# Water tankage - how much can/ do you carry?



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Just a few questions:

1-Coming from a similar thread about fuel, is water the limiting factor on how many days you can stay out without coming to a place to fill up ( assuming you don’t have a water maker) ?

2-Assuming you do not have/ use a watermaker how much can you carry?

3-Water weighs 12 lbs per gallon, do you ever not fill to capacity ?


4-How much water do you use daily assuming 2 people?

5-How many days can you go without refilling?

6-What conservation measures/ tactics have you put in place to ”stretch your water”


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

Fresh is a tad less than 8.5 lbs/gal


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Answered below



chef2sail said:


> Just a few questions:
> 
> 1-Coming from a similar thread about fuel, is water the limiting factor on how many days you can stay out without coming to a place to fill up ( assuming you don't have a water maker) ?
> Kids
> ...


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

I have about 3 months water supply.... As you do.

There's some good ways to save... But I need the computer, not this stupid phone.


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

chef2sail said:


> Just a few questions:
> 
> 1-Coming from a similar thread about fuel, is water the limiting factor on how many days you can stay out without coming to a place to fill up ( assuming you don't have a water maker) ?
> 
> ...


Boat holds 150 gals. We fill the tanks EVERY chance we get. The 150 gals will last at least 3 weeks of living on the boat with both of us taking showers. We run the water slow and turn it off it doing water the bugs when water pouring down the sink isn't needed ( brushing teeth, soaping up in shower etc.)


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

Fresh showers and dish washing eats tons of aqua.
To conserve use sea water and make fresh your final rinse in spray form.
Never crack the faucet wide open unless filling a container.
If you are getting into danger zone make sundowners stronger and sip rather than gulp.

Depends on how soon resupply of fresh water will be. But what if none is available...there...

1st world little worries.
3rd world needs plans made.

Its worth varies....


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

I like to plan on 1 gallon of water per person per day to keep every one healthy and happy with my sailing style. I dont have tanks on either of my boats, so I just buy gallon jugs. 

I decide how many gallon jugs I can carry by taking my estimated max load (about 1200 lbs for my 21') subtracting the weight of people and gear including fuel and outboard, and whatever is left I can use for food and water. I limit myself to two gallons of fuel, because I find that to be plenty.

My rough estimate is; single handed 60 days of food and water.
For a couple 20 days of food and water.
Two adults two small kids 7 days of food and water.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

Our boat carries 100 gallons. Never run out. For conservation we use a Brita tap mounted filter, which keeps the flow down nicely. Don't really need it but we've been using them for years and like them..


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

We have now been out 3650 days without taking on water. Well, that's not quite true. We have spent a few random days in marinas over the past 10yrs where we took on water in our slip. So make that 3600 days.

We just went 18 days without running the watermaker because it rained so much all the frogs drowned. Our hardtop collects 100gal/hr right into a filter and straight into the tank.

In Central America during the 8-9 months of summer, we pickle the watermaker and have more rain water than we can use.

We don't conserve in any manner more than shutting off the faucet while brushing teeth and soaping up in the shower. We rinse the dinghy after every use, shower after going in the water, and wash the boat after passages or every couple of days when the salt is in the air.

From our cruising perspective, a watermaker is one of the most important and useful pieces of gear we have put on the boat.

Mark


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## adki110 (Feb 27, 2011)

200 gallons, lasts 3 to 4 weeks depending on weather, conservation measures would extend that.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

MarkofSeaLife said:


> I have about 3 months water supply.... As you do.
> 
> There's some good ways to save... But I need the computer, not this stupid phone.


I'll bet you inflatable electronic girly is filled with water?????????


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## Freemotion (May 22, 2018)

colemj said:


> We have now been out 3650 days without taking on water. Well, that's not quite true. We have spent a few random days in marinas over the past 10yrs where we took on water in our slip. So make that 3600 days.
> 
> We just went 18 days without running the watermaker because it rained so much all the frogs drowned. Our hardtop collects 100gal/hr right into a filter and straight into the tank.
> 
> ...


What watermaker do you use Mark?

Would you get a different one if you were to buy one today (or make your own)?

