Do you use your own Hosepipe?

capnsensible

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Always. Both on our liveaboard yacht and when we had them, our commercial boats. I don't think I've ever found marina hoses away from the uk. Obviously, usage is higher with people numbers. And particularly in non tidal areas, it's far better in my opinion to shower ashore.
Have always used cheapo hoses and when they get a bit sticky on the outside from sunlight, bin them for new.
 

Poignard

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Try to avoid the yellow hoses as they are not designed for potable water. If left out in the sun, the plasticisers (chemicals that make the hose flexible) can migrate into the water - probably in minute quantities, but ...

Potable water hoses are usually coloured blue if the whole hose is made from a single plastic plus reinforcement, or sometimes you can buy with a liner, e.g.

Potable Drinking Water Hoses | Water Irrigation


I like the idea of flat hoses for storage space reasons but find they kink and wrap themselves under cleats.


Much more choice available form e.g. Amazon than the last time I looked a couple of years ago.

Amazon.com : potable water hose
You may be right but there is no reason to leave a hose out in the sun any longer than is necessary to fill one's tanks or wash the boat.
 

oldmanofthehills

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The stretchy ones are very slow as the bore is small, so we carry one for ready use if close to tap and wanting top up, but 50m garden hose tucked inaccessible deep in the bowels of the boat for use when tap is at far landward end of some quayside as at Tresco.

The stretchy ones perish or get damaged and last only a few years
 

Halo

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The secret with the flat cassette ones is to lay them out totally flat before winding them in. Don’t let anyone walk on them and put them away ASAP. This way they seem to last ok. I carry one of those and one of the self stretching type. I like to run the hose for ages before filling the tank so do a hose down of the decks first. The stretching one is easier by far but does restrict flow even when fully inflated.
 

johnalison

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The secret with the flat cassette ones is to lay them out totally flat before winding them in. Don’t let anyone walk on them and put them away ASAP. This way they seem to last ok. I carry one of those and one of the self stretching type. I like to run the hose for ages before filling the tank so do a hose down of the decks first. The stretching one is easier by far but does restrict flow even when fully inflated.
I don't lay mine flat. I take the centre and hitch it to my pulpit and lay the rest out side by side along the pontoon. I leave it a few minutes for preference and then, starting at the pulpit run the two hoses between my fingers raised above my head, thus increasing the fall for drainage. By the time I get to the two ends of the hose there is next to no water left in it and it can be reeled in.
 

johnalison

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By Heck, they would love you in the water scarce areas like the Isle of Scilly, Brittany islands and the Med
Decisions are more complex in places where you pay for water, commonly 1 euro for 100 litres. We usually make a mental note of which these places are and fill up elsewhere before arrival. To avoid waste, wait until someone else has just used the hose, and if you are lucky, they filled their tank before the money ran out. I think that I shall have to call my next boat 'Skinflint'.
 

oldmanofthehills

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Decisions are more complex in places where you pay for water, commonly 1 euro for 100 litres. We usually make a mental note of which these places are and fill up elsewhere before arrival. To avoid waste, wait until someone else has just used the hose, and if you are lucky, they filled their tank before the money ran out. I think that I shall have to call my next boat 'Skinflint'.
If the Isles of Scilly run out of water your pound wont help them much anyway.
 

duncan99210

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SimonFa

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One of these

Force-4-20m-Flat-Hose.jpg

Expensive, but I've had it for the best part of 10 years, so cheaper than a sensibly priced one that doesn't last. (Had one of those, too :rolleyes: )
I had one of those, lasted 5 years. I’ve now got one of those elasticated ones and I was impressed I got one for my motorhome and retired the one like that.
 

Rappey

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Yes all the pontoon hoses were taken back by most marinas to save money(elf and safety ?
The fact that all marinas removed (should have) hoses at the same time should tell you its nothing to do with saving money ? hoses like electricity was all part of the services they offered.
The WRAS water regulations are responsible. Health and safety is one of the reasons.. A hose out in the sun all day can harbour a whole load of nastys which you then transfer to your boats water tank.. That seems to completely ignore what your own hose which may rarely get used can harbour, but that would be your own fault, not the marinas.
The 2nd reason is that many drop the hose into the sea.. Regardless of all the compulsory non return valves they claim if there was a large fire and the fire brigade was pulling a large quantity from the water mains the hoses dangling in the sea could suck up the sea water and contaminate the fresh water supply.
Meanwhile over a mile of waterpipes can sit under the pontoons cooking in the sun with little water flow, but thats ok ?
 

greeny

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I buy the cheapest I can get and use it for almost exactly one year and then it gets nicked by the Spanish visitors in summer. I then go and buy another cheapo for another year. No worries about bursting or UV damage as I don't have it long enough. :):)
 

LadyInBed

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I've used a Black & Decker flat hose for 30 odd years but they don't make them now. Other flat hoses are available. About 3 years ago I bought a 'scrunchy' hose, you have to use an on/off / flow control tap on the down stream end to stop it shriveling. I've used it with various levels of success. The one advantage is it is quick to deploy and put away.
 
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