caring for boats

[JonD]

With water restrictions becoming more and more common its time to come up with some fresh ideas in looking after both boats and trailers if we want to continue with this lifestyle.

I do a quick engine flush of around 3 mins using saltaway but even this is only permited if I can get the engine over the lawn, or face heavy fines. No washing of trailers will greatly reduce the life, not to mention the effectiveness of breaks. 

So what are we all going to do to overcome these problems ?

[dirvin21]

I go to carwash on way home $ gives me plenty of time to wash down the trailer  

[kingie chaser]

 

[kingie chaser]

11 hours ago, JonD said:

No washing of trailers will greatly reduce the life, not to mention the effectiveness of breaks. 

 

Jon, who said you cant wash down the boat or trailer?

Cleaning cars and boats

Residents 

You can:
 wash your private car, truck, van, motorbike or caravan using a bucket and sponge or at a commercial car wash 

 wash your private boat for 10 minutes using a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle after the boat has been in seawater

 flush boat motors with a bucket or a purpose-designed flushing device connected to a hose

 fill water tanks on a boat using a hose, as long as you don't leave the hose unattended or allow the tank to overflow

 clean bilges using a high-pressure cleaning device or hose fitted with a trigger nozzle

 wash your trailered vessel and trailer using a bucket and sponge or at a commercial car wash

 clean essential safety components of boat trailers (eg wheel bearings or brakes) using a high-pressure cleaning device or hose fitted with a trigger nozzle.

You can't:

 hose your car, trailer or boat with a hose, even if the hose is fitted with a trigger nozzle, except as described above

 clean your vehicle with a high pressure cleaning device if it's connected to the drinking water supply (by a hose)
  
 leave hoses and taps running unattended.

 

https://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/water-the-environment/what-we-re-doing/water-restrictions/index.htm

Edited January 7, 2020 by kingie chaser

[JonD]

33 minutes ago, kingie chaser said:

Jon, who said you cant wash down the boat or trailer?

Cleaning cars and boats

Residents 

You can:
 wash your private car, truck, van, motorbike or caravan using a bucket and sponge or at a commercial car wash 

 wash your private boat for 10 minutes using a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle after the boat has been in seawater

 flush boat motors with a bucket or a purpose-designed flushing device connected to a hose

 fill water tanks on a boat using a hose, as long as you don't leave the hose unattended or allow the tank to overflow

 clean bilges using a high-pressure cleaning device or hose fitted with a trigger nozzle

 wash your trailered vessel and trailer using a bucket and sponge or at a commercial car wash

 clean essential safety components of boat trailers (eg wheel bearings or brakes) using a high-pressure cleaning device or hose fitted with a trigger nozzle.

You can't:

 hose your car, trailer or boat with a hose, even if the hose is fitted with a trigger nozzle, except as described above

 clean your vehicle with a high pressure cleaning device if it's connected to the drinking water supply (by a hose)
  
 leave hoses and taps running unattended.

 

https://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/water-the-environment/what-we-re-doing/water-restrictions/index.htm

We were on level three but now are being told no washing only flushing.

Water supply is getting tighter and after so many people hoseing down their properties as the fires approached us we've now been informed we are down to just 30% left and not enough to save homes only lives.

We need to come up with better ways to manage the little we have. Driving 2 hrs to the nearest car wash and sitting inline with every other boat that's been on the water that day isn't an option given 200 boats have been known to log on from just our local radio station. 

My reason for starting this isn't about what rules are currently in place, its more to do with ideas for when things get worse. Population growing, climate becoming drier, demands on water constantly increasing. New ideas for the future needed. We are also at boil water for drinking stage now.

Edited January 7, 2020 by JonD

[rickmarlin62]

Lots of people up here on lower lying areas put bores in so they can water lawns or wash things

[dunc333]

Jon lives in Narooma so he is not under sydney water restrictions .he is under i would guess eurobodalla shire water .which guessing again has its own restrictions

[JonD]

7 minutes ago, dunc333 said:

Jon lives in Narooma so he is not under sydney water restrictions .he is under i would guess eurobodalla shire water .which guessing again has its own restrictions

Yes that's correct, but water problems seem to be getting worse everywhere.

[kingfishbig]

12 hours ago, JonD said:

Yes that's correct, but water problems seem to be getting worse everywhere.

And who would have thought when they are adding a milion people to Sydney every 10 or so years.

[Captain Spanner]

Jon, what are the rules if you get rainwater tanks? Are there rules as to how you can use the water that your rain water tanks collect? 

Same question for Sydney based people.

[kingie chaser]

1 hour ago, Captain Spanner said:

Jon, what are the rules if you get rainwater tanks? Are there rules as to how you can use the water that your rain water tanks collect? 

