While we were sailing in the Bahamas, Indonesia, and South Africa, and many other isolated places where good fresh water was not only suspect, but sometimes difficult to find and expensive to pay for, we have a system for catching rain water that has kept our tanks topped off with fresh water.
It may seem so simple that many will just not think what a great method for replenishing valuable fresh water this system has proved to be.
If you look at the photo I have attached you will see the easy, uncomplicated, and no maintenance way you can keep your fresh water tanks filled with wonderful fresh and clean rain water.
Here is the simple water maker that everyone can afford!
When it rains, wait about ten minutes for the decks to get rinsed off of all salt crystals and sand, and other dirt on the deck. Once the rain has done its job of cleaning your deck, plug off any scuppers on the side where you have your water fill that allow the fresh rain water to run off the deck. You can see we use a cork to plug our scupper up.
Then open the deck water fill, which is usually right along the toe rail of your boat. Take a thin towel and wrap it around the aft side of the deck fill hole and along the perforated toe rail if you have one like we do. And, away you go – filling up your fresh water tanks! I also put a small piece of nylon stocking inside the deck fill hole, (Does anyone have those on a boat?), just to strain out anything that might have been left on the deck after the initial rinse off.
We do not walk on the port side of the boat until after we have filled up our tanks, and allow the deck to be our very superior sluice for collecting rain water.
This works like a charm, it requires no maintenance, and it does not cost a penny! You can thank Mother Nature for your clean, soft, pure, delicious fresh water.
Try it, you will like it! ~Pam
[Click here to read one of my popular posts about how to use an in-line water filter to filter water from a hose on a dock into your fresh water tank: https://www.pamwall.com/pam-says-filtering-the-tank-water-in-your-boat/.]
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