- Marty


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## Freemotion (May 22, 2018)

chef2sail said:


> I'll bet you inflatable electronic girly is filled with water?????????


The density of that liquid is heavier lol


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## hpeer (May 14, 2005)

187 gallons of water. Last took on water in Luperon 8 or 9 weeks ago. Still have 25 or so left. 

Foot pump on sink. We are pretty stingy. We have a pressure shower in the boat but prefer to use a little propane heated camp shows in the cockpit. For day to day we use sponge baths as needed. 

We don’t try to be water stingy, we just are.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Freemotion said:


> What watermaker do you use Mark?
> 
> Would you get a different one if you were to buy one today (or make your own)?
> 
> - Marty


We started with a Village Marine Little Wonder 6gph and changed it out after a few years for a CruiseRO 30gph.

I wouldn't change a thing now. Watermakers are very easy to build yourself, but for units like CruiseRO or EchoTec, it rarely is cost effective. To make a big dollar difference, one needs to have the time to hunt for the real bargains in pumps, motors, and housings. Everything else is cheap plumbing. For a couple hundred dollar premium, you can get all of the parts and spares sent to you in a box.

If I was a year or two away from needing a watermaker, I would build my own. If, like we were, in a foreign country with limited supplies, buy a complete unit. Even if you are in a place like the US, but you need a watermaker in short time, buy a complete unit because it would be rare that you could source cheaper parts that quickly.

But first, you need to decide the AC/DC question. If DC, get a Spectra unit - nothing else makes sense for DC. This will cost a lot and you can't make one yourself. Used is probably the only way to get one cheaper.

Mark


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

There is/was a sailing test question about the amount of fresh water required per person per day. The answer is/was 5.5 gallons!

I plan on 1 gallon of drinking water per person per day, and use the 56 gallons (6-gallon hot water heater) aboard for cooking and dishwashing. If anyone wants (or needs) a shower (usually every other day) we stop at a marina.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

eherlihy said:


> There is/was a sailing test question about the amount of fresh water required per person per day. The answer is/was 5.5 gallons!
> 
> I plan on 1 gallon of drinking water per person per day, and use the 56 gallons (6-gallon hot water heater) aboard for cooking and dishwashing. If anyone wants (or needs) a shower (usually every other day) we stop at a marina.


Yeah, when I see people claiming 1gal/day or less for a person, I think they have never been in the tropics - I drink 1gal/day. Showers every other day? You must sweat and get salty much less than me, and have an accommodating wife.

I don't think you can count on the 6gal in your water heater tank for anything except emergencies because you can't access it once the main tank is dry. Getting it out of the drain would be the only way.

Mark


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Most of the boats I've owned had between 200 and 300 gallons of potable water in tanks. Baring no mistakes (taps left open) that has been more than sufficient for 4 adults at sea for over 30 days. On one Atlantic crossing from the Canaries to Martinique, we had 60 gallons in tanks and 10 gallons in jugs, for 2 adults and a child (6 or 7) and on that 20 day trip we did not use all the tank water.
Most of those boats had salt water plumbed to the galley sink for washing up, etc.
I wouldn't cruise or do crossings w/o at least a 30 gph watermaker these days though. It sincerely is the difference between living aboard comfortably and camping out on a boat, IMO.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

I'm not in the tropics, and a gallon per day is plenty. 5.5 gallons per person per day is crazy. Once we've hit the 1-gallon per person mark we switch to wine, and after that, could care less what we smell like.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

colemj said:


> Yeah, when I see people claiming 1gal/day or less for a person


I find it more than a little ironic that a dude with a 40 foot catamaran with water maker would imply other people are out of touch with their water needs. I don't believe the OP specified the tropics, that's your own thing you have going on.

But since you asked the question, have you ever been to the tropics, without a catamaran or 3 star resort to support your life style.

Here is a pic I took on a 6 week walking trip of Nepal (I carried my water on my back BTW). This is the capital city Kathmandu, the water access situation in most of the rest of the company is much worse. You think these ladies are carrying 5.5 gallons of water per person per day through sweltering Kathmandu heat. Some how I doubt it.

Just because there are no limits or physical boundaries on your personal consumption doesn't mean its a necessity, its just how you prefer to do things.


