Water level

[Halvern]

I believe I found the water tank on my 11A, under the long berth across from setee. Where is the Water Level gauge? And my boat has two deck water ports, same spot port and stbd. Clarification please, is water capacity 85 gl or 125 gl, read both?
Thanks
Hal

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Not familiar with your boat but 2water fills is indicative of 2 water tanks, port and stb. Also, water level gauges are generally not OEM equipment on small boats. If a PO ever installed one (two), the gauge readout could be anywhere including on the tank(s).

 

[RoyS]

Purchase a simple battery powered in line water meter and reset it to zero when you fill the tank. Cost you about thirty dollars and take you about ten minutes to install in the hose with two clamps. Replace battery every Spring.

 

[Tally Ho]

It sounds like you need to spend time sleuthing around your boat to learn where things are. I am not familiar with the S2 11.0 and the data on Sailboatdata.com was not very detailed.

But as @RoyS said, 2 deck fills would indicate 2 tanks. Assuming they are both WATER. You may/should have deck ports for the holding tank pumpout (if you have a proper head) and maybe fuel fill. Deck fill caps may not be indicative of what the port is for…so best to investigate to verify.

My O’Day 322 has 2 water tanks, port and starboard under the settee benches. Separate deck fills on each side.30 gallons in each for a total of 60 gallons. I don’t have water level gauges on mine…I just use one tank until it is empty and switch the tank selector to the other tank (and fill them empty one when I can)…never run out that way ;-)

According to Sailboatdata, the 11.0 carries 87 gallons of water. That is usually the total, not per tank. Unless a PO added tankage. It looks like you have settee benches port and starboard, and I bet there are tanks under both. If so, check for a tank selector switch…or maybe they just all feed into the pump.

S2 11.0 A - sailboatdata

A = Aft Cockpit. (The S2 11.0 C is a center cockpit version.) Also referred to as simply the 11.0 Shoal draft version: 4.67’/1.42m. Delivered with Universal, Volvo, VW Pathfinder or Yanmar engines.

sailboatdata.com

Have fun exploring your new boat! Nothing as exciting as learning about her.

Greg

 

[Mark Maulden]

Sounds like it’s like mine. Tank under stbd settee is 50 gal. You probly have a tank just fwd of galley sink under the dinette seettee next to the bulkhead. This tank would be 30 gal. 80 gal total. Also both these tanks have a ball valve right at the tank. On stbd side, the valve is under the nav station through the caned door. There is a little board to pull up to expose valve. On port side, the valve is under galley sink. There were no factory level gauges for water.

 

[Halvern]

Mark,
Thanks, that helps a lot. Can i designate the smaller tank as the supply tank for the hub. Eliminate concerns about the intake thruhull.

 

[Mark Maulden]

Mark,
Thanks, that helps a lot. Can i designate the smaller tank as the supply tank for the hub. Eliminate concerns about the intake thruhull.

Not understanding the question…

 

[Halvern]

Spell check, hate it. Question was could i dedicate the small tank for water to the head instead of pulling from outside the boat. Or is the piping designed for supply to the two sinks, creating a plumbing nightmare if i try and change? If this is too much and warrent too much effort, i'll look for more important projects. I also have a Columbia 28 that I try to split time with. Thanks for the assist.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Spell check, hate it. Question was could i dedicate the small tank for water to the head instead of pulling from outside the boat. Or is the piping designed for supply to the two sinks, creating a plumbing nightmare if i try and change? If this is too much and warrent too much effort, i'll look for more important projects. I also have a Columbia 28 that I try to split time with. Thanks for the assist.

Pulling intake water for the head from a fresh water tank is generally not advisable unless the head is designed for it. To do otherwise risks cross contamination from the head into the water system. @Peggie Hall HeadMistress has posted about a setup where you tie the head intake into the sink drain, allowing the head to pull raw water in when desired, or pull fresh water from the sink drain by closing the seacock.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

As long as that water tank is dedicated to toilet flushing only and is entirely separate from the fresh water system--which means -0- common plumbing, not even the same water fill or vent--it's ok to use for toilet fill only. However David's suggestion is a much better idea and a LOT easier to do...it's only necessary that the toilet and the head sink be on the same side of the keel.

