Spear for bore water

Submitted: Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:21
ThreadID: 28325 Views:14167 Replies:4 FollowUps:10
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I asked this in a thread about Fraser Island but it's caught my interest so decided to post it as a separate question. One of the rangers said that she'd seen people push a spear into the sand behind the dunes and use it to get fresh water. Has anyone used one themselves? What does it involve, where did you use it, did you buy or make it and how much was it. I assume that it wouldn't work if the water table was too deep or too salty.

Adrian
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Reply By: glenno(qld) - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:39

Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:39
http://www.glind.com.au/htm/Product.asp#spear
AnswerID: 140726

Follow Up By: Member - AdrianLR (VIC) - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:57

Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 22:57
Thanks for the link - such politically correct photos too haha! I wonder if the fingernails and bucket of peroxide are a standard accessory??

$385 seems a bit steep but it depends how complex the pipe is. I guess there must be an arrangement where you pump water down the pipe to cut into the sand. With a pump and fittings it would probably be around $500 unless you already had a shower system.

Have you tried one?
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Follow Up By: glenno(qld) - Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 23:05

Wednesday, Nov 23, 2005 at 23:05
I havnt tried one but i guess its like everything else . Can i afford it . How often would i use it .
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Follow Up By: V8troopie - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 00:26

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 00:26
I looked at it too and wondered at the price. Then I did some investigating and came up with this idea: Get 2m long ss tube, with a bore big enough to accept one of these nifty tubular pumps that are available at marine stores for about $100.-
Modify lower end of tube so it can be easily screwed into sand via two removable handles near the upper end.
Drill large holes at the lower end of the tube and fit very fine ss mesh screen to the inside of the tube at the holes.

if one wanted drinking water (after boiling it first), perhaps one of the readily available water jug carbon filters could also be inserted in the tube somewhere.

I think that's all that there is to this or did I miss something?

I doubt that water pumping would be used to insert the tube into the sand, as suggested above. After all, it is water *from* the tube that's required, no point pumping it in there :-0

Klaus
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Follow Up By: Nudenut - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 07:56

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 07:56
V8...can you point me in the right direction for one of $100.00 Pumps ??
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Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 08:27

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 08:27
G'day V8,

Haven't used one but sussed them out at a show. You do need water pumping into the spear to get it in the ground to start with. Also may need to dig if way back in the dunes the water table is deeper.

Kind regards
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Follow Up By: V8troopie - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 15:52

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 15:52
Nudenut, try Whitworths marine, they have branches in many cities.
Cat No. 67413 is $85.90 and Cat No. 67215 is $129.90 in their 2005 catalogue.
Both would fit inside a 38mm pipe bore.
Klaus
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Reply By: Redeye - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 08:36

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 08:36
Hi

Built my own using a piece of hose, 50mm of pipe, hand pump and home made filter. Will be testing it on Fraser over the Xmas New Year break. Have ten days to perfect it. Total cost $50.

Would have problems leaving a $300 + spear and $380 pump lying around the camp site.

will have some feedback in the new year

Redeye
AnswerID: 140760

Follow Up By: Member - Peter R (QLD) - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 08:58

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 08:58
Nudenut,
Probably a "Rule" Bilge pump , available at Whitworths might be the go.

Pedro
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Reply By: Tim_N - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 10:43

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 10:43
I've used one and it was great. To get the fresh water, dig a small hole about 1 to 2' or until you hit the water table. Then jet the sand spear into the table from there via the 12 volt pressure pump. The sand spear has a jet tube that runs through the middle of it and you jet 20l of water (salt or fresh) down and this makes the spear walk down to as deep as you want. The better water is deeper. The filter is on the inside of the sand spear and it is a 4000 screen or micron. This doesn't allow any sand through, only water.
The water we accessed was right at the campsite and once it was down we used the water like you would at home. Washing, showers etc.
My mate had a Glind shower so the pump on this was the same used to run the spear.
No more buckets or runs across the island to get fresh water and a lot less stuff to cart around.
He also had a small sand filter which is the same filter as in the spear but not as big and he pumped fresh water straight from the creek and didn't get any sand inside his pump. This is the big killer of pumps. The little filter was about $90 and very useful.
They are both good bits of gear and I guess it depends on how much of this type of camping you do.
AnswerID: 140775

Reply By: mattlobie - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 14:23

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 14:23
This might be a dumb question, but how close to the beach/water can you use one of these gadgets and still get fresh water?

matt
AnswerID: 140807

Follow Up By: V8troopie - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 15:58

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 15:58
I'm guessing here but above the high tide line the water table would be separated with the fresh water being on top of the salty stuff. If there is a natural gravity drain from higher dunes to the shore it most likely is all fresh water.
Did I guess right?
Klaus
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Follow Up By: kev.h - Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 18:11

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 18:11
Some parts of Frazer fresh water runs out of the sand right down to the low tide mark
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Follow Up By: Member - David 0- Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 21:45

Thursday, Nov 24, 2005 at 21:45
How long is a piece of string?
Taste it is an option
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