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Rick D
RO# 32381
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 Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 10:14:29
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... drink the tap water on your boat? I do not for two reasons... one, it tastes a bit off and two, it bugs the hell out of me that they would put the fresh water fill right next to the holding tank pumpout on the topside. Why would they put the two so close?
Just bugs me.
--Rick
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| 1997 Larson Cabrio 310 |
Homeport: Guilford, CT
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 10:19:45
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Always have for decades on many boats, just properly clean the system from time to time.
Lazy builders. That is a worrying design. Could you move the water fill??
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Bruce
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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Rick D
RO# 32381
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 10:29:16
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sure, I could move it a few feet or so.
But I still question how clean the water is at a marina when I fill from a garden hose hooked on their dock.
I'm not OCD or anything, I guess I am just accustomed to drinking well water rather than water from a storage tank. If I leave a glass of water on the counter for 7 days, I don't drink it. But I might go a week before returning to the boat where the water has been sitting for just as long.
Just a quirk for me I guess.
--Rick
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| 1997 Larson Cabrio 310 |
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Homeport: Guilford, CT
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frosh coach
RO# 26203
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 10:34:21
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Bruce:
How do you clean the system?
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Homeport: New Haven, CT
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GeeBee
RO# 385
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 10:38:52
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I use bottled water because I can put it in the fridge or cooler, the water tank is in a hot bilge.
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"The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."... Margaret Thatcher
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Homeport: Lake Lanier, GA
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 10:44:14
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Remove any filters, add bleach, I use a half gallon for 140 gallons, fill the tank, and run every faucet, except hot water, until you smell bleach. Let it sit for a bit and run them again. Then let sit for a few hours. Run all faucets and drain tank. Flush with clean water several times then add some baking soda and repeat the flushing process let that sit over night then drain and flush again. From that point on just use the water and run every faucet and drain the tank before starting on a trip. I have never bleached the hot water tank,If it got stinky I would. My engine heating probably kills anything, but I do drain it.
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Bruce
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Edited by - pdecat on Apr 30 2012 10:45:23 |
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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MikeeH
RO# 6342
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 10:51:27
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We did the same as Bruce (don't have the big boat any longer). If a regular garden hose bugs you then you can get the white sanitary hose and use that to fill your tank. Cleaning and sanitizing the system as Bruce describes is imperative. You also need to use the water in the tank regularly to keep everthing fresh during the season.
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Mike
I recently realized that at this stage of my life I'm now wise enough to know better, but old enough not to give a damn.
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Homeport: Still Pond, MD
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stmbtwle
RO# 7934
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 11:06:30
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I drink the tap water on my boat and have for years. I filter the water as it comes aboard, and never load more water than I expect to use in a couple weeks. Constant turnover seems to be the key. I NEVER use the dock-water hookup.
I also use one of those white hoses, and it's dedicated to potable water.
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| Willie. She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! |
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Homeport: Tampa Bay, FL
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 11:43:00
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It is a good idea to treat the hose as well.
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Bruce
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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PascalG
RO# 12212
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 11:43:56
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I drink it... With good filtration and regular tank turn over it taste good.
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Pascal
1970 Hatteras 53 MY
26' Starfish sloop
12' Westphal Catboat
16' Hobie Cat
13' Sandbarhopper
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Homeport: Miami, FL
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Ironworks
RO# 20174
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 12:03:50
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My waste and fresh water fills are 20 feet apart. I too keep the drinking water clean by frequent use. You might want to invest in a colored hose suitable for drinking water. The white hoses grow algae on the inside.Never had problem with the colored hoses. As for well water tasting different,depends on what contaminates it.
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44' Viking MY
40' Inland Seas
21' Bayliner Trophy Hdtp
10' Zodiac Air Floor |
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Homeport: toledo oh.
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j-d
RO# 15782
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 12:18:01
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Same issue comes up in the RV community, same sanitizing procedure.
Same White Hose issue, pretty much. We've found it's a worse idea to connect the ends of a coiled hose (to keep stuff out of it when not in use) than to leave both ends open and exposed to air (less chance of mold).
Squirrels like to bite white hoses, whether used for Boat OR RV...