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

A can of beans doesnt need water.
You dry foods like rice and pasta eat into your aqua supply.
Its a compromise.
Dehydrated?....pay for it later....

Those with watermakers can just raise that finger...no worries...


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

Gee it’s at the point now where you can’t even discuss water tankage here without it becoming a pissing battle :frown


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

I looked at his post as for him/them...not dictating for all.
Personal opinions are what we all type out anyway...


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

*Water.*

The full version as its important to know what you actually need for a long passage and you can work back from there to your normal hedonistic lifestyle.

*Pissing Contest:* I have 2 x 220 litre fresh tanks, no water maker.
I need to fill about once ever 3 months
I don't stink.

*Method:*

The water pump is *ALWAYS* off.

Water pump is only turned on to fill saucepans for cooking or water spray bottles.

At every faucet is a water spray bottle. A good quality one but not an industrial pumper. This is the only water used for washing anything, dishes, hands, bodys, teeth anything.

Plastic 'solar' shower bag, SMALL size. Showers on short 3 week passages get 60 seconds of water from the faucet into the bag. the bag is left on deck during the crew members midday watch (the watches revolve) and they get one shower every 2 or 3 days. Turn the water on and get wet. Turn the water off and soap down (or up). Turn water on and rinse. Repeat till water used.

The other days the shower is from a spray bottle. Use as many bottle fulls untill you hand falls off from pumping.

Dishes washed by salt water with an electric salt water pump into the sinks. Rinsed with a fresh water spray bottle.

Drinking water comes from shore bought fresh water and the water bottles re-filled from the faucet. Emergency non-tank water is kept under my bed. Don't drink it as its a few years old. *Yawn*

Start every passage with *draconian* rules. You can always ease up later. Its bad leadership to start lackadaisical and then be forced to tighten rules. You look like an idiot who cant look after the crew.

I always aim to finish the passage with one entire tank in reserve. For safety, ding-a-ling! :grin

*Reasons: *

God, or Charles Darwin, whoever, invented humans with a self cleaning outer cover called "skin". It gets stinky if you don't wash every day because you have destroyed the self cleaning properties. Stop washing and the self cleaning will start after a few days and your skin will feel great, the softest its been for years. Napoleon asked Josephine not to wash from when he left Egypt till he got to her in France not so she would be stinky but so she would smell great.

Hair. Does your hair need washing?
When was shampoo invented? Yes! You're right, 1927 by German Hans Schwarzkopf in Berlin. Before that we never needed it! Now theres a movement to dump it al together and let our self-cleaning hair re-establish itself. Hair unwashed after a week at sea is the most beautiful you have ever had since you were a baby! Yes, even you were a baby once... a grumpy baby but still a baby.
Read: Decade without shampoo: https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/richard-glover-the-no-poo-revolution-20171211-h029wp.html

Theres NO medical research proving the 8 cups of water daily. Its just bumkam from a few years ago. Its total BS. So dont force your crew to drink. Darwin and god invented a thing called 'thirst' to tell a human hen he needs a drink. We probably drink far too much water especially when exercising. Many elite athletes don't drink, nowadays, during marathons. Watch the elite runners in your cities Fun Run as they run pass those huge tables with green sugar water on them. Why drinks that crap? The unfit sufferers down the back. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/health/new-advice-to-runners-don-t-drink-the-water.html 
When we were living in caves we had no instant source of water as caves are not usually co-located with caves. We would get a drink when we left for the days hunt (nor did we get breakfast!). Then we would not drink again until we had stalked, speared and ran down, and eaten our Kangaroo. The only fluid being its blood. Then a lie-lie under a tree and the long walk back home via the creek to tell the women we caught nothing and are hungry.

On passage a lot of your water requirements come from your food. You are eating better because you are preparing more yourself from fresh and frozen food. Canned food always has a lot of water in it because you are being ripped off.

First (newish) rule in the SAS, similar to us Special Forces/ Green Berets etc: in any emergency incident do not drink water for the first 24 hours. You don't need it. Theres enough sitting in your body.

*Conclusion: *
I write a conclusion because no one reads my long posts, so lets cut to the exit..

