Water survey...

[Tom Richmond]

Hi all.

 

So I've been back on the boat for the last two days, and it's all looking a lot better than it was. I got a wet vac (thank you to whoever suggested that, it has been amazing!) I've had a few people over to look at it and reassure me that things are not so bad, including one forum member who came this evening! Thank you Richard, and I'm sorry it ended on such a soggy note! Hope you're alright.

 

Now, I have a decision to make... I have two water tanks, and have to decide if I want to keep them both or go down to just one. Disadvantages and advantages to both options, but it all comes down to how much water we are gonna use.

 

So, my question to the forum, if you'd be so kind, is how much water do you use. If you can tell me an amount of water, in a given time period, how many people, and also what sort of usage (what type of toilet, are you living aboard, do you have a washing machine, do you shower in a marina, do you have a dog that has drinking water etc...)

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Tom.

[deckhand]

Hi Tom

2 of us on boat, we have a tank 650 ltrs. auto wash m/c(on 4 days out of 7), both shower every day,liveaboard so plenty tea on go, fill up every 2 days but we are not overly conservative as in marina, so easy to fill up.

Hi Tom

2 of us on boat, we have a tank 650 ltrs. auto wash m/c(on 4 days out of 7), both shower every day,liveaboard so plenty tea on go, fill up every 2 days but we are not overly conservative as in marina, so easy to fill up.

also 5 dogs

[midget-gem]

My boat is supposed to have a 50 gallon tank (230 liters) I have not measured it though. Shower every day. It lasts about two weeks on my own without being too frugal. No washing machine either. When I'm out cruising I take a couple of 20 liter drums with me too so that I don't have to find a water point so often. Plenty of water points on most of the canals, don't worry too much.

Edited February 13, 2014 by midget-gem

[Tuscan]

Unless there is a serious reason not to go for the biggest water storage capacity you can for maximum flexibility, if you can also I store a gauge so you can check water level without dipping,

[Grace and Favour]

We two overwinter in a marina - so good access to water:

 

1,000 Ltr tank

 

Shower on board (at least 2 showers per day)

We aren't 'careful' with water (but I never waste in with my Whisky)

2~3 washing machine runs per week

3 dishwasher loads per week (yes - really! - I do a lot of baking & cooking)

The cat drinks about a pint per week - though that doesn't alter the balance of the boat much

 

 

Fill the tank once a week

Edited February 13, 2014 by Grace & Favour

[BenC]

We have 300gallon (1200lt) tank on the butty and 300gallon on the motor. 2 weeks of showers baby baths, washing machine (at least twice a week, as well as the washing up, cooking, drinking, etc. One tank just lasts 2 weeks. Then pump across from the motor to the butty and go and get water in the one boat. We always try and keep the motor filled, you never know when there is going to be a freeze or unexpected stoppage. More water storage the better I'd say.

[junior]

I've no idea how much water my tank holds, but it takes me over a month to get it down to three quarters full. I might see if I can measure the outside dimensions of my tank and see if I can work out its capacity

[jelunga]

Hi all.

 

So I've been back on the boat for the last two days, and it's all looking a lot better than it was. I got a wet vac (thank you to whoever suggested that, it has been amazing!) I've had a few people over to look at it and reassure me that things are not so bad, including one forum member who came this evening! Thank you Richard, and I'm sorry it ended on such a soggy note! Hope you're alright.

 

Now, I have a decision to make... I have two water tanks, and have to decide if I want to keep them both or go down to just one. Disadvantages and advantages to both options, but it all comes down to how much water we are gonna use.

 

So, my question to the forum, if you'd be so kind, is how much water do you use. If you can tell me an amount of water, in a given time period, how many people, and also what sort of usage (what type of toilet, are you living aboard, do you have a washing machine, do you shower in a marina, do you have a dog that has drinking water etc...)

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Tom.

The bigger the better. Unless you need the space for somethjng more imporfant, and I can only think of one thing more important than water (beer) why remove what is already there?

As otheds have said, a freeze up that prevents movement to water point is not si bad if you have weeks of water.

[nicknorman]

We have 140 gallon tank. How long it lasts is very variable since the washing machine uses quite a lot (on super rinse). Showers can use surprisingly little if you turn it off whilst soaping and just turn on for rinsing. On average, with use of washing machine, we fill up every 4 or 5 days. 2 on board. No pets. Jeff does a lot of running so showers every day.

 

Since I fitted a water tank gauge (one of those pressure detecting ones from MCS) we tend to go longer between fills because we can use more of a tankful without risking running out - it takes all the guesswork out of it!

[GUMPY]

for two people showering every day and a couple of washing machine uses a week then we use about 900litres

[dmr]

If you plan to liveaboard/continuously cruise then the size of the water tank is most likely the main factor controlling how long you can stay in one place, this can be particularly important in the winter when there are stoppages. Get as much water capacity as you can unless you want to drag water containers up and down a muddy towpath, which is pretty common.

We have 1000 litres, With a lot of washing machine use and showers this will over a week. When we were frozen in and went into "economy mode" we made this last about 4 weeks.

 

.........Dave

[sassan]

We have a 500L tank. Easily lasts 2 weeks, can be made to last 3 without too much difficulty, or 4 if absolutely necessary.

 

Water use is reduced slightly because I shower in work instead of on the boat, increased slightly as I use a fair whack of water for beer and wine making.

 

I've just looked it up and apparently the average household water use is 8-12 times as much(150L per person per day).

[b0atman]

After beer I suppose water is the worst thing to run out of

unsure of my tank size but I easily get 10 persondays using washing machine and shower .

[furnessvale]

We have a 500L tank. Easily lasts 2 weeks, can be made to last 3 without too much difficulty, or 4 if absolutely necessary.

 

Water use is reduced slightly because I shower in work instead of on the boat, increased slightly as I use a fair whack of water for beer and wine making.

 

I've just looked it up and apparently the average household water use is 8-12 times as much(150L per person per day).

A genuine question. Is that figure household use, or the average use per person nationally? If the latter, it probably includes business use which is massive when you consider things like chemical and steelworks.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Tom Richmond]

Hi all...

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

Yes, i do have a good reason to be rid of it, it is in the way! I used to have a crossbed, and a sealed off trad cockpit. I am converting the boat to have a lengthways fixed double, and a companionway through from the cockpit. The old tank does not agree with this plan!

 

I have decided, with the advice above, and through talking to a few people around the marina, that the tank will go. What I'm going to do is use it, while it is still in the boat, to figure out how much ballast I ideally need (fill the tank til she sits right in the water, then pump out into buckets, measuring as I go and calculate the weight.) I will then remove the tank, and install that amount of additional ballast (accounting for weight of tank itself of course!

 

I will then build my bed in such a way that there is a centrally located tank shaped block, which while it will initially be storage, can become a tank in the future - clever eh? That way if we find that the tank at the front is not big enough we can always upgrade in the future, but I am not compromising the design of my bedroom because of a pre-existing tank.

 

I've opened up the back of the boat now, so she's open from the bathroom right through to the engine and rear doors and hatch. All bilges are cleaned out and almost ready for painting! I've got the dehimidifier going 24/7. It's super loud, I wanted to switch it off when I was sleeping last night, but I'm glad I didn't, cos this morning its little tray was full! It's probably a litre and a half of water...

 

Will try and post a picture soon.

 

Tom.

[sassan]

A genuine question. Is that figure household use, or the average use per person nationally? If the latter, it probably includes business use which is massive when you consider things like chemical and steelworks.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

That's purely domestic use.