Simply disconnect the toilet intake line from its thru-hull (close the seacock first!) and reroute it to tee into the head sink drain line using a simple pvc tee that needs to be below waterline as close to the sink drain thru-hull as possible. This will allow you to flush normally with sea water, but allows you to rinse it out of the ENTIRE toilet and plumbing by simply closing the sink drain thru-hull, filling the sink with clean fresh water (NEVER flush using gray water...soap scum, body oils, toothpaste etc are not good for the toilet pump) and flushing the toilet. Because the drain thru-hull is closed, the toilet will pull the water out of the sink, rinsing all the sea water out of the intake line, toilet pump, channel in the rim of the bowl and the toilet discharge line. You could even just leave the sink drain thru-hull closed except when needed and flush using fresh water from the sink all the time if you want to.

This will leave you with an un-used thru-hull that you could use for a washdown pump, heat/ac pump or whatever...or you can just keep it closed or remove it and glass over the hole.

I first learned of doing this in the mid-90s from a Tartan owner customer whose boat was plumbed this way by the builder...in fact several builders used to do this because it eliminated one hole in the boat and also saved 'em the cost of a thru-hull and seacock. I thought it was the best idea since the automatic bread slicer and have been recommending it ever since.

--Peggie

 

[Capt Robbie]

Halvern,
Does your head have a shower head, if so just use the shower to fill the bowl and flush. I’ve been doing this for years and works fine, also eliminates the rotten egg/sulfur smell from the standing seawater in the supply lines when the toilet has not been used for a few days.
Hope this helps

 

[Tally Ho]

As long as that water tank is dedicated to toilet flushing only and is entirely separate from the fresh water system--which means -0- common plumbing, not even the same water fill or vent--it's ok to use for toilet fill only. However David's suggestion is a much better idea and a LOT easier to do...it's only necessary that the toilet and the head sink be on the same side of the keel.

Simply disconnect the toilet intake line from its thru-hull (close the seacock first!) and reroute it to tee into the head sink drain line using a simple pvc tee that needs to be below waterline as close to the sink drain thru-hull as possible. This will allow you to flush normally with sea water, but allows you to rinse it out of the ENTIRE toilet and plumbing by simply closing the sink drain thru-hull, filling the sink with clean fresh water (NEVER flush using gray water...soap scum, body oils, toothpaste etc are not good for the toilet pump) and flushing the toilet. Because the drain thru-hull is closed, the toilet will pull the water out of the sink, rinsing all the sea water out of the intake line, toilet pump, channel in the rim of the bowl and the toilet discharge line. You could even just leave the sink drain thru-hull closed except when needed and flush using fresh water from the sink all the time if you want to.

This will leave you with an un-used thru-hull that you could use for a washdown pump, heat/ac pump or whatever...or you can just keep it closed or remove it and glass over the hole.

I first learned of doing this in the mid-90s from a Tartan owner customer whose boat was plumbed this way by the builder...in fact several builders used to do this because it eliminated one hole in the boat and also saved 'em the cost of a thru-hull and seacock. I thought it was the best idea since the automatic bread slicer and have been recommending it ever since.

--Peggie

Sink drain needs to below the water line…

Greg

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Sink drain needs to below the water line…

Which it is on most sailboats...but not all, so good point!


Robbie, if you like having to mess with the shower head every time you flush the toilet, it's ok with me...UNLESS you have an electric macerating toilet. "Dry" flushing creates dry friction heat that destroys the intake impeller.
But it's a whole lot easier and doesn't waste nearly as much fresh water, to flush using sea water and then use just one sinkful of fresh water to rinse it out of the whole system as part of your closing-up-the -boat routine.

But...to each his own...

--Peggie

 

[Stu Jackson]

Halvern,
Does your head have a shower head, if so just use the shower to fill the bowl and flush. I’ve been doing this for years and works fine, also eliminates the rotten egg/sulfur smell from the standing seawater in the supply lines when the toilet has not been used for a few days.
Hope this helps

Head Pumps 101 Why just pouring water into the bowl is NOT a good idea http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5865.msg40604.html#msg40604