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Old 02-10-2016, 17:37   #1
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What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

I'd like to hear opinions from experienced long range cruisers on what they consider to be adequate tankage for long distance cruising. This would include Diesel, Water, Propane, and even Gasoline/Petrol for the outboard.
I've been coastal cruising for 10+ years in a 30ft monohull. I'll soon be retiring and cruising in a 40+ foot Cat. I know the question is vague and the answer "depends", but opinions are valuable. In a recent Boat Review of the new Lagoon 42, which has 79 gals of Diesel and Water, the end of the review stated "additional fuel and water would be needed for more serious cruising..."
So my question is "how much is enough?" I would be fine with a 42 ft Cat, but I tend to agree with the author that 79 gals seems really light. But to get the increased capacity for both fuel and water, do you have to go up to the 440 or 450? (or equivalent, Im only using Lagoon as an example). Carry a bladder tank?

I've also read numerous posts about the availability of propane. Has anyone found a way to increase propane by using larger tanks as opposed to just carrying extras?

Gasoline? How much fuel do you carry in Jerry Cans for the dingy outboard?

Thanks for replies, I always learn here.
Mark
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Old 02-10-2016, 18:00   #2
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

Dpends entirely upon your own style of cruising and usage habits, so there is no answer to your question... only examples and opinions based on someone else's usage.

Example (that will go counter to most folks ideas): Ann and I lived and cruised full time for 17 years and some 86,000 miles in a retired race boat. It had 45 US gallons of diesel and about 45 of water. We did a number of long passages in that boat, and visited lots of desolate anchorages and islands in the South Pacific and Mexico. We found that tankage adequate. Most current cruisers would not.

Our current boat has 800 litres of water and about 600 of diesel... seems incredibly luxurious to us, even after 13 years of cruising in her.

Propane is pretty readily available everywhere we've cruised. Not always easy to access, sometimes difficult to get foreign tanks filled, but it is around most places, and there are ways around the awkward issues... just part of cruising. Having several smaller tanks is better than one large one. First, you may have to carry the tank a long way to get it filled, and even a 9 kg tank gets bloody heavy! Second, it is IMO better to have a spare to turn to when the first goes dead. Lets you spend some time finding a source for re-fill without losing the ability to cook. We carry two 9 kg tanks, and get around 3 months from each as full time cruisers.

Petrol for dinghy usage: depends on your engine size to some degree... bigger engines tend to use more fuel. But again, petrol is available nearly everywhere you may go. It may come out of a rusty barrel, but it will run in your dinghy if you pass it through a baja filter or some other means of cleaning it up (just like the diesel). We mostly use a 15 hp two stroke Yamaha and when going to the woop-woop carry the 25 L working tank and one 10 L spare. Usually no problems with that amount. Good idea to carry enough two stroke oil for a couple of fills, too, though it is often available

The above are examples of well tried, successful usage. You will likely find that some folks can't live without long daily showers, or who like to motor everywhere they go. They will be horrified by our example!

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Old 02-10-2016, 18:11   #3
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

Interestingly enough, the only thing I ever run out of is gas for the dink!

70Gal water
15 Diesel
27 holding tank
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Old 02-10-2016, 18:41   #4
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

Hi, Mark,

We started cruuising with a 36 ft. monohull and about 25 gallons per bladder, port and stbd. Iirc, longest passage was 24 or 5 days. We never ran out of water, we conserved our fresh water with great dedication. We used salt water, plumbed to the galley (teed off the engine intake) so that I could wash dishes in salt water, then a brief fresh water rinse. Or, one uses tea towels to try them, which removes the salt, but makes the towels prone to getting moldy. Incidentally, we knew others at the same time who were doing just fine with as little fresh water as we did. We did also catch some rain water, because if you can fill up from the rain, you don't have to carry the jerry jugs from the water source to the dinghy, to the boat and hump them up, etc.

So, you see, how much tankage depends on how much you want to use beyond survival needs. If you and your crew are the sort who enjoys getting by with less than others, you may be able to do fine with the water tankage on that boat: it's your choice how you use the precious resource.

