Some time ago, I read an article in Sail or Cruising World that had a handy trick for checking to see if "leak" water in bilge was salt or fresh water without the nausiating thought of tasting it...yuk! I for the life of me, can't remember the handy and seemingly simple "trick". Anybody know what I am talking about? Doug
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B
Bob Rutland
J
Jack Laird
Sorry
Salt water and fresh water do mix. Try it with salt and water add water and you just have a weaker mixture.
Salt water and fresh water do mix. Try it with salt and water add water and you just have a weaker mixture.
B
Bob Rutland
Yes and No
Yes salt water and fresh water will mix, but since salt water is salt and water, it is heavier. Try it in your kitchen. Take a glass of fresh water and a glass of salt water (make sure the waters are the same temp) now pour the salt into the fresh. You will see it swearl. If you pour fresh into fresh, you just get a clear mix. Sorry for the confusion. Bob S/V Lady Di II
Yes salt water and fresh water will mix, but since salt water is salt and water, it is heavier. Try it in your kitchen. Take a glass of fresh water and a glass of salt water (make sure the waters are the same temp) now pour the salt into the fresh. You will see it swearl. If you pour fresh into fresh, you just get a clear mix. Sorry for the confusion. Bob S/V Lady Di II
D
Doug
What?????
What I wanted to know is how I tell if the murky, dirty water in the bildge is fresh or salt. We have a drippless shaft seal so if there is water in our bilge I like to know if it is from rain/washing down or from leaky thru-hull etc. I don't see how mixing salt and water in my kitchen helps in solving this mystery. Please post if you know the trick. Doug
What I wanted to know is how I tell if the murky, dirty water in the bildge is fresh or salt. We have a drippless shaft seal so if there is water in our bilge I like to know if it is from rain/washing down or from leaky thru-hull etc. I don't see how mixing salt and water in my kitchen helps in solving this mystery. Please post if you know the trick. Doug
P
Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
If your bilge is THAT dirty, Doug
CLEAN it for Pete's sake! Then you can stick your finger in any water and lick it off without fear of dying. SHEESH!
CLEAN it for Pete's sake! Then you can stick your finger in any water and lick it off without fear of dying. SHEESH!
J
Jack Laird
S
Stephen Ostrander
scientific method
Test the specific gravity of the water. The SG of plain, fresh water is 1, so if its anything other than 1, it ain't fresh. I knew those chemistry courses they made me take would come in handy someday!
Test the specific gravity of the water. The SG of plain, fresh water is 1, so if its anything other than 1, it ain't fresh. I knew those chemistry courses they made me take would come in handy someday!
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