portable water tankage - extending time between docking.

[Simi 60]

I have just purchased a 200 litre collapsible water tank for $130 with the plan being, every time we take the tender near a jetty, pulling out our hose and tank from under the casting platform, setting tank on top of casting platform and putting 200l/200kg of water in.

When we get back to the main boat I can tie up the tender and run a hose from the tank to the fill point and am thinking of transferring in the following method.

1) simply sitting on the collapsible tank and squeezing the water out while drinking a beer
2) placing bucket with 12v bilge pump on floor of dinghy, hose gravity feeding from tank to bucket and hose from bilge pump to boat fill point- turn on, drink beer.

Should easily be able to do this a few times a week extending our current 12 week between water fills to 12 mths between fuel fills.

The only issue I can see is perhaps not being able to push the water uphill 5ft with the methods described.

Thoughts?

 

[C lectric]

Small bilge pump should work although even a 5' lift is a lot for one of those things. Before jumping try looking up the water flow rate for the one you are considering for a head of 5'. You may want to go up a size so you don't have to sit through to many beers. At the very least go up a hose size as soon after the pump outlet as possible.

ANother option that would not be affected by the 5' or so would be a pressure water pump of about 5 gpm. It would , at least , be consistent in flow rate. With this you could use hose coupling fittings for a good connection eliminating the bucket.

I do/did something similar with a small bilge pump when winterizing and draining my tanks. The tank will overrun the bucket so I have to stop the water periodically to let the bilge pump catch up.
The lift to the drain point is about 3 ft although the 50' hose x 5/8 doesn't help. It is a Rule 50 or 75 gph .

I finally went and bought an old rule diaphram pump, used,which is far more effective. Faster . I won't use the bilge pump for that activity again.

 

[HopCar]

If you happen to carry Ryobi battery powered tools, they now make a battery powered pump that would save you the trouble of running wires to the pump. It uses the same 18 volt battery as their other tools.

 

[dhays]

Depending on the height of your water tank compared to the bottom of the plastic tank on the tender, a plastic hose will siphon it while you drink that beer.

 

[dhays]

If you happen to carry Ryobi battery powered tools, they now make a battery powered pump that would save you the trouble of running wires to the pump. It uses the same 18 volt battery as their other tools.

That is interesting. Any idea if the pump is rated for oil? That would make changing my transmission oil a bit easier.

 

[Seevee]

I have just purchased a 200 litre collapsible water tank for $130 with the plan being, every time we take the tender near a jetty, pulling out our hose and tank from under the casting platform, setting tank on top of casting platform and putting 200l/200kg of water in.

When we get back to the main boat I can tie up the tender and run a hose from the tank to the fill point and am thinking of transferring in the following method.

1) simply sitting on the collapsible tank and squeezing the water out while drinking a beer
2) placing bucket with 12v bilge pump on floor of dinghy, hose gravity feeding from tank to bucket and hose from bilge pump to boat fill point- turn on, drink beer.

Should easily be able to do this a few times a week extending our current 12 week between water fills to 12 mths between fuel fills.

The only issue I can see is perhaps not being able to push the water uphill 5ft with the methods described.

Thoughts?

Yea, Don't run out of beer.

 

[Simi 60]

That is interesting. Any idea if the pump is rated for oil? That would make changing my transmission oil a bit easier.

Guessing this sort of thing would be a cheaper alternative.
Would be for me as I don't have ryobi.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/gfb-6mm-drill-powered-pump_p6321494

 

[Simi 60]

Depending on the height of your water tank compared to the bottom of the plastic tank on the tender, a plastic hose will siphon it while you drink that beer.

Tender tank about 4 - 5 ft lower

 

[Simi 60]

Small bilge pump should work although even a 5' lift is a lot for one of those things. Before jumping try looking up the water flow rate for the one you are considering for a head of 5'. You may want to go up a size so you don't have to sit through to many beers. At the very least go up a hose size as soon after the pump outlet as possible.

.

Already have the 360gph rule in a spares locker.
Also have a few 3000gph ones, but they are 24v
Guess we'll just see what happens,

12v was the logical choice as I have decent sized battery in the dinghy and a power socket in its switch panel.

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

Guessing this sort of thing would be a cheaper alternative.
Would be for me as I don't have ryobi.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/gfb-6mm-drill-powered-pump_p6321494

at 1300 ltrs/hr, this would not take but about 10-15 min to transfer

 

[Simi 60]

at 1300 ltrs/hr, this would not take but about 10-15 min to transfer

A few comments on Google suggest that the flow rate is pegged to hi speed 240v drills and it will be considerably slower and run out of puff with a battery drill.
They were old comments from the 12v drill days, maybe newer 18v drills would fare better.

 

[HopCar]

That is interesting. Any idea if the pump is rated for oil? That would make changing my transmission oil a bit easier.

Dave, they don't mention oil in anything I've read. It is a rubber impeller style pump so the trick would be to find an oil resistant impeller.

 

[AusCan]

Tender tank about 4 - 5 ft lower

Would the tender tank be 4-5 feet lower than the main tank filler filler point?
How does the filler point compare to the main tank water height?

 

[HopCar]

This one runs on D cells Portable Pump : Attwood Marine

If you've got 12volts handy, a Rule 500 or 750 should do it. A good hand pump, like a Whale 10 should move that much water in about ten minutes.

 

[Simi 60]

If I actually have to spend additional money I'll be leaning this way.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-600w-transfer-water-pump_p4816178

With a bit of creative plumbing it could double as a much needed more powerful deck wash and perhaps even an emergency engine raw water pump or even bilge pump*



*already have 3 x 300gph@24v and 2 x 1800gph@240v installed

 

[Simi 60]

Success.
Fill from the top - 6 knot trip back to the big boat and gravity feed water from bottom into a 20 litre bucket with a 500gph bilge pump plugged into the tenders cigarette lighter port.
Flow from tank down is the same as pump speed up.
Do this twice a week and we'll rarely have to bring the big boat in.

 

[Xsbank]

Use these. I have 5 that I no longer need as I repaired my water tanks.

 

[Simi 60]

Use these. I have 5 that I no longer need as I repaired my water tanks.

Take up far to much space when empty and far to much effort to lift onboard when full.

 

[FF]

Go old style , put the bladder tank on the PH roof and use it first.

Gravity is your friend.

 

[Simi 60]

Go old style , put the bladder tank on the PH roof and use it first.

Gravity is your friend.

And how do I get a 200kg bladder full of water out of the dinghy and 20 feet up in the air on top of my wheelhouse?

 

[FF]

Put the empty water bag in place , lash it down and pump the water up from a similar bag in the dink..

 

[Simi 60]

Put the empty water bag in place , lash it down and pump the water up from a similar bag in the dink..

So you would have me buy an extra bladder, a much larger pump (25ft head) plus put attachment points on the roof so as to do what I am already doing without these "extras"?

 

[FF]

" plus put attachment points on the roof"

What currently holds the water bag in place, when the boat rolls?

Your current galley pump will easily lift water 25 ft.

Convert from Pressure - Pounds per Square Inch (psi) to Head of Water in Feet (fth2o)

Example - Convert from Head to Pressure

A head of 64 ft can be converted to pressure by using the second table:​

64 ftH2O = 27.7 psi (lb/in2)​