Water System Trick Question

[Steve Bean]

I will never have city/ dock water connected to my boat.

[Ivanvet]

Or you can add a shut off device like in the one in the picture right at the water pedestal. That is what we have done in our boat. We have set it up at 200 gallons. Still, if we leave the boat for more than a day we turn off the water.

Inside the boat, after a ‘city water outlet’ which reduces the pressure to prevent spikes, I run a hose to a diverter valve, and to the water coming from the tanks/fresh water pump. When we leave the marina, we turn on the pump and turn the diverted valve to get water from the tanks.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Snore

This looks good on paper. To clarify Jedi's statement-- But what happens if there is a leak in your system? My fast-n-dirty estimate is that the water will enter the boat faster than the bilge pump can drain it.

What you are suggesting could result in sinking your new home.

Any electrical bilge pump wprh putting into a boat has way more than enough capacity to pump out what will come from a 5/8 hose at 25psi (you will install a regulator on the hose at the dock spigot). So as long as the bilge pumps and the battery charger are working and the dock has power and nobody disturbs your power cord and the circuit breaker has not tripped, your boat won't sink. I guess I just made a good case for always turning off the dock valve whenever you leave the boat!

I don't find it much trouble to just fill the tanks manually when needed, and don't have to worry about sinking the boat.

[CF32907]

Originally Posted by Stewie1

I knew a guy who did that. His boat sunk and I mean sunk.

I am 72 now, was a marine surveyor for 20 years, done 1000's of boat claims for all the main insurance carriers.

Many boats sunk from hitting submerged objects (second most) other sinkings because of bad hoses on thru-hull fittings. (third most) Not one time did a boat sink because of damage from a lighting strike, not once did I see a breach to a hull or thru-hull from a lighting strike. Lighting does kill electrical most times, which kills your bilge pump.
This may surprise many but most sinkings were due to failed city water pressure control valves and vinyl plastics that cannot withstand the 50-90 psi of city water pressure system. Unless your system regulator is all metal no plastic and a secondary baffle to insure that it shuts off the water should the primary diaphram fail, shut of city water when leaving your boat. It's best to always use your boats own FWS and turn on shore water to fill the tanks.
Safe sailing to all, Capt. Vince Rakstis, Ret

[CF32907]

Originally Posted by waterman46

Any electrical bilge pump wprh putting into a boat has way more than enough capacity to pump out what will come from a 5/8 hose at 25psi (you will install a regulator on the hose at the dock spigot). So as long as the bilge pumps and the battery charger are working and the dock has power and nobody disturbs your power cord and the circuit breaker has not tripped, your boat won't sink. I guess I just made a good case for always turning off the dock valve whenever you leave the boat!

I don't find it much trouble to just fill the tanks manually when needed, and don't have to worry about sinking the boat.

Your wrong about your flow and pressures. Don't know where you got 25psi from, city water pressures are normally 50-90 psi...,. Only the largest of bilge pumps can keep up with that, normal pump on most 35 -35 foot boats don't have a chance. Retired marine surveyor, Capt. Vince Rakstis, Ret.

[Mike Banks]

I ran a marina freshwater supply using gate valves and a pressure-reduction valve that was set as 50 psi. My hot water service was on-demand LPG and could handle 50 psi easily, and that was the same pressure put out by the 12 volts fresh water pump system when running and drawing water from from the tanks.

However, it is a good idea to just fill your tanks from the marina supply and keep using the water from them--because it keeps your tanks fresh--and if you get a leak in a failed pipe, it will empty your tanks into the bilges, make a mess, but not sink your boat.

In the slip and when on the hard, I simply connected the supply hose to the input jack, closed off the gate valve to the water tank and switched off the battery-powered water pump. Once I opened the marina gate valve (set before the high pressure reduction valve) I had marina water at 50 psi--same as before--but quieter--and with limitless hot showers for as long as the LP gas bottles lasted.

[s/v Jedi]

The people who argue here about it and use city water pressure anyway, are the group as mentioned by surveyors here that have their boats sunk.

If you use city water feed, you are doing it wrong. If your boat came with an inlet for it then your boat is flawed and needs to be improved by removing it or changing it into a tank fill.

Fill your tanks, run the pump. all. the. time.

[odonnellryan]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Yet boats come with the external fitting already installed . Mine has one and the thought scares me enough that I have never used it (even though I've never had a fresh water line in the boat break/leak).

