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Conference unifix::sailing

Title:	SAILING
Notice:	Please read Note 2.* before participating in this conference
Moderator:	UNIFIX::BERENS

Created:	Wed Jul 01 1992
Last Modified:	Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2299
Total number of notes:	20724

1419.0. "Soft watertank info?" by EEMELI::MITTS (H�kan Mitts, Finland/EIS/ACT/Net) Fri Dec 29 1989 08:15

	As it seems we'll be three sailing next summer with the new addition
	to the crew of a baby of a few months, I was thinking of putting
	in a hot water shower to allow us to wash the baby onboard.

	Everything else is planned and OK, the one remaining problem is the
	need for an additional water tank. Now to put in a proper - stain-
	less steel or similar - tank, would mean ripping out half the insi-
	des of our boat, so I was thinking of a "bag" type, triangular thing
	taking some 100 liters (about 25 gallons). 

	Does anybody have experinces with such devices?? The main problem
	I fear is abrasion that would result in leaks. In case you've had
	succesful installations, how did you secure the tank? Did you put
	in any material to reduce wear? Any other useful hints? 

	Thanks and Happy New Year to all, H�kan

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
1419.1	a blatter will do	CARDIF::MILLMAN_JA		`Tue Jan 02 1990 17:35`	8
	I used a "Vitus" (?spelling) fuel blatter for one year in the S. Pacific. Covered about 12K miles in all sorts of weather without any sign of wear. I know of some boats using blatters for holding tanks without problems. But get a durable one and you should be all right. Good sailing Jay
1419.2	beware of heat and pressure	LANDO::SCHUMANN	jellybeans 'r' us	`Wed Jan 03 1990 10:45`	12
	If you will be using it to hold hot water, make sure the manufacturer recommends it for that application. Also, don't use the tank under pressure unless it is recommended for that use. --RS P.S. I had a bladder as a holding tank for three years and never had any trouble with it. P.P.S. A "sun shower" bladder might be just the thing for your application. If you lay it in the sun, it will heat the water for you, and there are no installation hassles.
1419.3	Installation details?	EEMELI::MITTS	H�kan Mitts, Finland/EIS/ACT/Net	`Thu Jan 04 1990 03:20`	7
	Thanks for your comments.. How did you do the installations of the "bladders" in these success- ful cases? Any special systems for holding them in place? H�kan
1419.4	Soft water/holding tanks...	LEDS::WARK		`Mon Jan 29 1990 18:19`	24
	I have two Nauta tanks, one for water and one as a holding tank... I installed the water tank under a settee midships... Glassed in some marine play at either end, and glassed in some 2x4 mounts for each corner... Make sure you inflate the tank before positioning anything, and then check it deflated... I haven't seen any wear after five years... You really do need to vent the tank, although the instructions from Nauta said it was optional... I plan to put in a pressure system this year... Since the pump and the heater are downstream from the tank, I don't see any problem there... It's about a 25 gallon tank, and compeletely full it just lifts the cushion on the settee of a Catalina 30... I particularly like the fact that I simply remove the tank for the winter, and can clean it out VERY thoroughly... The holding tank is another matter... It was a retrofit by a previous owner... The seals for the hose fittings have not held up real well... Nothing like having the gasses vent under the V-berth as the tank get's full... I think the reason I don't see the problem in the water tank is that it only sees pressure when it's completely full, and I don't 'pump' in the water... I plan on replacing the holding tank with something rigid... Every year I plan on it. Steve
1419.5	Reducing holding tank odor	AIADM::SPENCER	John Spencer	`Tue Feb 06 1990 09:44`	20
	RE: .4, >>> The seals for the [holding tank] hose fittings have not held up real >>> well... Nothing like having the gasses vent under the V-berth as the >>> tank get's full... We had this problem at times, too. Beyond trying to improve the plumbing integrity, there's a somewhat effective solution to the odors without making your boat smell like one of those urinal deodorizer cakes. Get a little bottle (.5 to 1.0 oz, maybe) of the deodorizer used by people with bladder bags - it's available at any large drugstore which carries post-operative supplies and the like. It's extremely concentrated, and masks many powerful odors without adding much of its own. We just glued a little felt strip to a clothspin handle, put a few drops of the deodorizer on the felt, and then clipped it to the flange of the bag or a nearby bolt. Easy to regenerate or move to the most effective location. A similar strategy helped relieve odors in the head, too. J.