Drinking water on a 22ft boat

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by niCastro

Hey there. My wife and I are doing a 30 day cruise around the San Juan islands this July. We are wanting to bring at least 20 gallons of water (more if we can) onto our US Yachts 22 but don't have good ideas on how to carry the water. This would be water for about 5-7 days for us using our well tested backpacking skills.

The normal 5 gallon jerry cans seem too big for the storage space under the cockpit and there just isn't deck space for them. We're thinking about maybe just using the 1-2 gallon disposable jugs and refilling those. It'll be a pain if we have to use the dinghy to get water but not so bad if we are at a dock and can use a hose. Just curious to hear what others have done on boats in the 22ft range and how much you were able to carry.

Thanks for any advice.

Water runs w a Dingy is a common occurrence in the Islands, especially the Outer Islands.
SV Cloud Duster

[ChrisPuget]

Hi Sounds like fun, you guys should have a ball in the San Juans. I did the same thing many years ago with an Islander 21 with no galley/tanks. Water was never an issue. Might try say, 4 or 5 one gallon containers of drinking water and maybe as many as two packages of the little drinking water bottles. Just squirrel away all the little bottles wherever you can. I am sure many will come home with you. You will be very good at using saltwater for cleaning etc, and just a small amount of freshwater. Have fun and spend your time outfitting a good anchor, chain, rode. Docks will be crowded and you will want to leave your boat at anchor out of sight, out of mind (sort of), occasionally.

[Tillikum]

Cornelius kegs are an option for onboard water, either the entire supply or part of it. Empty they are light, portable, durable and can be got cheaply with a bit of effort. They have large removable clean-outs/inspection ports on the top and best of all, can be pressurized with a small gas cylinder so there is no need for tedious pumping, just turn the tap on and you have water pressure. Empty they add some good flotation too!

[waltknowles]

I think your estimate on water use is a little high. My wife, son, and, and I would cruise the San Juans in an Ericson 27 with a 10 gallon tank for two to three weeks and never run out. That's because if you are sailing past Friday Harbor, you have to stop for ice cream, or if it's Roche Harbor, you have to do fish and chips, and bread at the bakery in Anacortes ..... or the hike up to Mount Constitution .... or ... you get the point. We always carried a 2l coke bottle for back up, and almost everybody was happy to tank up a littler sail boat, even in dry years. Oh, and freeze bladders for your ice chest so you can keep your food dry and your drinking watter water cold.

[Happ]

Originally Posted by niCastro

Hey there. My wife and I are doing a 30 day cruise around the San Juan islands this July. We are wanting to bring at least 20 gallons of water (more if we can) onto our US Yachts 22 but don't have good ideas on how to carry the water. This would be water for about 5-7 days for us using our well tested backpacking skills.

The normal 5 gallon jerry cans seem too big for the storage space under the cockpit and there just isn't deck space for them. We're thinking about maybe just using the 1-2 gallon disposable jugs and refilling those. It'll be a pain if we have to use the dinghy to get water but not so bad if we are at a dock and can use a hose. Just curious to hear what others have done on boats in the 22ft range and how much you were able to carry.

Thanks for any advice.

Go on Amazon and look for water dispensers that attach to bottled water jugs. Spring Water can be bought at the store in large bottles 5 or 10 gallon jugs. Pop the dispenser on and it will build pressure in the bottle so all you have to do is push the button to dispense the water. Some have rechargeable batteries some have plain batteries. The dispensers are less than $15!

[secrabtree]

[QUOTE=tkeithlu;3410377]My reference here is experience camping in my family's 20 ft English rivers
boat, which we bought second hand in 1909.I can't wait to get back to her.

Did your family really buy that 20 foot boat in 1909?
Or did you mean 2009?

[Shaneesprit]

Simular issue to mine, when will someone make a water maker, that just produces a trickle of water., they all say for a small boat and then produce huge amounts of water, I don’t quite want to get to the hand held life saver version, but a volt version of it. I guess with the hand held pumping as part of the same but of kit and then it would be really useful.
I can easily carry enough for 5 days but I want to last a week.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by Shaneesprit

Simular issue to mine, when will someone make a water maker, that just produces a trickle of water., they all say for a small boat and then produce huge amounts of water, I don’t quite want to get to the hand held life saver version, but a volt version of it. I guess with the hand held pumping as part of the same but of kit and then it would be really useful.
I can easily carry enough for 5 days but I want to last a week.

