Drinking Water Challenge

[Snore]

I have been pondering events and want to present this challenge to the forum.

You are 15 days from any landfall. You have consumed all water except for the remaining tank located amidships. You discover that every time you drink water from your tank, you have a lower GI event. It is not salty or smell of fuel, but it has a definite "funk" smell.

You have 30 gallons of diesel on board, that is needed for emergencies only. Unknown to you, the crew "had to" wash with hot water and has been using the stove to heat water for bathing. You estimate there is barely enough fuel to cook one meal a day for 18-20 days.

Being a prudent planner who always has "plan b" figured out, you open the port locker and pull out a 12" X 12" x 6" box containing _________________.

Please fill in the blank.

I think I have a solution, but am curious what those who have really been "out there" would have in the plan b box.

I AM NOT intending this to poke at anyone, but see this as a great opportunity to learn.

thanks

[socaldmax]

A hand operated portable water purifier. I have one from past camping trips, you can take muddy water and turn it into drinkable water.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

A hand operated portable water purifier. I have one from past camping trips, you can take muddy water and turn it into drinkable water.

Agreed!
Either that install a water maker before heading offshore.
Pre planning is the best model. The average drinking water consumption is 2 qts a day per person. Showers are extra. Washing dishes can be done with salt water. And showers too in warm climates.

It's a Captains duty to prepare and regulate usage. Health and safety is one of the main priorities!

[oceannavigator]

Bottle of bleach to fix the bad water tank and a screwdriver to pop up the cabin sole and pull out all the emergency canned goods.

There are certain things you do just by habit (keeping extra cans of food to eat cold, bleach to dump in a watet tank) that are just plain handy.

Note: I don't live anywhere that doesn't have a charcoal filter on the drinking water. The charcoal filter makes your chlorine treated tank taste just like a fresh mountain spring.

Showers are now grounds for getting thrown overboard on the vessel. Next shower is a land shower. If you must shower, you can shower with the cup of drinking water I give you and skip drinking that day.

[skipmac]

1. Under the 12X12 box I reach into the bottom of the locker and get out the multiple gallon jugs of emergency water that are always stashed there (right under the hand operated Katadyn desalinator) when going offshore.

2. Disconnect the hot water heater and shower.

3. Put the offending crew members on cold, canned food for the duration.

[Snore]

Yup you guys had the same thing I had in my box, a small desalinator. At first I had a fresh water purifier, but for a few bucks more the manual desalinator also addressed the problem of running out of water or oil-fouled water.

The problem with CL is that if you drink water with more than 4ppm, you exceed the maximum contaminant level and can do damage to yourself. If you stash CL, you need to have some type of cheapo CL tester, like the ones used for pools. That said, plan C would be blast the water tanks with CL. When I used it to cook, the CL would boil out and be more appealing.

Thanks for the inputs.

[oceannavigator]

Originally Posted by Snore

Yup you guys had the same thing I had in my box, a small desalinator. At first I had a fresh water purifier, but for a few bucks more the manual desalinator also addressed the problem of running out of water or oil-fouled water.

The problem with CL is that if you drink water with more than 4ppm, you exceed the maximum contaminant level and can do damage to yourself. If you stash CL, you need to have some type of cheapo CL tester, like the ones used for pools. That said, plan C would be blast the water tanks with CL. When I used it to cook, the CL would boil out and be more appealing.

Thanks for the inputs.

Mabe you missed the part where I said I don't live anywhere without a charcoal water filter for the drinking water?

0ppm Cl. No tester required. Have done it on more than one occasion.

Ever tried to operate a hand help reverse osmosis unit? You would be wishing you could just drink bleach straight from the bottle after a few days of that on a passage.

The best solutions are the least technical, IMO.

[Snore]

My bad. Yes, the carbon filter would solve the excess CL issue.

Thanks for smacking me on the head! (They don't have that icon

[sailorboy1]

I maintain a good free chloride level in my water tanks ALL the time. And I test to be sure the level is good by keeping a test kit on the boat. And I only drink water that goes though the carbon filter system, and I test the water out of that once in awhile to be sure it is working.

I may be a little paranoid, but that is what happens after you get a gum infection from a bad water tank. Btw the bad tank was caused by winter glycol layup of the tank that didn't get flushed well and if you think you ever really get them flushed you are probably wrong

[sailorboy1]

Chlorine level, not chloride

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I may be a little paranoid, but that is what happens after you get a gum infection from a bad water tank. Btw the bad tank was caused by winter glycol layup of the tank that didn't get flushed well and if you think you ever really get them flushed you are probably wrong

OK, I think I'm learning something here. I thought "non toxic" (Propylene glycol) anti-freeze was OK in potable water lines, as long as you flush well.

Obviously, you wouldn't use ethylene glycol (traditional anti-freeze) in potable water systems.

So what caused the gum infection?

I'd like to avoid that mistake!

[Phantoms]

Originally Posted by Snore

Being a prudent planner who always has "plan b" figured out, you open the port locker and pull out a 12" X 12" x 6" box containing _________________.

for the crew.

[Pete7]

Being a prudent planner who always has "plan b" figured out, you open the port locker and pull out a 12" X 12" x 6" box containing

In this position a box of Hamlet cigars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0SbVFxl64A

[zboss]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

OK, I think I'm learning something here. I thought "non toxic" (Propylene glycol) anti-freeze was OK in potable water lines, as long as you flush well.

Obviously, you wouldn't use ethylene glycol (traditional anti-freeze) in potable water systems.

So what caused the gum infection?

I'd like to avoid that mistake!

If you look at the attached chart and find the PVC column and then go down to the PG row, you find that it has a moderate effect on the PVC.

I have been trying to get the smell of the PG out of my water lines since we bought her. We have started replacing the lines.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

OK, I think I'm learning something here. I thought "non toxic" (Propylene glycol) anti-freeze was OK in potable water lines, as long as you flush well.



Obviously, you wouldn't use ethylene glycol (traditional anti-freeze) in potable water systems.



So what caused the gum infection?



I'd like to avoid that mistake!

It was not the glycol itself but the results of low levels. In general less than 20% glycol in water can become a biological food source. So when you flush the tanks and leave some behind and the tank gets any biological in the tank it grows. At the same time as the gum infection I cleaned the fresh water pump strainer and scratched my hand. That led to a small case of blood poisoning and an infection.

So now I make sure I maintain a free chlorine level in the tanks! My tanks are "plastic" if yours aren't keeping a high free chlorine level may not be a good idea.

Btw I'm a chemical water treater