Second water tank

[TWM]

We have recently bought our c309 TWM based on Pittwater in Sydney. Fuel capacity at 100+ litres is great but water capacity at 170 odd litres is a little small. Have any owners installed additional water tank capacity? Where would an additional tank be best positioned? It would be useful when cruising our great waterways.

TWM

 

[tahomathundr]

TWM I have thought about this on my C309 and the best place I found would be in the stern on the starboard side behind the aft cabin . There is a small access panel in the aft cabin so that you can get to the charger and shorepower electrical inlet. Below that is a relatively large space that a flexible water tank could be installed or small plastic tank. Inlet could be mounted at the transom and waterline could go thru the bilge and be connected to the bow tank line up forward. Some early C309s had a balance issue with a slight bow down and a small list to port. Mine #20 was one of them and Catalina had to add lead weights to balance it. So on my boat the weight of added water in a stern tank would not be a problem. If you keep alot of weight in your port locker the tank may balance that out. That was my best location for the tank. Good luck Bob

 

[TWM]

Thanks Bob. Good ideas. Perhaps a rear tank could be plumbed into the outdoor shower with an additional pump to reduce the amount of plumbing required. I will make some enquiries here and let you know how I go.
Peter

 

[Pompadi]

Hi Peter,
We sail around cottage point area for a week at Xmas and just carry 2 Jerry cans of extra water, top up tank at Akuna bay every few days .
We normally shower off the back of the boat so I've replaced shower head with trigger action nozzle to help not waste the water.
Our boat has a couple of extra hoses under the floor hatch at the bottom of the stairs which I think are for draining the system in cold climates , you maybe able to plumb an additional tank into those .
Cheers,
Steve

 

[tahomathundr]

The 2 hoses feed the aft deck shower and are used to drain all the freshwater out of the system as stated. This is downstream from the water pump so an extra pump would be needed and I don't how that would work with the existing pump. My thought was to come in upstream above the pump and put in a valve to switch from bow/stern tanks. This avoids the extra pump and wiring.

 

[TWM]

Thanks Steve and Bob. I am investigating the second tank further. Bob as the main tank under the front berth appears to be higher than the area behind the rear cabin gravity will not feed water from the second tank. We may need a pump. Steve I have just fitted a trigger head to the rear shower which works well. It screwed straight onto the thread for the existing. And I have put 45 litres in jerry cans, which will help.

 

[Cats_Paw1]

I have a bladder tank installed on top of the original freshwater tank by the previous owner. Tank fill is accomplished through existing inlets, Very little additional piping is required, no additional pump, no additional hassles.......... Works very well.