February 9 , 2001 -- Rubber Water

Big problems sometimes start as minor necessities. We've just had a significant disaster. Nothing life threatening, mind you, just annoying and inconvenient to boot.

SUNFLOWER's water is stored in 3 separate tanks. We normally collect water off the big awning. It goes directly into our largest tank, about 80 gallons. From that tank we fill either of 2 tanks that live under our main salon settees. This allows us to balance the boat somewhat if we get too heavy on one side with more fuel than water, or visa versa.

Our starboard settee water tank was acting funny. It was taking extra long to fill and didn't seem to pump right either. (We have only manual pumps.) Al thought the tank connection fitting looked suspect and wanted to replace it. That alone was a major scavenger hunt through the hardware stores in Phuket, and in the end, what Al is using is a bit jury rigged, but functional. When the water tank pumped "dry", it was time to do the plumbing replacement.

Al also figured he would open up the inspection port in the top and clean the tank out while he was at it. Well, the cork gasket installed in Cyprus, probably 1990, was totally deteriorated. A large chunk had lodged in the old inlet fitting, acting like a flapper valve I suspect. Bits and pieces were sloshing around in the inch or two of water left, but on the whole, the tank was shiny clean inside.

No problem. The next time we were in Phuket town Al bought a piece of rubber to make a new gasket for the tank. He cut it out and "pasted" it onto the lid with rubber goo, and tightened up the bolts again. Al put the rest of the new piece of material up forward on the workbench. The next time I went up there I commented on how awful it smelled.

What was wrong with us? Where were our heads? Why didn't we think?

It's not easy to get water in Phuket. You can pull up to the fuel barge and buy 20 liter jugs and dump them one by one into your tanks. You can sail to Patong Beach where there is an off shore water hose arrangement of good spring water -- it can be a trickle or a gusher depending on past weather performance. Or you can catch rain water for your tanks. This is January. It doesn't rain in January. Usually.

You can imagine how delighted we were to see big thunderheads gathering skyward in the late afternoon. Ah - Ha!! We adjusted the awning and set out the buckets. When a couple were full we shifted the collecting hose to the deck fill for the big tank. And we might as well fill our newly reconditioned settee tank as well. We did. To the top and running over. And the first glass of water from the tank was totally undrinkable. We had rubber water. It smelled and tasted just like the rubber gasket. We lost the whole tank.

Moral: sniff test ANYTHING that is going to be in contact with your water supply.

Post Script: Well, it's a few days later and Al has cleaned, sanitized, and rebuilt the gasket for the water tank -- again. NOT rubber this time. Today we are anchored under gray skies. It has rained off and on for the last 6 hours and looks like it will continue. The big tank has been quietly filling up from the awning. We have "drink tested" the water we have let into the settee tank and all seems OK. Proving once again that there are silver linings to clouds -- and water stories.