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God Bless, jd
1996 Sea Ray 215EC
Alpha One GEN II 5.7L/350CID/EFI/220HP
14-1/2*19 Stainless RWC
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Homeport: Sunny Florida
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 12:20:33
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I always drain the hose before storage. Dont have any idea if it does any good.
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Bruce
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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Rick D
RO# 32381
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 12:35:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Ironworks
My waste and fresh water fills are 20 feet apart.
Mine are at most 1 foot apart. I am actually just thinking of converting the current drinking water tank to a feed for the marine head so it uses fresh water instead of sea water.
Then I would run new lines from a separate (new) tank for the tap water.
--Rick
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| 1997 Larson Cabrio 310 |
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Homeport: Guilford, CT
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Flutterby
RO# 14378
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 13:26:22
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I never used the dock water for anything but washing. I even rinsed my toothbrush with the fresh water I carried onboard. Where I live, the water is fresh snow melt and tastes wonderful. The water at the dock is from a well which is fed by the brackish water of the delta and tastes terrible!
If my boat wasn't used for a couple of weeks during the summer, even though it was in a covered berth, the water tank would develop mold. yikes! I had to treat the "fresh water tanks" once or twice each summer. No way I would drink that water! I didn't even drink the local water in restaurants. I always ordered bottled or carbonated water.
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Homeport: California Sierras/Gold Country
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Thudpucker
RO# 10503
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 13:52:35
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Always use the White RV hoses to take water on board.
In my campers n' boats I always used a Teaspoon of Clorox in a gallon or two of water and ran it through the Faucet's.
If they use the "Green" hoses to bring water to your boat, you might as well bring your own water on board in your own containers.
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Homeport: AL.
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getakey
RO# 32379
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 13:54:26
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Water from those green hoses sure tasted good when I was a kid playing in the yard
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Homeport: CA
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 14:09:01
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Another secret to good water is to let the water run for a while to get everything that has been sitting in the docks pipes flushed out. Wash the boat first then fill the tanks when the water runs cold.
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Bruce
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Edited by - pdecat on Apr 30 2012 14:35:56 |
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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nwaring
RO# 16045
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 14:23:59
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Do I fill a glass and drink it...NO. I do fill the coffee maker from the tap, we cook with it, we brush our teeth with it. I also buy a new "white" hose at the beginning of every season. I do get a little more picky when using water from my holding tanks. I leave those tanks empty most of the time unless we are traveling so before a trip I'll do the bleech treatment.
Niles
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"Interlude"
87 Mainship 36DC
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Homeport: Ashtabula Oh - Lake Erie
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caltexfla
RO# 14522
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 16:38:40
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I drink mine all the time; it's just city tap water. Like Greg, we keep plenty of bottled or Brita water in the fridge for convenience, plus my wife doesn't even like to drink tap water no matter where she is... even though many tests show that bottle water is no "purer".
A nice design feature on my boat is that the fuel fills, water fill and pump out are all either on different sides of the boat or 20 feet apart, no way you can can confuse or pollute any of them. I am surprised how many big boats don't have this feature and you hear tales of people putting fuel or water in the wrong tank. If my water was next to the pump out, I admit I'd be squeamish too and have all sorts of filters in line.
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Homeport: Wherever
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Veg
RO# 20854
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 16:45:24
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Nope, we drink bottled water on the boat. NO worries about fill location (it's on the opposite side of boat than the waste, and also midship versus fuel which is more aft, so there's no other fill within feet), but I just don't like the idea of drinking water that's sitting there in varying temperatures for days or weeks at a time (even when I top it off once in a while, I'm sure some water stays in that tank for quite a bit). Also, since I flush the sytem with bleach once a year, I don't like the idea of possibly drinking any residue of that.
Even though my tank is basically in the cabin, the boat sits on the slip 5 days a week w/o the air on, so the temperature varies quite a bit. If I was a liveaboard or ran the air 24/7, maybe, but honestly I rarely even drink tap at home.
Lastly, that would just add to draining the water tank faster.
