Float your boat, and keep it that way!
Use your water pump
I've noticed a lot of houseboats around the docks that keep a constant hookup to their water supply. (Meaning, while docked, houseboats have their dock's water hose connected to their houseboat's water system.) This is the convenient way to use your dock's water supply and the quietest, but it's not always the safest. The problem is that you are putting a great deal of trust into a few small hoses and fittings. If any of these failed you've got an endless supply of water that will be dumped into your houseboat's hull.
Our suggestion is only connect to your dock's water when it's time to fill your houseboat's water tanks and use your water system the way that it was intended. Once empty, reconnect and fill up again. Don't let that loud water pump annoy you, it is like your generator, it needs to get used. Besides you'll sleep better when you don't have to ask yourself if you turned your water off, and so will I.
For those of you still connecting to your dock's water, not forgetting to turn your water off when you leave your boat may get you by, but using your onboard water system and letting your pump do the work will keep you floating.
This Houseboating Tip was submitted by
Mike Davis of Davis and Associates Insurance
800-977-0723
www.davismarineinsurance.com