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Old 02-10-2016, 18:55   #5
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

I'd spend money on a watermaker before a bigger water tank. You can buy bigger propane tanks, but you have to be able to move them on and off the boat. You can buy custom bladders to fit your hull. They don't last as long as ss tanks.
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Old 02-10-2016, 19:03   #6
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

You can add a water maker to help with fresh water. And use sails more to extend range.

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Old 02-10-2016, 19:08   #7
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

Assuming you don't have an army of smelly teenagers, you'll run out of fuel before water. Get a watermaker, keep tanks full enough so that if watermaker dies and you ration appropriately, you can get to your destination. 70 gals will get two across long slow Pacific passage. Benefit is also less weight will help you save fuel and sail more.
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Old 03-10-2016, 08:38   #8
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

Wife and I made a 24 day passage plus another week on 40 gallons of of our total 80 gallons water. Didn't really try to conserve but didn't waste water either. Washed down with salt water and rinsed with fresh. Had salt water in the galley for clean up, etc. Collected rain water off the awning in French Polynesia and never had to schlep water to the boat. If you want to spend the money, water maker can make up for smaller tankage. Would definitely recommend splitting water storage between at least two tanks so a leak doesn't ruin your day.

Had 70 gallons of diesel which pretty much got us through a year of cruising with 1/2 gallon cruise and battery charging.

Have a dock mate who installed a water maker and generator to power it because he goes through a lot of water. He feels the need to take multiple showers a day.
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Old 03-10-2016, 08:49   #9
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

I had a Lagoon 42. I added two fuel tanks, one starboard bow, one aft port. For cruising the carribean it was a stupid thing to do. I emptied both those tanks after the first fill and never refilled them. You can definitely carry too much fuel. Fuel goes old etc. If you are crossing the Pacific, the answer may be different though.
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Old 03-10-2016, 08:57   #10
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

Ann T. Cate,

Re: Galley tap water teed to the engine inlet.

Have you at any time experienced an air bleed to your engine in this setup?
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Old 03-10-2016, 09:09   #11
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

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Originally Posted by Scaramanga F25 View Post
Ann T. Cate,

Re: Galley tap water teed to the engine inlet.

Have you at any time experienced an air bleed to your engine in this setup?
I had that setup on one boat. I didn't experience an air event with it, but it did worry me a bit. I used to hear gurgling in the sink tap when the engine was running at times. Not much, just a hint. Mine was a brass hand pump at the sink.
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Old 03-10-2016, 09:16   #12
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

It is traditional sea-going wisdom that the survival ration of fresh water is half a pint per man per day, i.e. 1/4 litre per man per day. Not nice, but Bligh and his loyal men went three and a half THOUSAND sea miles across the South Pacific on HALF of that!

Beyond that 1/4 pint per man per day, it's only a question of how profligate you want to be.

Jim and Ann have already said it: Use seawater for anything that you aren't gonna swallow. Cook your spuds in seawater, and you don't have to empty the salt cellar. Take a few hours to make and rig a "water sail", merely a big canvas funnel slung in the rigging with a tube leading to your water tank. Buy a water maker. Use a solar still, even a "rollyerown" version.

For fuel as for water, the question is never: "How much is enough?". It is always "How little am I comfortable with?". There was no propulsive fuel required AT ALL in many commercial sailing ships even into my time, and the fuel for cooking was often coal or coke. Only you can know what your "comfort level" is.

A "conservation fetish" goes a long way :-)

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Old 03-10-2016, 10:04   #13
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

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Originally Posted by TrentePieds View Post
Use a solar still, even a "rollyerown" version.
Did you make a solar still? It's not so simple, but I am trying to achieve 1 liter per hour per sq m which should be easily doable.

It would also be interesting to build a small vapor compression unit that would make water about twice the power of reverse osmosis.

