One step backwards.....




Yesterday we rowed out to the boat with a plan to hoist me up the mast.  This was to fit a new inner forestay.  We'll have to return to that subject another time because Rosie checked the bilges and found them full of water.  Are we sinking?  I tasted the water and it was fresh, not salt, so it was not so serious but the water system must be leaking.  We traced it to the old stainless steel water tank, hidden under our bunk.

We pulled apart the joinery and removed the tank, leaving a rust-stained locker.


Sure enough, the bottom of the tank showed corrosion and signs of leakage.  Even high quality stainless steel can corrode, especially if the welding isn't perfect.  This tank was made in 1991, when the boat was built, so it has done quite well.

It's less than a week before we sail and too late to have a new tapered plastic (HDPE) tank made.  We will have to run the suction lines to a manifold and connect that to the other 140 litre tank.  Rosie is ordering the fittings.  That means 70 litres less water.  We'll carry 2 spare 20 litre containers to give us a small reserve but we'll have to be frugal!

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