Potable water.....fill tank or connect pressurized water to boat inlet when slipped?

[radiocontester]

Question for folks with water-tank-equipped boats slipped at marina's:

Do you recommend filling the water tank manually or do you connect to the pressurized water supply to the boat when docked? There are folks online who recommend against connecting pressurized water to the boat's inlet to prevent a serious flooding situation if there is a leak. Just curious what the general consensus is on this forum. Thanks.

[Rich]

I fill my tank, I don't connect to the dock water line.

They are right, if something fails, the water pressure could fill and sink your boat.

Now, if you were on the boat all the time, and were there to keep an eye on it, then leaving the shore water connected while you're on board is fine.

Of course, you could connect it and turn it on when you are there, and off when you are not, but if you forget, and there is a failure? How's your insurance? :)

[depasseg]

We stay on ours every weekend and use the tank. It's not worth the hassle of connecting and disconnecting whenever we take the boat out, and the potential flooding concern doesn't help. We full up every 3-4 weeks depending on usage (20 gal tank). Some goes for the others in our marina. I don't know of anyone who hooks up the water.

[Outdoorsman]

I fill my tank, I don't connect to the dock water line.

They are right, if something fails, the water pressure could fill and sink your boat.

Now, if you were on the boat all the time, and were there to keep an eye on it, then leaving the shore water connected while you're on board is fine.

Of course, you could connect it and turn it on when you are there, and off when you are not, but if you forget, and there is a failure? How's your insurance? :)

I fill my tank then connect to the pressurized line if I am docking overnight. Just remember if you go "out on the town" to turn off the pressure line and disconnect the hose (so you don't forget it the next day). You can always reconnect in the morning if you are using a substantial amount of water.

[Kamper]

I removed the tank from my RV and leave it on the hose for 6 months out of each of the last 3 years. Of course if something goes wrong my RV isn't going to sink below the surface for a very long time...

Good luck!