It's not the size of the boat but the number of people that matters.

Water makers are energy hogs. That is what makes them expensive to operate. A big boat with a generator or a large alternator can make large quantities of water. A small boat has a problem. When you see something like a Power Survivor 40 look at the output vs power consumed. It makes a gallon and a half an hour.

For anywhere populated you can get water much cheaper than making it.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by stormalong

It's not the size of the boat but the number of people that matters.

Water makers are energy hogs. That is what makes them expensive to operate. A big boat with a generator or a large alternator can make large quantities of water. A small boat has a problem. When you see something like a Power Survivor 40 look at the output vs power consumed. It makes a gallon and a half an hour.

For anywhere populated you can get water much cheaper than making it.

And for anywhere populated you shouldn't try to use the seawater for masking water.


Good other points, too.


I almost forgot: We had a C22 that we lake sailed in California during the summers. Sometimes we'd be aboard for a week at a time. All we did was bring a few foldable 5 gallon containers and fill them up at the dock before we pushed off. That plus the Sunshower did just fine. This was in 1984-87. Winters we sailed SF Bay and in 87 we bought a C25, then in 98 this boat. Still haven't had H20 issues!


And even more importantly since sailing to BC in 2016, have been able to sail the San Juans. Great place. They have two critical things going for them: water and beer.

[BBill]

Originally Posted by JoeRobertJr

I cannot believe I did not consider this. I have been making separate blocks of ice for the cooler. Thanks for the great idea!

That's what I do for hurricane season with gallon jugs...but be aware that freezing full jugs often results in ruptures and leaks. Screw type caps work best and I drain them a little before freezing.

As far as storage. I used to keep extra jugs on deck tied to the chain plates or whatever. For a small boat you can still keep stuff on deck in sheltered waters. Colapsable jugs are a good space saver after you use the water. Remember to use the water canned foods come in for cooking instead of using your drinking water.

[Kayakeur]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Yeah and that water is almost non-drinkable after a few days but good for showers etc.

Best bottles to refill are clear bottles you bought the water in. (Not the milky foggy plastic). Use clear bottles only. Coke/soda bottles can easily be rinsed out, especially diet soda because it has no sugar in it. (a cup of water shaken, dump & repeat two more times.

Tilt bottle down and rinse threads. Rinse out cap. Refill. In winter leave space for ice to expand.

You pay zero instead of a dollar a gallon.

White hoses - only WHITE - garden-style hoses are Potable Water hose and New White hoses should be clearly marked Drinking/Potable Water.

Any other color garden type hose contains poison materials internally - I think to make the rubber more flexible. Don't drink it and don't give it to your pets.

Filling your tanks/bottles on a dock, look to see if the dock has regular metal plumbing pipe or garden hose supply to the dock. Garden hose water is good for washing your deck or clothes, probably the outside of your body or pet's body, but Not To Drink.

Avoid filling with garden type hoses that are any color other than white.

RV supplies and local hardware/garden store.

Space? I use 3 weeks worth of 1-gallon bottles on a 23 foot trailer-sailer. I figure water for drinking, cooking, washing doesnt need to be more than 1 gallon a day. Medical reports 3 liters per person per day - maybe that's in dry climate. I notice that after 67 I am more sensitive to dehydration so I take 3 liters+, I have room for more than 20-24 gal. so 1 gallon a day, 3 weeks, 21 gallons plus I carry Gatorade or Powerade for quick re-hydration plus carbohydrate (sugar). Conserve space for Gatorade by carrying a container of Gatorade Powder and mix it in one of the water bottles. Unusual tiredness mid-day/evening might be dehydration; cure it quick with Powerade/Gatorade. Beer contributes next to none of the 3 liters because alcohol causes additional urination.

3 quarts a day per person is plenty, don't buy a tank, just buy 1-gal and the 2.5gallon grocery water bottles.

eh - it's what i do

[BugzyCan]

I have 2-7 gallon jugs on my 26'. Last year I went for 12 days solo and didn't even use the contents of one of them, but then I also brought a case of soda water for drinking, and mostly used fresh water for cooking and brushing teeth. The soda water worked out well because after they were empty I could fill the bottle with fresh water and store it anywhere. The big jugs lived in the V-Berth. Not sure what you have for space on a 22'.

