Cleaning and maintaining the Fresh Water holding tank

Need to be sure my water is fresh, help

Step 1 make sure the tank is empty.  Leave it that way for a couple of weeks.

I swished a half gallon of vodka around in mine to kill anything that might have been growing in there. I know they make chemicals for that but it was advice from an old sailor.

WOW !!!  What a waste of perfectly good Vodka!!  I use a gallon of water mixed with one teaspoon of Clorox. Been doing this for twenty years with my different motor homes and travel trailer fresh water holding tanks and none of my 4 kids, the wife or myself have gotten sick yet!!
  It leaves no residual chlorine smell or taste and kills the nasties.  They sell stuff at the RV stores that does the same thing for ten times the cost.

Diggs - trade me - send me the 1/2 gallon of vodka and I'll UPS you the teaspoon of bleach!!
terry s

You should have seen the lady at the liquor store when I asked her for a half gallon of the "cheapest" vodka they sell.

She asked me "Are you sure"?

I explained what it was for and she happily grabbed it for me. I am talking $10 at the most. My wife is allergic to chlorine or I would go for the cheaper route for sure.

I hope none of your neighbors see you climbing into your boat with a full bottle and minutes later climbing out with an empty!! You'll get a bad rap in the neighborhood . . . .
terry s

I'm one of the few younger folks in my neighborhood and I'm 40. It doesn't take much to get a reputation around here.

I am rebuilding my 26  (the interior is completely trashed) and have not been able to actually find the water tank - I can only assume it's under the Vberth floor. I see the supply line to the fawcet go between the galley/berth bulkhead inside what used tobe the starboard side cabinets and disappear. I have not been able to find a fill outlet anywhere in the forward berth and now the main galley is completely removed.
Any idea where the tank might be & where is the fill?
Thx - Mike

On my 26 the water tank is under the seat closest to the bulkhead. It's a plastic tank and the fill port is on top of the tank. The water pump is also located in the same cavity.  I wonder if the previous owner may have removed it at some point to gain extra storage??
  Hope that helps you out.
terry s

cdkonomos wrote:

Need to be sure my water is fresh, help

neat graphics!

It had to be removed as there was only a small area seemingly for storage & the rest - as well as the rear seat, was filled with VERY had to remove foam.

The foam is to add positive floatation and would have kept your boat from sinking in the event of getting swamped.

this wasn't the normal flotation foam - it was the stuff you would use to seal cracks around doors. the previous owner really did not do well by this boat. He removed all the outside hull gear (hatches, rails, tracks, etc) and left if - open to the weather - for about 5 years. Most of the plywood might have been Marine grade at one point but when I got the boat it wasnt. I am having to strip it down to the hull because what is left is just rotting/splintering apart. Under the rear berths is till the real foam.
Word of warning & please don't laugh too hard... DO NOT try to remove the foam/insulation little squares that is embedded ni the honeycomb plastic in the cabin top between it and the plywood strenghtener with a power washer!!