FOREDECK RAIN CATCHER
©
2013 Tor Pinney - All Rights Reserved
Sometimes it can be difficult
to refill water tanks while cruising. Local water may be
unsuitable, expensive or simply unavailable. Watermakers can
also come up short, since you usually can't run harbor water
through them. That’s why it is smart to carry a rain-catcher.
I’ve always had a large deck
awning for my ketch, Silverheels, that doubles as a
high-volume rain-catcher. However, it’s too cumbersome to put up
and take down again during short layovers. So I devised a small,
easy-to-deploy Sunbrella awning/rain-catcher that I can string
up over the foredeck in a minute or two. What it lacks in
capacity it makes up for in frequency of use. I often put it up
right after anchoring, just for the night, or even when a single
rain squall is approaching. Of course, it also shades the
forward deck hatch when the sun is shining. Mine measures 5ft
6in x 6ft and features a half-dozen tie grommets, battens and
lift rings fore & aft, and a hose barb fitting secured through a
reinforced hole in the middle to which I attach enough hose to
reach the water tank deck fills.
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