You dont need as much water as you think you do (Don is different. Verrrrry different, just ask his wife) so go for a nice long passage and conserve it like its gold, dont wash, leave your hair, dont slug water down all day etc etc etc... and you will learn how little you really need. Then the rest of your cruising days you will never be worried about water again 

After that I need a drink

Mark


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

MarkofSeaLife;2051499978dy.
......................... no one reads my long posts said:


> I read the important stuff


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

We carry 200 gallons/750 litres. Have never actually run out, and don’t have a gauge, but can easily last two months. That’s two adults, full time. Actually, we can go longer, but this our target.

We aren’t paranoid about water use on board, but we are aware and conscious about usage. We use seawater for main dish washing, with a final fresh water spritz. We sponge-bath most days, and cockpit shower occasionally. Not much different than how I live on land.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

I learned about hygiene ON A BOAT from George Carlin;






Jump to 5:22


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Agree with Mark. Have a Spectra Cape Horn Extreme. It runs on DC so more efficient using Alt. Energy juice. Production is slow but more than sufficient for 2 to 4. All Watermaker’s give less trouble if run frequently. We try to run ours every three days.
Have a different attitude than the other Mark. A cool shower is so nice in the tropics. A hot shower is so nice when your muscles are sore and it’s cold out before climbing into the bunk.
As regards athletes. He may want to attend to what TB12 does or the most common reason marathoners collapse (dehydration). I ask crew to look at their pee. When it darkens want them to hydrate. With insensible water loss you other lose electrolytes. At its extreme it can cause cardiac arrhythmias. Drinking just free water doesn’t suffice. Most get enough from food but for the seasick crowd this is a biggie.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Arcb said:


> I find it more than a little ironic that a dude with a 40 foot catamaran with water maker would imply other people are out of touch with their water needs. I don't believe the OP specified the tropics, that's your own thing you have going on.
> 
> But since you asked the question, have you ever been to the tropics, without a catamaran or 3 star resort to support your life style.
> 
> ...


Give it up Arcb. I was agreeing with Eherlihy that a person can drink 1gal/day. The OP didn't specify the tropics, but he has now seen fit to encourage expansion of topics and discussion of alternate points of view. Seems like you have a problem with this, so you should point your anguish at the OP and Eherlihy instead.

Yes, I've been to the tropics with limited water supply, and spent my younger life backpacking and survival training. The thing with trips to Nepal and such is that water is available along the way, and its need is planned out (for you, probably). This isn't the same as on a boat, so it is a non-sequitar of an example.

I seriously doubt most people consider living and cruising on their boat to be a backpacking/survival type of adventure. If you do find yourself active in the tropics, and are not drinking proper amounts of water, you will find yourself with health issues. If you are not washing properly, you will find yourself with health issues.

But I will leave you and your closed little group of like-minded people to chase off anyone with a different point of view or experience. I asked once, but never received, a list of responses and views you controllers of Sailnet find acceptable. Perhaps you would like to supply this?

Mark


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

colemj said:


> Yeah, when I see people claiming 1gal/day or less for a person, I think they have never been in the tropics - I drink 1gal/day. Showers every other day? You must sweat and get salty much less than me, and have an accommodating wife.


Here is what I read Mark: "Claiming" implies dishonesty or inaccuracy. "I think they have never been to the tropics" implies an ignorant poorly traveled person. "You must sweat and get salty much less than me, and have an accommodating wife" implies the person is dirty with a non particular wife.

Strung together it reads to me as people who budget 1 gallon of water per day are dishonest, inaccurate, ignorant, poorly traveled dirty people with unparticular wives.

Based on your observations of planned water stops in Nepal, I would say you have not done much in the way of unguided back packing in remote areas of Nepal, or any other desert or Alpine environment. I suspect your back packing style was more in line with your current yachting style.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Arcb said:


> Here is what I read Mark: "Claiming" implies dishonesty or inaccuracy. "I think they have never been to the tropics" implies an ignorant poorly traveled person. "You must sweat and get salty much less than me, and have an accommodating wife" implies the person is dirty with a non particular wife.
> 
> Strung together it reads to me as people who budget 1 gallon of water per day are dishonest, inaccurate, ignorant, poorly traveled dirty people with unparticular wives.
> 
> Based on your observations of planned water stops in Nepal, I would say you have not done much in the way of unguided back packing in remote areas of Nepal, or any other desert or Alpine environment. I suspect your back packing style was more in line with your current yachting style.