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| 2001 Tiara 2900 Open - "O Sole Mio" - Stillwater, MN |
Edited by - Veg on Apr 30 2012 16:47:19 |
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Homeport: Stillwater, MN
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MikeeH
RO# 6342
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 17:13:57
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Bottled water sits in a plastic bottle in all kinds of temperatures so what's the difference?
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Mike
I recently realized that at this stage of my life I'm now wise enough to know better, but old enough not to give a damn.
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Homeport: Still Pond, MD
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jmeirhofer
RO# 30972
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 17:20:36
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeeH
Bottled water sits in a plastic bottle in all kinds of temperatures so what's the difference?
Sealed container vs. Open system. JMHO.
I don't drink from the tap at home, definitely wouldn't on the boat even when hooked to dock water.
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John
1997 Trojan 440 Express
"Son, I've got a very low bull$*%t tolerance" -- Pancho Carter
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Homeport: Baltimore, MD
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Ghost
RO# 689
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 17:57:43
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I got tired of hauling all that bottled water. Worse is the amount of trash created by those damned bottles. It's insanity.
So, after 15 years on the water I broke down and bought and installed a filter housing under my sink, plumbed to the cold water side. I replace filters about every 3 months and use the higher quality filters. You can buy this stuff at home cheapo and get the ones that you can find the filters anywhere (even the grocery every now & then).
My water tastes fantastic. As good or better than the bottled water.
Like Bruce, I commision my water system in the spring with a bleach solution. If the tank gets used (and it does) it stays fresh.
My water & my head pumpout are on opposite sides of the boat. That said, when I bring the hose over I let it run for awhile before filling my tank, all that baterial & junk that can contaminate your water supply is already in any tap water system, the only difference is that they get flushed every day, so let it run. While that is happening, I use the running water to clean up the area around the fill before I open it.
Think objectively and you will do yourself a favor. Nothing wrong with the tap water if like anything else on a boat, you understand how it works, treat it appropriately keep up with maintaining it.
I could never go back to hauling all those damn bottles. Never. My next plan is to purchase the very same filter I use for my drinking water, put a couple garden hose fittings on it and use it as a pre-filter when filling my water tank. It will take out all the nasty stuff before it ever goes into my tank and before I drink, it will get filtered once more at the sink. It will simply be a way to deal with antiqated water systems/hoses at far away marina's and the ones who's well's while sanitary do not taste so good. Most of our water is taste wise top notch, but anytime you get on an island, things can get a bit different in the fresh water department.
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| What part of GALE WARNING did you not understand? |
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Homeport: Everett Wa
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Audrey II
RO# 30499
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 18:04:14
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I don't drink the water but I do use the ice I make, the alcohol kills the germs.
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Dave
I just wish common sense was a little more common.
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1996 440 Trojan Express
2008 Sea-Doo GTX Jet Ski sold |
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Homeport: Haverstraw, NY
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rduhon
RO# 29321
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 18:33:02
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I do. But I also keep small plastic bottles in ice chest. Cold water is good on a hot day.
We only have a 25 or 30 gallon tank, so we save as much as possible for showers and washing dishes.
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Homeport: Lake Charles, La
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Britanic
RO# 27562
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 18:54:50
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I drink it, the key is frequent use, no problems
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Homeport: Barnegat Bay, NJ
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jpowell
RO# 15168
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 19:00:52
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I'd be a lot more concerned about what is in the city water main than what is in your boat water tank
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Jay Powell
Wellcraft Martinique 30'
The World Ends in 2012 ! |
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Homeport: Edgewater, MD
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 19:07:04
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Nothing wrong with adding a charcoal filter in the cold faucet.
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Bruce
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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walterv
RO# 12640
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 20:19:26
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Funny post, guess this is today's world. Me I drink beer :) , Kids and wife drink bottled water. But to answer your question, many moons ago while I was a kid, we drank the water from my dads boat that sat forever and I am still here as well as all my siblings and my mom.
Don't see a problem
Walter
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And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.
George Carlin |
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Homeport:
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ronp
RO# 23477
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 20:29:09
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We don't drink ours. I don't have any real concerns about it from a sanitary perspective - we wash dishes, brush teeth, shower in it. It just doesn't taste great. Maybe more tank flushing or filtering would change that, but it's as easy to get the 2.5 gallon dispenser containers at the supermarket, and then refill them from time to time at home in the kitchen. I've never gone through one of those in a long weekend using it for cooking and coffee, and I always have a spare. We do also keep bottles of water in the cooler, and it's no more trouble to load those up than it is to load up beer and soda.
