Rum Tank

Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
So here is a quick post of one of the many updates we have been doing to Smitty over the past year. The factory 20 gallon water heater was rusting out and leaking.

To remove the tank there were a couple of obstacles. The factory had the aluminum L bracket on the port side of the heater. But the starboard side was in a slot cut in the fiberglass that makes up the shelf the refer compressor sits on. So we started with removing the L bracket and the pressure relief valve. It then took 3 people to move it over to port enough to get the bracket out of the slot. Then I had to cut some of the fiberglass from the opening. We were able to turn the heater and get it out but it took a fair amount of effort.

Once the heater was out it was easy to put the 6-gallon heater in its place. It was shorter and narrower. We used the same L bracket on the port side. Then secured the starboard side down on the platform that was made for the heater.

This left an approximately 10-inch wide area between the back of the water heater and the fiberglass shelf for compressor. We did some searching at a couple of local chandleries and found a 6 gallon water tank that was 8 inches wide and the same height as the water heater. We secured the tank down with padeyes and nylon straps.
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I plumbed the tank to a small, 1 gallon per minute, 12 volt pump that I mounted on the shelf next to the compressor.
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The fill for the tank is just capped off in the starboard rear laz for now. I have the tank vent and effluent hose from the pump loosely installed for now at the opening of that laz, just above the cockpit shower head. Both are capped when not filling a use bottle, the Angels already got their share they don't get seconds. The pump is controlled by a momentary switch that is also mounted by the cockpit shower.
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Now I will say that I want to install a tap at the sink labeled "RUM". But my Bride is afraid we will drink more if it's that easy. Probably rightly so. So instead we have a two plastic 1.75 liter bottles (one Mount Gay and one Captain Morgan. We fill the bottle from the tank and then keep them on the shelf behind the settee.


We left St. Thomas with just under two cases of Cruzan Dark Rum in the tank. It's our go to rum and in the USVI you can get if for under $8 a liter.

Now if I could only find a deck fill labeled RUM I could really finish the installation.
 
Last edited:
Oct 3, 2011
825
Anam Cara Catalina 310 Hull #155 155 Lake Erie/Catawba Island
You folks have mastered ingenuity, some people may not understand also that in the VI, Rum is cheaper than water!
Not that I am trying to justify drinking Rum instead.... :) But it makes things more fun!
Glad you all are doing well, keep us in the loop!
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Love to read stories of rum smugglers.... Reminded me of a Navy flight to the Caribbean aboard our patrol plane. The need to land and the return flight loaded with rum in the wing tip tanks. Those were the days when a Pentagon posted Pilot could get some flight time and make friends happy at the same time.
 
Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Not to be Debbie Downer but remember that the rum is highly flammable and the components should be the same quality as you would use for a gasoline fuel system and compatible with ethanol. What you have there is a party boat! May not want to let the word out.
 
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Likes: Alansails
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Not to be Debbie Downer but remember that the rum is highly flammable and the components should be the same quality as you would use for a gasoline fuel system and compatible with ethanol. What you have there is a party boat! May not want to let the word out.
Most rum is 80 proof (40% alcohol). High proof rum like 151 (75% alcohol) has a similar flash point to gasoline. But regular rum is much higher, closer to diesel. Not really something we are worried about.
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Aside from the fun side of having a rum tank there were two practical reasons for this. The first is weight. Part of cruising on a budget, a big part, is stocking up when cheap on staples. In the USVI rum is cheap at $8 a bottle. We have seen prices and quality very throughout the islands. We try not to drink off the boat too often but we do enjoy a drink or two most days. So having a stock of rum on the boat helps us save money.

Second is it saves weight. That tank holds 23 bottles of rum. Each empty glass bottle weighs about 1.5 pounds. So that's 34.5 pounds of weight off the boat. That is a lot weight. We have been working to shed weight and have lowered our waterline an inch (I guess I didn't need 7 anchors, 4 will do). We sail better and point higher. The result has been we have traveled approximately 1,000 nautical miles since April on less than 20 gallons of diesel and that includes some charging at anchor.
 
