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Wow, I thought I took some long showers but you've just made me feel a whole lot better! I'm assuming you've got an instant water heater because there's no way my little calorifier could handle that!

Ah yes, I have a Paloma. I don't think I spend more than ten minutes in the shower on an average day, do you think I am going through water fast then?

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you just get used to whatever you have. I dont do litres as I am British and live in England so I do gallons, they are much easier to understand thats why I buy pints of beer in the pub as eight make one gallon anyway my present boat is a guesstimate of 250/300 gallons and we just use more water at the moment because we are getting nearly as lazy as house dwellers as we are plugged in at the marina. Tank size is ownly realy a problem for continuous moorers anyone else passes a water point more times than enough. :cheers:

 

Tim

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WB internal tank, 2000l give or take. Takes us (2) a couple of weeks to use a tank and about 2+ hours to fill on a typical tap.

 

Because this weight of water affects the trim we seldom let it get below 1/3 full before refilling.

 

2 of us washing showing, washing machine, macerater toilet, washing up etc. No real attempt to economise except no tap running while cleaning teeth, and I turn the shower off while I lather up as I find it makes no real difference to the enjoyment of the shower. She certainly don't!

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you just get used to whatever you have. I dont do litres as I am British and live in England so I do gallons, they are much easier to understand thats why I buy pints of beer in the pub as eight make one gallon anyway my present boat is a guesstimate of 250/300 gallons and we just use more water at the moment because we are getting nearly as lazy as house dwellers as we are plugged in at the marina. Tank size is ownly realy a problem for continuous moorers anyone else passes a water point more times than enough. :cheers:

 

Tim

If you move everyday, you only need a twenty liter can. Or 4 gallons in your money. :cheers:

 

Is that not the size of the water cans that working boaters of old used to have on the roof? :rolleyes:

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If you move everyday, you only need a twenty liter can. Or 4 gallons in your money. :cheers:

 

Is that not the size of the water cans that working boaters of old used to have on the roof? :rolleyes:

 

Scary thing is that you are so right. All of us are guilty of fitting more and more unecessary kit onto our boats, some of us are worse than others. We have a washing machine, tv fridge etc etc some people have bloody great gennies and electric cookers ( not many ) but still peeps years ago got on without such things. Yes I hear many people shouting out they would have had them if they had been invented but I still believe many of us have more stuff than we realy need on our boats, after all a boat is a boat not a floating house.

 

Tim

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Scary thing is that you are so right. All of us are guilty of fitting more and more unecessary kit onto our boats, some of us are worse than others. We have a washing machine, tv fridge etc etc some people have bloody great gennies and electric cookers ( not many ) but still peeps years ago got on without such things. Yes I hear many people shouting out they would have had them if they had been invented but I still believe many of us have more stuff than we realy need on our boats, after all a boat is a boat not a floating house.

 

Tim

 

My daugther (8 years old) stays on my boat sometimes, in a 14foot cabin. We wash and brush teeth in the engine room, and play games in the evening, or watch a dvd on the dvd player. No tv, no games consolex, no anything housey... she loves it, and has a better night sleep on my boat than at home.

 

And warmer than the house too....

:rolleyes:

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Same as Tillergirl with 120 Gallon (454 ltr) in bow. We're new to boating since last August. Only done one decent trip out so far (Leicester ring) and been living aboard since just before Christmas but pleasantly surprised how long it lasts us in between refills. Just 2 of us with no washing machine. Good luck with the boat search btw!

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hmmm makes interesting reading, thanks for your feedback so far!

 

So, I guess if you really want to make the most of the space in the bow you have an integrated tank but that comes with its own consideration (painting, sealing the deck properly, balance etc.) Certainly getting the impression I could make do 100 Gallons, although a little more would be nicer if possible... don't think I'll ever be savvy enough for the spartan 20L!

 

I also keep three 25 litre containers of water in the gas locker for emergencies, a practice I highly recommend having been caught out with conditioner in my hair on more than one occasion!

 

Good thinking... I have no doubt I'll be finding myself in a similar position more than once!

 

nosey git (to thread title) ;)

 

haha, had to post it... everyone was being a little shy until now :)

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Ah yes, I have a Paloma. I don't think I spend more than ten minutes in the shower on an average day, do you think I am going through water fast then?

 

It certainly sounds it compared to me, but I have been paring my showers down ever since I moved onboard, I'm a real sucker for just standing under the hot water not actually washing, just standing there, living aboard has forced me to put some real effort into using less water. As someone else mentioned I now lather up with the water off, something I never would have considered when I lived on dry land. Most of my livaboard friends use much less water than me, so I'm quite happy to see that some people here seem to use more!

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When the missus and I fitted our boat out we lived in a caravan alongside it and when we showered we each had to stand by the makeshift cubicle with a hand held pump and a bucket of hot water to supply the shower head. My record was 9 litres of water but she managed with 3 litres! (no hairwash though) How do women manage to be so civilised? When I have a cold I need loads of tissues blowing my nose loudly every two mins while she manages to be quiet and unnoticed with a small hanky.

 

Let's face it we blokes are a right load of hairy arsed gits.

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