Do you fill your water tanks from 5-gallon containers — either jerry cans or purchased water? This easy hack using a gallon plastic water bottle screwed into the deck fill is almost like gaining a second hand. It will save you all the precious liquid you usually spill.
The Problem with Filling Boat Water Tanks
Getting water into the deck fill from a bottle or jerry can without spilling half of it can be the hardest part of the whole process. Someone has to hold a funnel; it never quite fits right, it tips at exactly the wrong moment, and you end up with water running across the deck and down the side of the boat. It’s one of those small, nagging annoyances that seems to happen over and over again.
That’s why I loved this idea from Dennis and Susan Ross of Ross Marine Services in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Creating the Perfect Deck Fill Funnel
Anyone can do this. You can easily find the materials. And a few minutes of work results in easy water transfers for months to come.
Start by finding a standard, one-gallon plastic water bottle. Cut the bottom off, screw the top into the deck fill.
The size is perfect. Even though the threads don’t match exactly, the plastic is soft enough that they cross-thread easily.
A couple of small tips if you make one:
- Cut the bottom off cleanly so there aren’t any jagged edges to catch on things in your storage locker.
- Keep the cap and screw it back on when the funnel isn’t in use, so it stays clean.
- If your deck fill is in a spot where the bottle might get knocked sideways, a short piece of light line tied to the handle of the jerry can and looped around the funnel neck will steady it.
Benefits of This Easy DIY Hack
The result is a funnel that:
- stands up by itself
- doesn’t need a second person to hold it
- fits securely in the fill
- pours fast without “burping” water back at you
In other words, it solves just about every problem that the typical deck-fill funnel creates.
And the cost? You buy a gallon of water — which you were probably going to do anyway — and you’ve got a custom-fit funnel.
The Easy Deck Fill Funnel in Real Life
We used Dennis’ method a couple of times when we couldn’t use our watermaker and the local water was suspect. Yes, it really IS that simple. Once you try it, you’ll wonder why you ever struggled with the store-bought funnels.
Like so many good cruising solutions, this one has a few other advantages. It’s lightweight, it stores easily, and if it gets dirty or cracked, simply make another one. No hunting through marine stores trying to find something that “might” fit your deck fill.
And because it threads into the fill, you can take your time pouring without having to brace yourself, hold the funnel, and manage the jerry can all at once — a big deal if you’re working on a rocking dock or trying to do the job solo.
I just love finding simple solutions like this to nagging little irritations. They don’t cost much, they don’t take special tools, and they make everyday life on the boat just a little bit easier.
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
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