I just haven't found it too much trouble to just refill the tanks every couple of weeks and just use the boat's potable water pump.

I've been thinking - I wonder if I could drill my fresh water fitting out? As in drill through the valve. I imagine it has a two-way valve (so water does not come out when it is under pressure, though it also has a cap).

It is in the perfect place on my boat for a cockpit shower

[captnknopf]

I had a system like that years ago that worked great. What made it great was a sprinkler timer that let you water a number of gallons. Ten dollars at big box store. When I got to the boat every day, I would set it at 100 gallons (the amount that would not do damage if it leaked into the bildge). There was plenty of water for showers, dishes etc. If there was a leak, it would shut off before more than 100 gallons went into the boat. Had one hose burst (even tho I had a pressure limiter) in the boat and the device saved it.

[Howler]

We used shore water on a new Beneteau. It worked fine. We would detach the hose when not on board to avoid the risk of sinking in the event of a leak. But here’s another perspective. When we left the dock, and tried to use water from the tanks, it had gone sour, smelling like sulfur. We shocked the tanks and they re now clean and fresh.

Moral of the story: if you alternate between shore water and tank water, the tank water can stagnate. The best way to keep tank water fresh is to use it and replace it often. Or you have to leave your tanks empty when using shore water if you don’t mind filling them each time you head out.

We stopped using shore water in order to turn over the tank water more frequently. A small quantity of bleach added to each fill also helps keep it clean.

[Pegu Club]

You do have water at your slip, so you already have an endless supply of fresh water. Just fill your tanks when they run low, takes a few minutes. Why add complexity when it is not even close to being needed. That and you won’t accidentally sink your boat one day.

Fair winds,

[HopCar]

Originally Posted by Ivanvet

Or you can add a shut off device like in the one in the picture right at the water pedestal. That is what we have done in our boat. We have set it up at 200 gallons. Still, if we leave the boat for more than a day we turn off the water.

Inside the boat, after a ‘city water outlet’ which reduces the pressure to prevent spikes, I run a hose to a diverter valve, and to the water coming from the tanks/fresh water pump. When we leave the marina, we turn on the pump and turn the diverted valve to get water from the tanks.

You beat me to it. If you are going to hook to dock water you need to limit the amount of water that can enter the boat. I ran across the following that limits the water to 26 gallons at one time. When you turn off the faucet, it resets and will let in up to another 26 gallons next time you open the faucet.
https://www.waterdamagedefense.com/c...shut-off-valve

[rhubstuff]

If you are going to use shoreside water exclusively when docked, you should just empty your water tank, because the water in there will get stale and unusable the longer it sits, and you will have to empty and refill it before you go cruising anyway. If you use only your tankage while living aboard, you will develop numerous little ways to make your onboard water last longer when you head out. Make conservative water use a habit, and your cruising will be nicer.

[s/v Jedi]

I have to post again

Do not empty your water tank. Always keep it filled just like fuel tanks, dinghy fuel tanks and jerrycans as well as propane tanks. I know not every sailor is a prepper but it only takes a hurricane or other natural disaster and what you have in your tanks will be all you have for a while. I have needed everything 3 times in 16 years so that’s once every 5 years. First time I only had half a tank of outboard gas and it was bad.

Only use the water hose to shore for filling up your tanks. Do not rely on devices that limit water volume from a faucet. Those were not designed to prevent boats from sinking and they will not accept responsibility if your boat sinks as a result of their device failing.

[JPA Cate]

I'm a bit of a pessimist kid. So, I'm going to say pay attention to those who are telling you to fill your tank when it empties. Do not try and rely on tools to make a constant draw like in a house possible. If you really want to be a sailor at all, it is one of the more basic lessons to monitor your water consumption, and understand it, rather than taking unlimited fresh water for granted. It will help you to learn to treat it as precious.

Some people address the issue by watermakers, and enjoy fresh water all the time, even using watermaker water to wash off the boat mid passage. But where experienced cruisers get together and joke, you'll hear stories about having to undo conservation habits of a lifetime of sailing when they go ashore for a shower in a marina, because they've made an art and a habit making do with what was available.

Pull back a little from your delight in gadgetry that will fail sometime, think what would be safe on a long trip. Your tank water can keep you alive for a long time, if it's still there.

Ann