Same question for Sydney based people.

Then the water belongs to you!

Do with it what you want only put up a sign saying tank water OR bore water in use if that's the case, otherwise you will start upsetting people & will most likely get a knock on the front door

Edited January 9, 2020 by kingie chaser

[Captain Spanner]

I thought that was logical, I just wasn't confident that council would share the same sentiment.

[JonD]

1 hour ago, Captain Spanner said:

Jon, what are the rules if you get rainwater tanks? Are there rules as to how you can use the water that your rain water tanks collect? 

Same question for Sydney based people.

Personaly I don't know anyone who has rain water in their tanks, simply hasn't been rain here for a considerable time in quantities to fill tanks. I do know people who have tanks and mains and fill their tanks with mains to get around watering their lavish gardens. Yes it's a way of getting around things but it's only adding to the overall problem we all face. Fire chiefs are telling all of us there will be no water used for saving homes, only protecting people, hence why they are trying to get everyone to either leave or stay at the evac centres.

I know other country's have water processing plants turning sea water into drinking water.  When we have friends from the city stay with us we cringe at the long showers, taps left running to rinse plates, tap runnng while they brush their teeth etc. We are so used to wasting water it's going to be hard to stop for some.

Things like pressure washers actually use less water and I believe individual households need closely looking into for water usage as a start. My mother-in-law lives alone and more than doubles our household of 5 for water consumption, her garden looks fantastic though. 

I remember the guy from saltaway claiming a 3 minute engine flush was more than enough if using the product unlike my Yamaha dealers recommendation of 10-15 mins with just water. 

More water saving tips and ideas are needed rather than finding ways around council regulations. 

[JonD]

2 hours ago, Captain Spanner said:

Jon, what are the rules if you get rainwater tanks? Are there rules as to how you can use the water that your rain water tanks collect? 

Same question for Sydney based people.

Personaly I don't know anyone who has rain water in their tanks, simply hasn't been rain here for a considerable time in quantities to fill tanks. I do know people who have tanks and mains and fill their tanks with mains to get around watering their lavish gardens. Yes it's a way of getting around things but it's only adding to the overall problem we all face. Fire chiefs are telling all of us there will be no water used for saving homes, only protecting people, hence why they are trying to get everyone to either leave or stay at the evac centres.

I know other country's have water processing plants turning sea water into drinking water.  When we have friends from the city stay with us we cringe at the long showers, taps left running to rinse plates, tap runnng while they brush their teeth etc. We are so used to wasting water it's going to be hard to stop for some.

Things like pressure washers actually use less water and I believe individual households need closely looking into for water usage as a start. My mother-in-law lives alone and more than doubles our household of 5 for water consumption, her garden looks fantastic though. 

I remember the guy from saltaway claiming a 3 minute engine flush was more than enough if using the product unlike my Yamaha dealers recommendation of 10-15 mins with just water. 

More water saving tips and ideas are needed rather than finding ways around council regulations. 

By the way 380 homes have already gone in our small shire and numerous businesses. Water towers are next to empty and some creeks have been dry for several years. Sydney had heavy rains while we missed out like most towns. 

[Captain Spanner]

Purely based on assumption, I guess alot of the people with water tanks that have run out of water would use them for garden, lawn and car washing and not just motor flushing and trailer washing. So maybe if it does start raining again you might have enough to just look after your trailer and outboard.

[Guest Guest123456789]

First thing we should all be doing is minimising water usage https://www.yourhome.gov.au/water/reducing-water-demand

Second is to have an alternate water supply, as others have mentioned rainwater tanks, bore water or using a car wash that uses alternative water supplies not town water.

Third is to opt for a trailer that is easier maintenance. The newer telwater trailers are aluminium with some gal, the wheel guards are plastic and use bearing buddies. That way less water is required to clean.

[dunc333]

hi guys i do have 2  x3000 litre tanks inground and 1 x 1000 litre rain water tank above ground with a mains 240v pump which gives great pressure ,i wash car and boat on the 1000l tank with no pump just gravity fed to gerni which uses under 4 litres per minute and i still have 500l easy since last big rain .so what im saying if you have room its worth the outlay in the long run .    i wish i could send my tank water your way jon if i could i would ,the rain will come soon mate cheers dunc 333

Edited January 9, 2020 by dunc333

[Hoods]

Coming from an irrigation farm in the riverina (griffith) most of you do not yet appreciate the value of water.

I visited our local marine dealership in Taree (mid north coast) yesterday looking for a fishing report only to be told none of them have been fishing as they had no water to wash down their boats/motors/trailers. All local boat ramps including Crowdy Head & Forster have had the taps removed to preserve water. I suspect the south coast will be the same position (father cannot access Bermagui which has no power or sewer).