[carstendenmark]

To have better water filled in your PET bottles :

Cook the water. Let it cool to 150F/65C.
Use a suitable thermometer, and stir the hot water when measuring, then pour it into your PET bottle. Cap it. That's it.
It's a pasteurization, called the holder method.
If you use a funnel, sterilize it in boiling water.

Keep out of light when stored, if possible (algae may grow).

If the water is too hot, your PET bottle will melt.
If too cold, no pasteurization.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Kayakeur

Best bottles to refill are clear bottles you bought the water in. (Not the milky foggy plastic). Use clear bottles only. Coke/soda bottles can easily be rinsed out, especially diet soda because it has no sugar in it. (a cup of water shaken, dump & repeat two more times.

Tilt bottle down and rinse threads. Rinse out cap. Refill. In winter leave space for ice to expand.

You pay zero instead of a dollar a gallon.

White hoses - only WHITE - garden-style hoses are Potable Water hose and New White hoses should be clearly marked Drinking/Potable Water.

Any other color garden type hose contains poison materials internally - I think to make the rubber more flexible. Don't drink it and don't give it to your pets.

Filling your tanks/bottles on a dock, look to see if the dock has regular metal plumbing pipe or garden hose supply to the dock. Garden hose water is good for washing your deck or clothes, probably the outside of your body or pet's body, but Not To Drink.

Avoid filling with garden type hoses that are any color other than white.

RV supplies and local hardware/garden store.

Space? I use 3 weeks worth of 1-gallon bottles on a 23 foot trailer-sailer. I figure water for drinking, cooking, washing doesnt need to be more than 1 gallon a day. Medical reports 3 liters per person per day - maybe that's in dry climate. I notice that after 67 I am more sensitive to dehydration so I take 3 liters+, I have room for more than 20-24 gal. so 1 gallon a day, 3 weeks, 21 gallons plus I carry Gatorade or Powerade for quick re-hydration plus carbohydrate (sugar). Conserve space for Gatorade by carrying a container of Gatorade Powder and mix it in one of the water bottles. Unusual tiredness mid-day/evening might be dehydration; cure it quick with Powerade/Gatorade. Beer contributes next to none of the 3 liters because alcohol causes additional urination.

3 quarts a day per person is plenty, don't buy a tank, just buy 1-gal and the 2.5gallon grocery water bottles.

eh - it's what i do

OMG! Ann and I gonna die, yes downright die, 'cause we've been filling our tanks via a garden hose now for 35 years of full time cruising, and for 15 years of part time cruising before that... and by gosh, I drank from the garden hose frequently as a youth.

My thoughts are that the residence time of the water traversing 50 feet of hose is not long enough to transfer many toxins from the well aged plastic of the hose... takes roughly 5 seconds for the trip! Being very conservative, I let it run a while before filling.

Jim

[Kayakeur]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

OMG! Ann and I gonna die, yes downright die, 'cause we've been filling our tanks via a garden hose now for 35 years of full time cruising, and for 15 years of part time cruising before that... and by gosh, I drank from the garden hose frequently as a youth.
My thoughts are that the residence time of the water traversing 50 feet of hose is not long enough to transfer many toxins from the well aged plastic of the hose... takes roughly 5 seconds for the trip! Being very conservative, I let it run a while before filling.

Jim

-------------------------

You're right on water residence time in the hose if you run cool house water thru hose and keep running awhile especially if the water has been sitting in the hose awhile especially in warm weather- days,weeks, hours. Water in a hose in the sun can get mighty hot, and with heat comes leaching of chemicals out of the rubber. Heavy metals (lead, cadmium) and phthalates which last hundreds of years. Avoid the possibility by simply filling directly from an outdoor faucet or laundry tub or sink, thus avoiding rubber hoses that were manufactured with chemicals to make them not kink. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors linked to reproductive problems including decreased sperm quantity, motility and concentration. Lead and cadmium are linked to neurologic problems, thinking, irritability, child development, cancers.

You won't know what chemicals were in the water or not; they tend to accumulate in organs; symptoms appear many years later.

Boiling kills bacteria but does not remove most chemicals.

A charcoal filter would help, and a white potable waterhose on board if you're filling from a dock.

Conservative, you got it, Jim. Run awhile, fill the jugs, go sailing.