DON'T
TASTE THE WATER (IN THE BILGE)
I
did it for decades. I still see others doing it regularly,
truly, I saw a professional captain do it this week. There's
water in the bilge and we want to know, is it fresh or salt?
It does make a difference. In most instances, fresh water
is from the water tank and can't sink the boat. Salt water
is from the ocean and can sink the boat. Knowing if it is
fresh or salt water can assist in solving the problem of where
the water came from. A taste quickly answers the question
and then we continue on the process of solving the problem
at hand. One solution for fresh water and another for salt
water. No big deal …right? WRONG!
My
wife laughed at the thought of someone tasting bilge water
to determine its salinity. This article will do the most good
and be most relevant to men, the smarter gender doesn't need
this low level intelligence reprimand. Thank goodness, someone
needs to take care of the kids' safety! Now if you are a member
of the smarter gender, keep reading, if only for the humor
that we men actually taste bilge water.
One
of my mentors often says, "Nothing good ever comes from
water in the bilge." Fresh water in the bilge can rot
wood, promote mold, stink and is generally yucky. Salt water
does not rot wood (trivia tidbit) but it causes corrosion,
stinks and is also yucky. Whatever the source, it should be
found and eliminated. I am not advocating a need for a perfectly
dry bilge, and I have had friends who needed help to get over
that obsession, but active, unexpected leaks should be addressed.
The
bilge is usually a dirty, unclean, cesspool that collects
all manner of pollutants and contaminates. The bilge is the
bottom of a vessel in which there are tanks holding fuel and
waste, engines have oil and coolant and there are all manner
of poisons aboard. There are hoses with connections to fittings
carrying the fuel and waste (and other toxins). The boat moves,
vibrates, heats and cools, and these fluids do not stay contained.
The leaking fluids usually find their way to the bottom of
the boat, the bilge.
The
normal maintenance of the boat, including washing the exterior
and cleaning the interior results in contaminants in the bilge.
Sinks, showers, sump collector and deck drains are sources
for contaminants. Cleaning chemicals, gifts from birds, debris
tracked in on shoes, and other people's hair... blech!
An
occupational health and safety doctor followed a marine surveyor
on a job and then spoke to a surveyor’s association
meeting. He started and ended with one clear message. In between,
he discussed other significant safety issues like confined
spaces, gas freeing of tanks, climbing ladders and big boats
suspended over our heads, but above all he stressed one simple
behavioral change. "Don't taste the bilge water!"
Few
people need to know if the bilge water is fresh or salt as
often as a marine surveyor. However, as a boater, you will
inevitably be asking that question at some point in your boating
career. I did not realize how often this situation arose,
until I stopped doing it. In my normal course of inspecting
boats, I am asked if the water is salt or fresh once a week.
It is often not said, but implied that I should taste it;
after all I am the surveyor. I'll suggest a safe way to answer
this question later, but the most important immediate response
is, "I aint tastin' it, and you shouldn't either."
I have noticed many marine professionals need to answer the
question in order to continue up the logic tree of problem
solving. As an owner, you can always pay someone to taste
the water for you.
The
good doctor that advised the large audience of marine surveyors
against using our taste buds to determine salt or fresh, had
sound reasons. He mentioned several diseases, including incurable
ones like hepatitis. He also mentioned several other terms
that I did not comprehend, and don't want to, but more than
one included the term "fecal", enough said.
So,
I don't care how many times you have done it or how long you
have been doing it, stop tasting the bilge water now. I am
sure I have tasted the bilge water for as long, and as many
times as most of you, but I stopped cold turkey, no 12 step
program, no counseling, I didn't start smoking or eat more
pie as a substitute. I just stopped and have lived for several
years now with no detrimental side effects. If I can stop,
so can you!
Now,
that we have eliminated tasting the water as a means of determining
its source, which can be a very important determination, what
do we do?
One
method used by professionals is the use of silver nitrite.
A few crystals of silver nitrate in the unknown water will
quickly provide the answer. White deposits in the bottom mean
salt water. A light cloud suspended indicates fresh water.
It is very simple and quick.
It
is very simple and definitive. We tried mixing fresh and salt
water 50% and the resulting mixture still indicated salt water,
but to a lesser extent.
Silver
nitrate is crystalline at room temperature. It is available
at chemical supply stores and may require a business licenses
to acquire. It should be kept out of sunlight and off your
skin. While it may not be a compound you currently have on
your boat, the upside is worth the effort or you can simply
bring a sample by our office and we will safety test it for
free. Boat repair professionals or anyone who regularly needs
to answer this question should invest in some silver nitrate
and keep it handy.
