Water storage.

[jamie N]

As the title, what opinions are there for water storage onboard for a nominal 'month' of cruising, away from a certainty of marina's?
The caveat is of a small boat, in my case a Folkboat which already has an approx 40 litre aluminum tank, and sailing solo, no shower onboard.
The discussion with a mate is would it be better to put in a ''Plastimo' type flexi water tank", or to "have 50X2l water bottles"?
My view is the simple that I'll buy the bottles, which are refillable (to a point), less liable to contamination which could be catastrophic using the other method, don't require a working pump and are convenient. They'd be my 'consumption' supply of water, with the fitted tank being the washing/hygiene source for dhobi and body.
We're not talking RKJ stuff here, but a couple of old fart, preparing for a jaunt away on our own boat's from the Black Isle, up to and about the Faeroe Islands, without needing any water worries.

 

[Poignard]

I'd go for multiple plastic bottles which can be tucked into odd corners and crushed after use to make disposal easier.

 

[KevinV]

I'd go for multiple plastic bottles which can be tucked into odd corners and crushed after use to make disposal easier.

Ditto, although I'd feel guilty about the amount of plastic waste

 

[Sandy]

I have c 200 ltrs of tanked water, a salt water tap and carry three 10 ltr plastic jerry cans. The salt water is usually used in cooking and cleaning dishes. I've often used burns to fill the jerry cans from, you may want to add some water purifying tabs or filter system if you are worried about dead sheep upstream. You can always collect rainwater in the jerry cans.

99% of my consumed water is boiled. I only use a single drop of water in my ?

On plassage I like to drink a lot of fruit juice as it quenches thirst better than water and helps with the avoidance of scurvy . At anchor they can be used as a mixer in gin and rum. I recommend 'chilling stones' rather than ice if you are worried about a 'dose of the trots'.

I have heard that 3 ltrs per person per day is a good rule of thumb, but get away with 2 ltrs.

 

[johnalison]

I carry 250l but if I wanted to add to that I’d use the largest plastic Jerry cans I could fit around the boat.

 

[jamie N]

I carry 250l but if I wanted to add to that I’d use the largest plastic Jerry cans I could fit around the boat.

I see your point, but do have a concern about the convenience of filling a kettle from a jerry can?

 

[NormanS]

When I had a Folkboat, a long time ago now, we had no plumbing at all, and had 5 x 10 litre plastic containers for fresh water. These fitted under the floorboards. Toilet was 'bucket and chuckit'. Dishwashing was salt. We washed a lot in burns. We were very young and unsophisticated. ?

 

[capnsensible]

Plastic bottles every time. If you want, you can get 5l ones to refill the smaller bottles to spread around the boat. Lot less waste.
There are also cheap plastic handpumps that fit a 5l bottle to make life even easier.

All this worked for us whilst living aboard our Moody 33 for 23 years.....

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I see your point, but do have a concern about the convenience of filling a kettle from a jerry can?

You decant it into your main tank and fill the portable tank when you can, if no convenient hose.
I used a 5 litre plastic bottles, screen wash style, on a transatlantic. We basically filled the bilges with them as our spare water supply. Worked well, fitted the space under the sole.

 

[Talulah]

A mix of 1 litre and 5 litre bottles. Forget the flexi tank. Take a 25 litre container for when you can get to a tap but the tap isn’t reachable directly from the boat.

 

[KevinV]

Just thinking about this a bit more (as it's pertinent to my own boat) I wonder if those collapsible cans, with a tap on would be an idea?

This kind of thing :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ElifeAcc-C...er-Spigot/dp/B0797X6638/ref=asc_df_B0797X6638

 

[jamie N]

Cheers KevinV, but you're not an Aberdonian sort of chap: Some I know would've fainted at the price!

Price:

£11.99 - £17.99

 

[Buck Turgidson]

In a slightly larger boat I have 55lt inbuilt tank, 25lt plastic jerry can with a tap in the lid and about 60lts in various plastic bottles spread around all the nooks and crannies . If I need more in the future I will buy another Gerry can.

 

[Sandy]

I see your point, but do have a concern about the convenience of filling a kettle from a jerry can?

You can get screw top lids with a wee tap on them.

I do have a brewer friend who does a canal trip every year with some other brewers who takes a barrel of beer with them, perhaps that is the answer.

 

[jamie N]

I'm even more convinced by the simplicity of those 'Tesco' bottles being the answer in having the ease of placement and use, along with thrift, thus will thank the forum(aye)tes in affirming my choice. ?

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Ditto, although I'd feel guilty about the amount of plastic waste

I would not feel guilty about plastic waste if I could dispose of it in a recycling bin, particularly if I have already had the opportunity to re-use it at least once. On recent cruises we have found it convenient to hang a "bag for life" up somewhere, to contain the plastic bottles and cans and other packaging waste. It's surprising how little goes into the "gash" bin.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

You decant it into your main tank and fill the portable tank when you can, if no convenient hose.
I used a 5 litre plastic bottles, screen wash style, on a transatlantic. We basically filled the bilges with them as our spare water supply. Worked well, fitted the space under the sole.

...and left no space for wine??

 

[RunAgroundHard]

...and left no space for wine??

All the fore cabin under locker bins had been filled and sealed with duty free booze by customs before we departed. We traded fags for whisky in the middle of the atlantic with a french boat going east. Who throws first ...

 

[BobnLesley]

Ditto, although I'd feel guilty about the amount of plastic waste

Then again, even if you carried it all in the 1.5 litre 'standard' water bottles the plastic from 100 of those fits comfortably inside one typical supermarket carrier bag. I didn't believe it either, so I did the experiment/check and it's true.

 

[KevinV]

Cheers KevinV, but you're not an Aberdonian sort of chap: Some I know would've fainted at the price!

Price:

£11.99 - £17.99

I did say something *like* this! I won't pay that price either - being of Dutch extraction I'd be working out how often I have to refill from a tap to earn my money back