HawesPiper Interior Mods

I have been considering the V-berth tank mod for some time. I was thinking of using a bow shaped water tank to get the most capacity, but making a support for it was going to be a real pain due to the shape. Hawserpipe's mod is much simpler.

I was planing on having the water fill and vent lines go up the side of the anchor locker rather than protrude into the berth. The fill would be somewhere up front. I would probably run the vent farther back to reduce the chance of external water intrusion (stuffing the bow).

Why did you use a pump? My plan was to use the stock foot pump to reduce complexity. The only advantage to the pump is if the tank has to be drained. I was planning on having a separate drain line and let gravity do it.

The V shaped tank I was considering would help drain it versus a flat tank. If I use a flat tank I would mount it on a slight slant to the outlet side.

That all being said, I took the stock tank out pretty much when we bought the boat. The Admiral uses that space for storage. In the 5 years we've had the boat, we really haven't missed having a installed water supply. We use plastic water containers or gallon water jugs from the supermarket. However, our longest trip on the boat was 2 weeks and we were never far from supplies.

BTW, what tank did you use?
 
I'd like to say thank you for the very kind words regarding my efforts aboard HAWSEPIPER. I'm grateful for them and I'm humbled beyond measure.

To respond to the water tank question. I got the tank from WholesaleMarine.com. It's a 12 gallon water tank. My wife and I are just like you, we bring gallon jugs of water aboard to drink and cook with. The water in the tanks is just for washing hands or dishes. Additionally, the reason I added the pump is that I extended the waterline to the aft cockpit and installed a quarter turn hose bib there (under the shelf where the flip up seat is on the starboard side). This lets us rinse the mud and sand off our feet after beachcombing with a short garden hose so we don't track it all over the boat.

With regards to draining the system, the tank is easily removed for winter storage. Two straps hold it down, 3 hose clamps (easily accessible) come off and the tank is out. I will then use LP air to blow the lines dry.

By the way, if anyone wants my old water tank (and helm seat), come and get them, no charge.

Respectfully,
Jeff
 
Have you had a chance to run it yet with the additional weight up front? It won't be much (100 lbs?) but I'll bet that it is noticeable in choppy water.
 
I'll be putting the boat in the water towards the end of this month, I'll let you know how it rides with the extra weight up forward.

Respectfully,
Jeff
 
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