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Potable water #268129
11/06/2021 08:21 PM
11/06/2021 08:21 PM
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 72
Vancouver, BC
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bernk Offline OP
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bernk  Offline OP
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Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 72
Vancouver, BC
I've noticed quite a few folks mention that they buy water to have on the boat… This is new to me and not something I've ever given much thought before. As far as I'm aware our charter boat has two water tanks. Is it not acceptable to fill these tanks with water from a hose at the charter base? Is that water not potable? Is it not possible to re-fill along the way?

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Re: Potable water [Re: bernk] #268132
11/06/2021 08:32 PM
11/06/2021 08:32 PM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13 Online content
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caribbeangirl13  Online Content
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
In my opinion it is not the water that you are getting out of the hose that is questionable, it is the tanks themselves. Since it is a charter boat you don't know how often the tanks are cleaned and they can carry bacteria, etc. We buy water to drink but use the boat water for everything else.


Sue
s/v Ripple
Leopard 40

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Re: Potable water [Re: caribbeangirl13] #268143
11/06/2021 10:04 PM
11/06/2021 10:04 PM
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 72
Vancouver, BC
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bernk Offline OP
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bernk  Offline OP
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Vancouver, BC
Got it. I think we'll be fine using the boat water then. Compared to our own 50+ year old boat with who-knows-how-old tank which we have no way of really cleaning…a 2020 model is going to be sparkly clean. I've never in my life gotten sick from drinking water, and I've drank from some questionable sources.

Re: Potable water [Re: bernk] #268147
11/06/2021 11:01 PM
11/06/2021 11:01 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Offline
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GeorgeC1  Offline
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Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
It’s also a issue of where the tanks are topped off. They may have been previously filled with water out of a cistern or other questionable source. Most charter companies do clean and disinfect the tanks on a schedule.

Re: Potable water [Re: bernk] #268175
11/07/2021 09:16 AM
11/07/2021 09:16 AM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,492
Grenada
Zanshin Offline
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Zanshin  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,492
Grenada
I concur with the previous posters, use the water in the tanks for showering, cleaning and for boiled water (coffee, pasta and the like) but get bottled water for drinking and for making ice. Just don't make the mistake I made (and others probably have, too) of boiling pasta in sea water. I thought I'd save some water and salt and use sea water instead; that was not a good idea at all the fish got my over salted capellini and I had to start over with fresh water and just a pinch of salt.


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Re: Potable water [Re: Zanshin] #268273
11/08/2021 07:23 AM
11/08/2021 07:23 AM
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 66
Santa Cruz, CA
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rcevans100 Offline
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Santa Cruz, CA
We bring a Britta filter and jug. Fill water bottles with this.
No issues and saves generating more plastic waste

Re: Potable water [Re: rcevans100] #268329
11/08/2021 12:23 PM
11/08/2021 12:23 PM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13 Online content
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caribbeangirl13  Online Content
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
Originally Posted by rcevans100
We bring a Britta filter and jug. Fill water bottles with this.
No issues and saves generating more plastic waste


This is brilliant! I think my husband will kill me though if I add one more thing to our "boat bag!"


Sue
s/v Ripple
Leopard 40

[Linked Image]
Re: Potable water [Re: caribbeangirl13] #268337
11/08/2021 12:58 PM
11/08/2021 12:58 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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JasonHelmbrecht  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Originally Posted by caribbeangirl13
Originally Posted by rcevans100
We bring a Britta filter and jug. Fill water bottles with this.
No issues and saves generating more plastic waste


This is brilliant! I think my husband will kill me though if I add one more thing to our "boat bag!"

Brita filters do not eliminate bacteria. Highly recommend buying your drinking water. Having the effects of bad water on your system is not much fun on a boat.


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Re: Potable water [Re: bernk] #268355
11/08/2021 03:05 PM
11/08/2021 03:05 PM
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 72
Vancouver, BC
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bernk Offline OP
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bernk  Offline OP
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Joined: Dec 2019
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Vancouver, BC
Good idea with the filter and jug, but we won't have space for that. Maybe we can bring a smaller camping type filter though… Bottled water just really doesn't sit right with me, for several reasons, but especially so in places like the BVI where waste management is a huge problem.

Is tap water in the BVI generally OK, or are there places where it's definitely not? I recently had an eye opening conversation with a friend about tap water and the consensus was that we take what we have here in BC for granted.

Re: Potable water [Re: bernk] #268369
11/08/2021 03:52 PM
11/08/2021 03:52 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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JasonHelmbrecht  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Originally Posted by bernk
Good idea with the filter and jug, but we won't have space for that. Maybe we can bring a smaller camping type filter though… Bottled water just really doesn't sit right with me, for several reasons, but especially so in places like the BVI where waste management is a huge problem.

Is tap water in the BVI generally OK, or are there places where it's definitely not? I recently had an eye opening conversation with a friend about tap water and the consensus was that we take what we have here in BC for granted.

I would not drink the tap water most places in the BVI because it is often not city tap water. Even if it starts from the water plant, it is stored in cisterns or tanks when the water is actually flowing and then pumped to the tap. In CGB, I've been told we only have running city water on Tuesdays and then most Tuesdays only a couple of hours. In the US that would result in a boil order.

At Coconut Breeze Villas, we have recently finished a project to drain, clean, repair and reseal all of our cisterns. Then we installed new 2 stage sediment filters and a UV treatment system in each building. We collect water from each roof and store over 80,000 gallons on site. In fact, this week we are power washing one of the concrete roofs and repainting it to ensure that building is getting nice clean water!

I can tell you the water is good to drink at Quito's Inn too. They have a very similar treatment system!


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com

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