Quote:
For fuel as for water, the question is never: "How much is enough?". It is
I am burning the shells of the coconut for cooking. It's crazy that other people still go buy fuel which they don't need while I have time for other things. I do catch rainwater, I carry up to 40 liters and never ran out.
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Old 03-10-2016, 10:25   #14
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

This is kind of a "how long is a piece of string" question, but for whatever it's worth, I have:

700 liters of diesel fuel
1000 liters of fresh water
20 liters of dinghy fuel
2x 4.5kg bottles of LPG for cooking

Of these:

1. The fuel is enough on our boat (54', 25 tons all up, 100hp diesel, plus 6.5kW generator and Eberspacher heating) to get us 1500 miles from the UK to Finland over a month, and still last for another month of cruising. Not motoring the whole way of course. I wouldn't want less, but I don't really need more. Autonomy with fuel is very important especially when you are generating electrical power and heating with it. We use fuel carefully -- so when motoring or motor sailing, usually under 2000 RPM. If you motor hard, against the wind, etc., the consumption goes up geometrically and 700 liters wouldn't be so much. Fuel capacity is also useful for taking advantage of differences in price in different countries -- like in Europe. Diesel fuel at some times has cost half in Guernsey, compared to what it costs just a few miles away in France, just to name one example. So with big tankage which lasts you for a month or two or three, you can take advantage by buying a big load where it's really cheap.

2. Fresh water is enough for a larger boat without a watermaker, the kind of cruising we do. Could probably use a bit more, to be truthful. I don't like being miserly with water -- I shower at least daily and would not give that up for anything, and I have a washer/dryer on board. 1000 liters will last for maybe 2 weeks if I am alone on board and not using the washing machine. Might last as little as 4 days with a lot of people on board.

3. Dinghy fuel was inadequate for my 25 horsepower 2 stroke; it's grossly excessive for my new 8hp 4 stroke. I filled the jerry can in May and only just now even opened it to refill the on-board tank, despite a whole summer of using the dinghy. I will get rid of that jerry can (or use it for emergency diesel), and buy something smaller. 10 liters is enough for a whole summer, and it will be easier to store (cannot store gasoline inside the main hull volume, so it's a PITA to store).

4. Propane is definitely not enough. I need to be able to get through the summer due to incompatibility of tanks and difficulty of refilling them. Double what I have now would be about enough. If I could only fit two of the larger size Calor bottles . . .


YMMV, of course.
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Old 03-10-2016, 12:07   #15
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Re: What is Adequate Tankage Capacity?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark0808 View Post
I'd like to hear opinions from experienced long range cruisers on what they consider to be adequate tankage for long distance cruising. This would include Diesel, Water, Propane, and even Gasoline/Petrol for the outboard.
I've been coastal cruising for 10+ years in a 30ft monohull. I'll soon be retiring and cruising in a 40+ foot Cat. I know the question is vague and the answer "depends", but opinions are valuable. In a recent Boat Review of the new Lagoon 42, which has 79 gals of Diesel and Water, the end of the review stated "additional fuel and water would be needed for more serious cruising..."
So my question is "how much is enough?" I would be fine with a 42 ft Cat, but I tend to agree with the author that 79 gals seems really light. But to get the increased capacity for both fuel and water, do you have to go up to the 440 or 450? (or equivalent, Im only using Lagoon as an example). Carry a bladder tank?

I've also read numerous posts about the availability of propane. Has anyone found a way to increase propane by using larger tanks as opposed to just carrying extras?

Gasoline? How much fuel do you carry in Jerry Cans for the dingy outboard?

Thanks for replies, I always learn here.
Mark
for what its worth:-
210 gal water
105 gal diesel plus 10 gal in portable tanks
2 x 10 lb propane + 1 x 20 lb and about 10 x 1 lb for deck grill.
Gasoline: 2x 1 gal, 2 x 2 gal, 1 x 5 gal for O.B & Gennie.
Typically 3 weeks at sea and longer at anchor, but then most of this was single handing with good wind and solar power generation.
Never ran short, bathed and cooked often. I like my comfort, I can rough if necessary, but why would I want to?
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