Preview: No Pressure Water System with Havilah Hawkins

10 Responses So Far to “No Pressure Water System with Havilah Hawkins”

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  Steve Branam says:

  Also great for shore camping with a small boat. You could just set it on rocks, or make a simple stand for it as part of a small camp kitchen. I like this stiff jug over the collapsible ones that we used for Boy Scout camping.

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  John Crawford says:

  How do you get a hot shower at sea? Salt water? Pressure?

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    Greg Mactye says:

    Not that I would necessarily recommend it today, but back in 1967 my grandfather installed a 30-gallon black plastic tank on the fly bridge of his Pacemaker sportfisherman, which gravity-fed the galley below. We filled it with the garden hose straight from the house tap (which would probably have people shuddering today!!) I would probably not do it today because I understand now, that that 30-gallon tank placed almost 250-pounds of additional weight above the boat’s center of gravity. Not a horrible overload, but in rough seas I would want as much weight as possible down below for stability.

    However – to John’s question about a hot shower – if you put say a 15 or 20 gallon black plastic tank up top temporarily and let it sit in the sun, it would heat up well, and provide hot water for a shower. ( Just be sure to test it before using it in case it gets a little TOO hot!)

    Love the simplicity of this system, and would recommend looking at scientific supply catalogues for nalgene water jugs of different sizes. I had many jugs just like this in my laboratory. The tip about diffused lighting is also a neat one, and yes it really works! It also works with one gallon water jugs in your campsite or tent. (That’s a great example of “Science in Action”, folks!)

    Greg Mactye

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  James Jones says:

  Eric mentions having to rip out stainless steel tanks, under bunks, causing condensation and rot… How about a video about all the things that can go *wrong* with wooden boats (and how to avoid them.) The perspective of those who have to do the repairs would, I think, be pretty interesting to those who own a wooden boat.

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  Andy Reynolds says:

  Here in Alaska lots of people (mostly young) live in what are referred to as dry cabins. In an extreme cold climate, any plumbing constitutes a liability since consequences of a freeze-up are severe. What Haddie has done on Vela is standard procedure for dry cabin dwellers. An outhouse serves as the bathroom, and a sauna serves well for bathing, again, with a gravity feed shower, or a friend with a bucket. I’d venture a guess that there are billions living happily worldwide, without running water. Thanks for the reminder that old ways work…better sometimes than newer ways.

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  William Boulden says:

  Please do a spot on Vela herself! She looks to have all the charm and grace of a simple life.

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    Dustin Urban says:

    Hi William, if you haven’t already found it, “The Schmee of Havilah Hawkins” offers a great look at Vela: https://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/the-schmee-of-havilah-hawkins/

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  John Hughes says:

  Friends who weekended on a Stone Horse got 3g jugs from Poland Springs, with the little spouts on ’em. They’d freeze one all week in the home freezer, and it’d be the ice-block for their icebox for the weekend. The melted ice-block from the PAST weekend was the water supply for THIS weekend (and got re-filled and re-frozen for NEXT weekend). Worked like a charm.

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  Wendy & Joe Bliss & Postich says:

  Having just run about three miles of PEX tubing you have me aching for Vela’s simple solutions. I couldn’t help but notice the exposed vented loops in the background too and wish I had all the time I put into building loop cabinets back again to go sailing! Thanks!

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  Eric Blake says:

  That’s as simple as it gets! Thanks Haddie.