You got me, but I got you, too...
You're right, I'm still thinking dugouts and coracles. Of course you just pull the water up the elevator!
And, there's no eason for yu to restrict your imagination to something "doable". If you had an elevator, the whole rules of the game change. No need to think small anymore.
Imagine an "Orion" class spaceship that was already safely in space. 10,000 tonnes of interplanetary cruiser - basically a mobile space station. Crew of 50-100, but no warp drive...