Recommend using Saltaway or similar product in a spray bottle to reduce water use & maintain your gear.  Big Neal I will be home to Griffith at end of February - can you  send another photo of "Lake Wyangan" please so we can see the impact of the drought!!

As for fishing reports: the nephew fished outside off Crowdy Head on Monday over shallow reef with a 90cm snapper on soft plastics!! (new PB) Water back to 18C and appears to have "rolled over". Small Kings out wider around the fad after a nice run of larger pre Christmas Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi).

Also a report of small Black Marlin off Coffs Harbour. Hopefully this southerly will bring the warm current in closer for some pelagic (read mackeral) action in the near term.

Plenty of estuary action with flathead & whiting throughout the Great Lakes/Forster & Manning River systems and blue swimmer crabs moving further upstream in the dry conditions. Lots of sharks and Jewfish also in the systems. For Jews try "Finch blades" or soft plastics.

Mid North Coast is on Level 4 water restrictions. Port Macquarie has a reported 155 days of supply remaining.

Imagine how the farmers & residents of small towns out west are going!!??

Hoods

 

 

[fishingrod]

Jon,

You guys have been through a fair bit the last couple of weeks. Stay safe.

I tend to wash the cockpit area, deck, coamings and cutting board with sea water from my deck wash prior to recovering onto the trailer. Use a rag or sponge to help scrub off stubborn dried scales, bait scraps etc. Use the seawater to get everything looking “clean” and flush all the blood and muck out of the carpet until it runs clear.

As the hull is already effectively already pretty clean, once home you only need to use enough fresh water to rinse the salt off. A another quick going over with bucket of fresh water (with what ever cleaning product/additive you prefer) and sponge before you hose helps save even more water. Especially if you sponge both sides of your windscreen, clears and stainless work. Using a pressure cleaner instead of a normal trigger nozzle saves even more again.

With rods & reels. The bucket and sponge is your friend here, then a very quick hose down concentrating on the reels. I wash the rods & reels while they are still in the boat before starting on the hull. This way the fresh water run off from washing the rods, as a secondary action, is already washing the cockpit area and carpet.

Understand that the Sydney rules talk about washing boats for max 10mins. Unsure if fishing rods part of this 10mins ? If your thorough with the bucket & sponge, the hull really only needs a few short minutes of water. Then you can spend a bit of time on the important trailer bits. 

Acknowledge the above method still uses precious fresh water. Part of water saving is about cleaning smartly. And taking the few extra minutes to use a sponge.

cheers, Rod

[kingfishbig]

On ‎1‎/‎9‎/‎2020 at 9:37 PM, fishingrod said:

Jon,

You guys have been through a fair bit the last couple of weeks. Stay safe.

I tend to wash the cockpit area, deck, coamings and cutting board with sea water from my deck wash prior to recovering onto the trailer. Use a rag or sponge to help scrub off stubborn dried scales, bait scraps etc. Use the seawater to get everything looking “clean” and flush all the blood and muck out of the carpet until it runs clear.

As the hull is already effectively already pretty clean, once home you only need to use enough fresh water to rinse the salt off. A another quick going over with bucket of fresh water (with what ever cleaning product/additive you prefer) and sponge before you hose helps save even more water. Especially if you sponge both sides of your windscreen, clears and stainless work. Using a pressure cleaner instead of a normal trigger nozzle saves even more again.

With rods & reels. The bucket and sponge is your friend here, then a very quick hose down concentrating on the reels. I wash the rods & reels while they are still in the boat before starting on the hull. This way the fresh water run off from washing the rods, as a secondary action, is already washing the cockpit area and carpet.

Understand that the Sydney rules talk about washing boats for max 10mins. Unsure if fishing rods part of this 10mins ? If your thorough with the bucket & sponge, the hull really only needs a few short minutes of water. Then you can spend a bit of time on the important trailer bits. 

Acknowledge the above method still uses precious fresh water. Part of water saving is about cleaning smartly. And taking the few extra minutes to use a sponge.

cheers, Rod

No need to hose rods and reels. Not actually a good idea for reels as it tends to drive water into the internals (well unless maybe if you use a mist setting). Under the shower or a spray bottle is gentler.

[jeffb5.8]

I have 3 kids and instead of having showers the two smaller ones are sharing a bath, I am buying a small submersible pump which then pumps the bath water into the garden or I have a 200ltr drum.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/xu1-900w-submersible-pump_p4819828

The bath is a about 100ltrs which after 5 days gives me enough water to water my grass and garden, I have been passing buckets out the window currently and even used the water to wash the car when the Bats made a mess of it.

So for $90 from Bunnings this will speed up the draining process.

Our shower heads uses about 9ltrs per minute and the kids would shower all day if I did not set a timer.