Additional Water Tank or Bladder question

[SteveM]

My dock in the islands has no water or power. I could keep the boat at the nearby marina but that has a cost.
Getting water to the dock is a gargantuan project as there is no city water; all water is supplied by collection cisterns under the house and my house is probably 1000 feet away from the dock.
The goal is to be able to wash down the boat after day trips.
My stock internal tank is the regular 18 gallons (I think that's what it is..), and I can run through that pretty quickly.
Has anyone put in a spare or additional bladder? Where did you put it? And did you put in a "Y" valve to alternate over to the spare? And how big of a bladder did you put in?
The alternative is to go over to the marina and buy 18 gallons regularly, or simply pay for an hourly/temporary slip to wash down the boat. Sometimes simple is best.

[PeterPalmieri]

My question is how are you going to refill the additional tank?

[wmachovina]

Steve, I did just that with Seachele. Put a bladder in , t'ed it in with 2 PVC. Shutoff valves. I used the port fish box and ran the line down between the motors. 40 gal for when Shell and I came over to the Abacos. Instant 58 gal of water, a little set up work but it worked. If you didn't move exhaust outboard during your repower you may have room outboard. I do have the bladder if you want it. The 38 holds 100 gal. Bill

[SteveM]

Bill, we did move the mufflers outside the stringer. I have not built a fix box yet...that would lead to a new deck. However I do have some nice space down there. How much for the bladder? And where are you located, I forget...Stuart?

[Pete Fallon]

Steve,
Bill lives in Stuart/Palm City a few miles from me, He will be in St Pete all day tomorrow surveying his new 38 Bertram FBC, I was supposed to do it but my knee is acting up again, I am on crutches, he'll be back on Tuesday. The bladder sounds like an option they also come in larger sizes, how about putting a couple of big poly plastic barrels on your dock, fill them with rain water or from the hose from your house cistern, or make a smaller sized cistern near your dock, use a high pressure 12 volt pump to supply water and a battery that can be recharged by solar panel? I know water prices in the Bahamas are very pricey, the bladder system sounds like the easiest but in the long run a smaller sized cistern would be the best solution. Make sure you have a good filter system or screen over the cistern or the barrels mosquitoes raise hell with filter screens and pumps as well as other creatures that like water. How far from the house cistern to the dock, a length of garden hose with a pressure pump on either end would also work if it's not too far away. A length of high grade hose is fairly inexpensive, a single 110 volt water pump at the house end, 12 volt pressure pump and a sola r charger at the doc k end, you can probability do did for under $250.00. Just barn storming ideas maybe one could work.
Pete Fallon

[SteveM]

Pete, that was one of my first ideas....since I want water AT the dock and cargo space is precious on the boat.
I was envisioning a large tank (the barrels are a good idea) that I could build a frame under the dock. The trick is pumping it back out to the boat.
There is a guy on the island that has a water truck...he could fill up the tank when needed.
I also don't want to be blamed for my tank ruining the dock during a storm as it's a shared pier with slips. I suppose I could put my cistern under my finger pier, which is solely my responsibility.
I'd like a pump that has enough pressure to push a 40' hose with a fitting. I've got a genset on the boat now, but not sure I want to mix electric ext cords wish washing the boat. I suppose I could be careful. ;)
Would love any ideas from all the Mr. Fix Its. It will be another project to accomplish by next summer.

[SteveM]

I could use bolts on the frame that allow me to remove the poly tanks for hurricane season..that would be smart. The docks have a hard enough time without something like that helping it lift and separate.

[SteveM]

Something like this might fit under the finger pier in a wood support frame. Lots of water.
http://www.bushmanusa.com/admin/spec_sheets/47.pdf