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Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Most rum is 80 proof (40% alcohol). High proof rum like 151 (75% alcohol) has a similar flash point to gasoline. But regular rum is much higher, closer to diesel. Not really something we are worried about.
I was trying not to be all nerding but I think comparing it to diesel is a little far reaching being diesels FP is approx 140f ( some references put it as high as 200f) and 40% ethanol in water is in the high 60 to low 70f. Which is the range we live more in. These numbers are directly from sds sheets.
 

DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,691
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
The result has been we have traveled approximately 1,000 nautical miles since April on less than 20 gallons of diesel and that includes some charging at anchor.
What are the chances one tank of rum will last 1,000 nautical miles?
Nice install, I'd go with the rum tap in the galley but then you can be sure it wouldn't last as long as the diesel.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Aside from the fun side of having a rum tank there were two practical reasons for this. The first is weight. Part of cruising on a budget, a big part, is stocking up when cheap on staples. In the USVI rum is cheap at $8 a bottle. We have seen prices and quality very throughout the islands. We try not to drink off the boat too often but we do enjoy a drink or two most days. So having a stock of rum on the boat helps us save money.

Second is it saves weight. That tank holds 23 bottles of rum. Each empty glass bottle weighs about 1.5 pounds. So that's 34.5 pounds of weight off the boat. That is a lot weight. We have been working to shed weight and have lowered our waterline an inch (I guess I didn't need 7 anchors, 4 will do). We sail better and point higher. The result has been we have traveled approximately 1,000 nautical miles since April on less than 20 gallons of diesel and that includes some charging at anchor.
I rationalized building a new garage for my Roadster, too.

But I like the way you think ;-)

Greg
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Most rum is 80 proof (40% alcohol). High proof rum like 151 (75% alcohol) has a similar flash point to gasoline. But regular rum is much higher, closer to diesel. Not really something we are worried about.
Gasoline has a flash point of -45 F. 80 Proof (40% alcohol) rum has a flash point somewhere around 79 F from what I can tell. 70% Ethanol has a flash point of 62.9 0F.

Not knocking the mod - I'm not risk adverse but I like to know or at least understand the relative risks. (Probability and consequence) I do like my Scotch, not so much rum.

Here are flash points of other "fuels" for comparison. Its closer to Jet Fuel (100 F) than Diesel (126 F) Its about half way between 70% Ethanol and Jet Fuel.

Fuel
Flash point
Autoignition
temperature
Ethanol (70%)16.6 °C (61.9 °F)[5]363 °C (685 °F)[5]
Gasoline (petrol)−43 °C (−45 °F)[6]280 °C (536 °F)[7]
Diesel (2-D)>52 °C (126 °F)[6]210 °C (410 °F)[7]
Jet fuel (A/A-1)>38 °C (100 °F)210 °C (410 °F)
Kerosene>38–72 °C (100–162 °F)220 °C (428 °F)
Vegetable oil (canola)327 °C (621 °F)424 °C (795 °F)[8]
Biodiesel>130 °C (266 °F)
 

DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,691
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
I had a boat with 20 gallons of gas on it for over 20 years. Somehow nothing blew up. I think there are other, far more likely, hazards associated with that much rum. I'm sure JK will be careful not to waste any through leaks and spills.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I had a boat with 20 gallons of gas on it for over 20 years. Somehow nothing blew up. I think there are other, far more likely, hazards associated with that much rum. I'm sure JK will be careful not to waste any through leaks and spills.
Agreed, knowing the risks is what helps manage them to be within acceptable limits. I was just pointing out actual numbers since some numbers thrown around were off a little. If we try to make it 0 risk then we never have any fun. Sailing is about fun so the rum tank, especially with tap in the galley, sounds like a great way to have a healthy dose of fun.