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Thanks,
Ron |
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Homeport: Amityville, NY
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Pa Mikee
RO# 32785
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 20:51:58
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I'm only out on the boat for weekends or overnight. I bring along a one gallon cooler of fresh water for coffee, cooking, and brushing teeth.
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Homeport:
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Chesagansett
RO# 9880
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 21:11:24
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The water tank gets very litte turnover on our boat. We don't drink it. Plus, even it was perfectly clean and tasted good, it comes out warm. We don't have an ice maker, and I hate warm drinks. We're mostly day boaters, so we jusr bring along a cooler. We freeze several water bottles in our freezer at home, and stick those in the cooler. They serve a dual purpose of chillng the cooler, and they provide ice cold drinking water as they melt. Any we don't use, we just toss back in the freezer when we get home. This system has worked well for us.
If wer're traveling in an area not near home for several days, an have no freezer access, we just stop and buy a bag or two of ice each day on the way to the boat.
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Glenn
Herndon, VA
Four Winns Sundowner 245
"Going Coastal" |
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Homeport: Upper Chesapeake Bay / Key Biscayne, FL
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Britanic
RO# 27562
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 21:20:21
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Wife wants to know; how many of you pee in the shower?
She's pretty sure I'm the only one.
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Homeport: Barnegat Bay, NJ
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32carv
RO# 24150
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Posted - Apr 30 2012 : 22:36:02
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I don't pee in the shower but I pee off of my swim platform at night. Is that a bad thing to do?
Jim
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Homeport: Sacandaga Lake
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bobalong
RO# 19429
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 01:56:04
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Yep, pee in the shower at home unless outside, ahh . . country living, swim deck usually, or incognito from marina dock when at the lake.
Just did a google search of "dangers of drinking bottled water" . . . if you think that plastic bottle is better than that green hose your avoiding better read up.
We filter our ice maker & drinking water both at home and on the boat. However I don't filter water going into my FW tank on the boat. What chlorine that is present from city water and frequent turn around keeps things just fine in there.
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Homeport: Sutherrrn Indianannna
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Regal 2860
RO# 29449
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 07:23:23
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The bottled water companies have done a great job brain washing a lot of people convincing them they need bottled water. I feel it is a complete waste of money and natural resources.
I put a safh2ouv on my boat, has 2 filters and a UV light, works great.
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2006 Cruisers Yacht 420 EX D6
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Homeport:
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MikeeH
RO# 6342
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 07:30:13
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Read the label on many brands of bottled water and you may find that it came from a public water system with "additional filtering". In other words, same as you would get from a Brita.
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Mike
I recently realized that at this stage of my life I'm now wise enough to know better, but old enough not to give a damn.
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Homeport: Still Pond, MD
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HOGAN
RO# 3813
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 Posted - May 01 2012 : 07:36:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Audrey II
I don't drink the water but I do use the ice I make, the alcohol kills the germs.
Same with me!
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_________________________
1999 Trojan 440 Express
2005 Scout 175 Sportfish
Achilles LEX 96
MMSI# 338049724
Surly to bed, surly to rise... |
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Homeport: SS3 @ PennyBridge Marina, Stony Point, NY
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stmbtwle
RO# 7934
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 07:45:57
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeeH
Read the label on many brands of bottled water and you may find that it came from a public water system with "additional filtering". In other words, same as you would get from a Brita.
+1
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| Willie. She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! |
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Homeport: Tampa Bay, FL
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 07:48:18
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An ice maker and it's water line is more worry some to me than the water lines because it is very hard to clean since you cant get water to flow through it. For that reason I use only the ice trays in the freezer. We like to get the boat ready the night before so starting new ice is not a problem.
