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 Potable water question- newbie		  New Topic  Reply to Topic
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mcjordan93
Deckhand

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USA
4 Posts
Initially Posted - 08/18/2024 :  14:20:06  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I just purchased my 1985 Catalina 25. The potable water tank is empty, but before I put water in I noticed the clear water lines going in and out of the tank are black inside. What do other sailors recommend? Should I replace the tubes or can I just clean them with bleach? If I do that, how do I drain the water tank? Do I just keep pumping the little faucet at the sink until it is dry?

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3411 Posts
Response Posted - 08/18/2024 :  20:51:06  Show Profile  Visit OLarryR's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Congratulations on your boat purchase!

You probably are going to receive various opinions/recommendations and they may all turn out to be appropriate actions dependent on how frequent you intend to utilize your boat including overnighters and your assessment of the entire water system.

I do not utilize my water tanks and I believe the lines are all clear. I just do not utilize my boat for overnighters or very rarely. I find that just storing some water bottles onboard works for me. Oftentimes, I just bring the water bottles with me on the days I sail. Many, many years ago, when I had a new 1980 ODay 23, I did utilize the water tank and I installed an electric water pump for the faucet. I utilized a pushbutton switch which I could lean against with my leg/knee to pump water up thru the faucet. But that was a new boat.

The issue with an older boat is that thru the years of use and the off seasons non-use and various owners that may never have treated the tanks and water lines appropriately to ensure that the system remained mildew and mold free, the system (fill-up line, bottom/sides of the tank, lines to the faucets) may pose a health risk. As a minimum, you would need to replace all lines that are black. Utilizing bleach or appropriate chemicals and an appropriate flush to maintain a water system is one thing but once mold exists and especially if significant, it would probably be hard to completely remove by basically a gravity and pumping out flushing. Also, there may be parts/components of the system that you cannot visibly inspect to ensure mold free and with the some of the lines black, other parts of the system could be suspect to mold.

Another thing to check but minor compared to the mold issue is if the faucets work. Oftentimes, the faucets would have to be overhauled or replaced due to age related deterioration.

Using the Search feature on this Forum and going back years, there are some that have posted how they replaced their water system utilizing a rubber bladder in place of the water tank. That may be another option to explore.
Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html
Edited by - OLarryR on 08/18/2024 20:55:18
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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4012 Posts
Response Posted - 08/19/2024 :  13:10:17  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I add a few cups of the nice smelling bleach to the tank when I fill it up. I have never had any mold or mildew by doing this but I also dont drink the water. In your case I would put a gal. or two of bleach in the tank then pump each faucet to draw the bleach into the lines and then let it sit like that for a day or two. After that pump the bleach out and then flush the tank by adding a few gal. of water and flushing that out. You may have to do that a few times. I pressurized my water system and added an aft shower because I'm in salt water. It was a fun easy project to add a pump and change the faucets.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound


Edited by - islander on 08/19/2024 17:27:03
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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5882 Posts
Response Posted - 08/19/2024 :  14:41:07  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The only way to have potable water on a boat is if you (1) bring it aboard in jugs, or (2) live aboard and use it often enough to keep the system clean. Even then, it often has an unpleasant plastic taste. You also have to be careful that the marina water you use to fill your tanks is properly purified. Sometimes their source is a well of dubious quality. Otherwise the boat's tanks are best used for washing hands and dishes.
Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore
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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9047 Posts
Response Posted - 08/20/2024 :  06:51:34  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
When out overnight, I put a few frozen plastic quart jugs in the cooler with a few refrigerated ones. They'd all keep the food cold as the frozen ones gradually melted for drinking. My water system, with a little bleach in it, was for washing things only, and on my current boat, also flushes the head via a demand pump system.

Don't overdo the bleach--it can corrode some fittings and pumps. I've seen 1000-1 ratio recommended (I don't remember where), which is around 3 oz. in 20 gallons. I might double that for cleaning and then draining the tank. But search for a more credible source than me...
Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
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mcjordan93
Deckhand

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USA
4 Posts
Response Posted - 08/20/2024 :  17:55:39  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thank you for all the advice. We don’t intend to drink from the tank, but we would like to use it for washing dishes and our hands. I’m leaning toward replacing the fill tube and using a little bleach for the rest. Does anyone know if the fill tube is a standard size that I can get at Home Depot?
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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3411 Posts
Response Posted - 08/20/2024 :  19:32:17  Show Profile  Visit OLarryR's Homepage  Reply with Quote
On the left side of this Forum website, the Manuals & Brochures Section has an old Parts Manual. It does not have a date and not sure if thru the years, the fresh water system tubing remained the same inside diameter (I. D.) sized vinyl tubing. The Parts Manual lists the Fill line as 3/4” I.D. clear vinyl tubing. The lines to the faucets as 1/2” I.D. clear vinyl tubing (and the drain lines as 3/4” I.D. clear vinyl tubing).
Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html
Edited by - OLarryR on 08/20/2024 19:34:13
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5320 Posts
Response Posted - 08/23/2024 :  06:09:48  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hello Mitch and welcome to the C25/250 group. Amazing knowledge here. I agree that the water system aboard is best suited for washing hands and other things, but not drinking. I use bottled water and my Brita for drinking. I don’t use marina water for anything other than washing the boat.

Depending on the exact setup on your boat, you can open up the starboard settee to access the tank itself, either for removal to give it a good cleaning, or to open the screw-off access port on top. Use a kayak pump to empty gallons of water quickly, and a sponge on a handle to clean the scum off the inside of the tank.

The clear vinyl hoses should be replaced. If you can find the size at a home improvement store, go for it, but West Marina and other online boating stores also sell it, albeit, for more money.

The faucet handles can be rebuilt using a kit from Catalina-Direct. It’ll prevent leaks and make the pumping action work again if the seals have died. While many don’t agree, I’ve used Vaseline on the internal parts to rejuvenate the pumps.

Good luck on your new-to-you C25. It’s a very great way to enjoy the water with friends and family. Both for day sails and overnight trips.

On another popular topic: If not so equipped yet, convert your lighting to LED and buy a few solar Luci Lights for use in the cockpit and the cabin. These are great for general illumination and atmosphere, and can even serve as an anchor light in a pinch.
Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
Edited by - Voyager on 08/23/2024 06:27:27
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.