Give it up Arcb. You are going to extremes to stretch and twist my words into something I didn't say, and to mis-characterize me in your own way.

I'm sorry for you that your reading comprehension is so poor. It must be the cause of all sorts of offense for you.

Mark


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

This thread is yet another great example of SailNet members who can vehemently agree on anything.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

colemj said:


> Give it up Arcb. You are going to extremes to stretch and twist my words into something I didn't say, and to mis-characterize me in your own way.
> 
> I'm sorry for you that your reading comprehension is so poor. It must be the cause of all sorts of offense for you.
> 
> Mark


Well, I'm quite certain I wasn't the only one who picked up on your dirty insinuation.

Back to water. There are entire populations of people living above 10000 ft, or in remote deserts who walk miles daily for their daily water intake before boiling it on yak dung fires to make it suitable for human consumption. Ever tried getting drinking water from snow melted over a yak dung fire at high altitude? I am guessing not.

Yes, I am aware that their is an entire breed of sailor who can't tolerate a reduced hygiene regime for 3 or 4 weeks, but there are pleanty of people in this world who go their whole lives, working, raising children and growing old on this type of regime, so I like to think that their are a group of adventurous sailors who do have the fortitude to survive it for a few weeks.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Arcb said:


> Well, I'm quite certain I wasn't the only one who picked up on your dirty insinuation.


No doubt. I'm sure there is a tight group of them here.

The rest of Sailnet has better reading comprehension.

Mark


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

Arcb said:


> I find it more than a little ironic that a dude with a 40 foot catamaran with water maker would imply other people are out of touch with their water needs. I don't believe the OP specified the tropics, that's your own thing you have going on.
> 
> But since you asked the question, have you ever been to the tropics, without a catamaran or 3 star resort to support your life style.
> 
> ...


Geez Arcb,

You'll need to get up to speed with modern water filtration for the back country. Picture of the river rafting type gravity fed water purifer waterbag we used on our numerous trips to Nepal. A couple of nalgene bottles, a dromedary bag and all's right on the trial.. Doubt the catamoron folks could ever carry my gals bag..


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

44 ft boat

150 galls in 2 tanks.

3 weeks when 2 up. 8 weeks when single handed. I have a cat so don't collect water.

I do have a watermaker but don't use it. Water is generally cheap plentiful and easily available in the Eastern Caribbean.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

TQA said:


> I have a cat so don't collect water.


Why does a cat prevent you from collecting water?

Mark


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I only carry 75 gallons of water in the tank, plus a case of bottled water, plus 3 cases of beer, plus 5 gallons of H20 in solar shower. For me, that's a couple months worth of needed fluids. Whoops! Almost forgot about the three bottles of Jim Beam Honey Bourbon - another necessity of life for this old man.

Lighten up guys, life is really short, I should know.

Gary


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

colemj said:


> Why does a cat prevent you from collecting water?
> 
> Mark


Cats hate water.

I tested it when I was a kid with our Tabby in the swimming pool.
Even after 10 goes....


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

colemj said:


> Give it up Arcb. I was agreeing with Eherlihy that a person can drink 1gal/day. The OP didn't specify the tropics, but he has now seen fit to encourage expansion of topics and discussion of alternate points of view. Seems like you have a problem with this, so you should point your anguish at the OP and Eherlihy instead.
> 
> Yes, I've been to the tropics with limited water supply, and spent my younger life backpacking and survival training. The thing with trips to Nepal and such is that water is available along the way, and its need is planned out (for you, probably). This isn't the same as on a boat, so it is a non-sequitar of an example.
> 
> ...


Do you have the inability to stop taking pot shots at posters. You keep making veiled references to me. HOw about it huh. Do you want a confrontation? You sure post like it.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men. About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.Sep 6, 2017
However some, like WC Fields, "I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it." prefer whiskey!