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Bruce
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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praetorian
RO# 14793
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 08:10:06
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I boat on Georgian Bay, where the water is pretty clean. I tapped off my wash down pump to a electric solenoid valve that goes to a couple filters (5micron carbon, .5micron, and then a UV sterilizer) and that fills the fresh water tank. For drinking water, I have one of the Seagull IV filters (I'm actually using a similar unit called Purest One that's sold on Ebay) beside the galley sink. We drink the water all the time. The primary filter/UV makes the water fine for washing dishes and showering, and the Seagull makes it safe and tastes good for drinking. I also put a Soda Stream on board for carbonating the water. I make the coke, etc on board and save a ton of storage needed for drinks and the garbage that the empties make.
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Homeport: On
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Rick D
RO# 32381
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rythmstrat
RO# 32479
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 08:47:35
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Very interesting topic. We also boat on Georgian Bay, and have the benefit of relatively clean fresh water. We do bring drinking water from home tho.
An inline filter on house water system is something I'd like to install. We usually consume an entire tank full of water most weekends, fortunately, so it's not sitting too long.
I wonder if it's better if I leave the water level in the tank down while away for the week, and fill on our return, or fill prior to leaving on Sunday nights? I hate all that plastic water bottle waste!!
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Scott.
'Pretty Sure...'
Moose Deer Point Marina
'88 32 Carver Montego
2000 Seadoo LRV.
2008 Triumph Tiger 1050 |
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Homeport: Twelve Mile Bay, Georgian Bay, Ontario
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Chesagansett
RO# 9880
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 11:39:49
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As for bottled water, it has nothing to do with any health or purity claims by the bottled water company as to why we use it on the boat. It has to do with convenience.
As I stated earier:
"We freeze several water bottles in our freezer at home, and stick those in the cooler. They serve a dual purpose of chillng the cooler, and they provide ice cold drinking water as they melt. Any we don't use, we just toss back in the freezer when we get home. This system has worked well for us."
Much easier than the ice and cups routine to chill warm water for day boating.
I have no problem drinking the tap water at home.
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Glenn
Herndon, VA
Four Winns Sundowner 245
"Going Coastal" |
Edited by - Chesagansett on May 01 2012 11:41:20 |
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Homeport: Upper Chesapeake Bay / Key Biscayne, FL
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giolic
RO# 23638
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 11:46:42
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Bruce, How did you come up with that ratio ? Seems like to much bleach ?
I use a few table s
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Homeport:
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giolic
RO# 23638
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 11:50:19
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Poons per 120 gallons then about a tea spoon at each fill.
I'm nit saying your wrong I'm just curious how u came to that ratio
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Homeport:
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pdecat
RO# 842
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 12:01:05
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Got no idea, I have always used a lot of bleach in every boat. I want to nuke the system. A few tablespoons sounds like what you add to water you plan to drink.
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Bruce
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Edited by - pdecat on May 01 2012 12:14:02 |
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Homeport: Gulf Coast FL
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giolic
RO# 23638
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 12:55:09
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Sounds good to me to then Bruce ,
I cycle the water in my holding tank and never use my dockside water hookup however I like to drink bottled water. We cook do laundry and shower etc with the holding tank water. I'm on the boat 5-6 mnths a yr so it never gets stale.
I also stay on moorings so I know my water is always going to be good but I'm not comfortable drinking it
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Homeport:
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Billylll
RO# 24494
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 13:51:51
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I drank water from the tanks when we used the boat 4-5 days a week. My wife on the other hand wouldn't drink any water anywhere unless it is bottled. Our waste pump out is on the bow of the boat and at least 15 feet from the front freshwater tank fill. The rear freshwater tank fill is on the opposite side of the boat and aft. Even with all that I still replaced the old Aluminum tanks with new Poly tanks and just replaced the freshwater pressure pump last season.
Bill
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WirelessOne,
40 Mainship
Sedan Bridge
Little Egg, N.J. |
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Homeport: Tuckerton, N.J.
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Regal 2860
RO# 29449
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Posted - May 01 2012 : 15:40:24
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The bottled water companies have done a great job brain washing a lot of people convincing them they need bottled water. I feel it is a complete waste of money and natural resources.
I put a safh2ouv on my boat, has 2 filters and a UV light, works great.
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2006 Cruisers Yacht 420 EX D6
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Homeport:
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Topic |
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How many of you...
