Deck Drains, Water supply

 

This 100 degree elbow from Marine East, is made from reinforced nylon. This is what I use on both side decks to begin the draining process from deck to tanks.

 I cannot imagine anyone saying you or I,  have "Too much fresh water in our tanks".  Can YOU?

No, so more is better.  Many or most boats are sold today with minimal 'everything' to keep the costs down so they can still sell boats.  I cannot blame them...times are tough and the people writing the 'bs ads,' still have mortgages and car payments, kids in school etc.etc. etc.

Fifteen years later, down in Panama last year, I replace both elbows with NEW ones.  Ok, they only lasted 15 years or so.  sigh.....

 I did this many years ago and got to live the life.... by rebuilding the boat of my dreams from a Solid Base.. Save some money and retrofit your boat to have a 'catchment' system to load up your fresh water tank or tanks.

This one idea is significant yet easy to do.  Water Storage.

Tankage costs money.  Decades of old magazines 'show' methods of draining a 'small' portion of rain water into your tanks or ...buckets with tarps, biminis etc..  Now let's get serious.

Under the deck, I used 'no hubs', a rubber conncector available at most plumbing stores, or Home Depot to connect the deck drain to a PVC plumbing system I built into my boat for many things.  In this case, to drain water into my tanks.

"We" have been able to divert, 90% of all water hitting our boat, to drain (after the boat has been washed by 5-10 minutes of rain-to wash off salt etc.) into our Water Tanks.  When we feel our boat is clean from a bit of rain, we opt for opening our "System to fill tanks" in only a minute or 2.

AFTER, the water is in our tanks, we use a Home Style Filter System mounted under a cabinet to filter ALL water before it goes anywhere aboard.    We 'then' added one more filter of Eqaul size, to filter our drinking water.

 Once inside our boat, the water is draining into the PVC plumbing.  I can shut off one valve at the bottom, stopping the deck water from draining out near the waterlines thu-hull. Then, opening the above and slightly to the left valve, I divert the water down and to the left...Into my water tank.  I have ONE of these systems on each side of my boat. Cost? a few bucks and time to install.

We drink water from the Gods....clean, safe and delicious.  Free.

Yes, we have had to PAY for fresh water...........maybe 3 times in 7 years.  Total?  Maybe $20. or less.

So you want a Watermaker?, Chores, Maintanance issues?  Ok.  KIS...........

$20 bucks + maybe $200 at most, for original parts.............................vs. ?

Watermaker: To build or not to build?, then how?

Most of us cruisers ask these questions a thousand times. The web address below, will lead you to an interesting and informative article on building your own watermaker. He built an engine drive system, but in the next post you will see I was thinking of an A.C. driven unit instead of engine drive. My thoughts are NOT to work our 90 hp diesel, when all we need is a 2 hp effort. (Diesels at anchor have little to load them up with..and that's tough on them.)

Now, if adding a small Honda EU2000i generator is offered for consideration for battery charging while cruising, why not add 2 (4000 watts total) and cover extra contingencies like having a watermaker?

So if your interested in the concept, try this link. You'll probably have to copy and paste it.

http://www.rutuonline.com/html/watermaker.html