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

capta said:


> The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men. About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.Sep 6, 2017
> However some, like WC Fields, "I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it." prefer whiskey!


They say that but don't back it up with research.

Report Sets Dietary Intake Levels for Water, Salt, and Potassium To Maintain Health and Reduce Chronic Disease Risk

Their salt statement is not backed up either.

If you can find a link to actual research I would appreciate it.

:smile

Not being a jerk, just lots of anecdotal stuff that's not backed up. Ie they just make it up.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Here's one for salt, very recent showing a much higher level than recommended or increase likely hood of death..
http://weltanschuuang.blogspot.com/2016/01/ideal-amount-of-potassium-and-sodium.html?m=1


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

MarkofSeaLife said:


> They say that but don't back it up with research.
> 
> Report Sets Dietary Intake Levels for Water, Salt, and Potassium To Maintain Health and Reduce Chronic Disease Risk
> 
> ...


I believe that statement comes from the Mayo Clinic, but of course there's that, "but it depends" on the webpage.
However, from personal experience recently, in an attempt to limit trips to the head at night, I stopped drinking water after 4PM and shortly thereafter had one of those "stones" that are so painful to pass. Never had that problem before and the doctor said, "drink more water."
We can argue quantities necessary til we are blue in the face, but water is healthful in reasonable quantities, so I can see no valid reason to drink less than the suggested amounts. And as much as we joke about it, excess alcohol consumption can cause dehydration in a variety of ways, which I think we can all agree isn't a great idea when sailing offshore.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

chef2sail said:


> You keep making veiled references to me. HOw about it huh. Do you want a confrontation? You sure post like it.


How did you possible see any reference to you in my post? For the record, I don't think about you as much as you would like me to, and did not have you in mind in my response. As for the rest of your comment, I don't know what you are implying or desiring, but it could be taken as bullying and a schoolyard-level emotion.

I, of course, don't take it that way.

Mark


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## capecodda (Oct 6, 2009)

Most of you guys are wicked accomplished at conserving water. I'm waiting for someone to claim they can take a shower, wash the dishes, and drink from a single cup of water per day! Now, that would be impressive. .

My 100 gallons last about a week with my wife and I cruising. We can stretch it I'm sure, but I don't want to. Yep, we like water. Not very impressive I know. But listen, time to come clean (so to speak), even if clean is unhealthy. 

Weather's getting nice. I think I'll go day sailing. Maybe I'll take a long hot shower during the day sail just because I can. No sense being hot and sweaty for even a minute or two. Maybe I'll even drink some water while underway. Who knows? 

How about we invert the contest. Who uses the most water per day? So far I win, but I'll bet if someone is honest I can easily be beaten.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

aeventyr60 said:


> You'll need to get up to speed with modern water filtration for the back country. Picture of the river rafting type gravity fed water purifer waterbag we used on our numerous trips to Nepal. A couple of nalgene bottles, a dromedary bag and all's right on the trial.. ..


Great pic Aev, raw, in the moment.

Yes, that is the type of water stop I am familiar with. Find a mountain stream and filter the yak and goat urine out of it to make it suitable for human consumption. I have always gone with the pump style filters, first a Sweet Water then MSR, but if I ever tried putting 5.5 gallons a day through those things I would have arms like Popeye.

I was more thinking about the locals who cant afford a nice Katadyn filter than one of us though, they have to live with that stuff every day. Descending from Larke La, had to stop and give a porter I found immobile from dehydration and left behind by his party (by accident I hope). Didn't leave me much water for my descent, but I wasn't going to leave the guy there in the snow with no water.

There are even some challenges for the tourists though. My little brother was soloing the Everest Trek and got into some contaminated water. Nepali family found him on the trail and hiked out to get him some help. Some times in alpine desert there just aren't any good water sources to draw from for a long way or the water source is so contaminated you don't dare take water from it.

As both a mountaineer and sailor, I enjoy drawing parallels between the two sports, but I find water management to be generally much more straight forward on a sailboat because its just so darn heavy to carry in the mountains. These pics aren't quite the tropics, between 27-28.5 degrees, about equal to South Florida and North Africa, not much drinkable water around.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

I found this article on hydration. Seems pretty good. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4207053/

I can't do a copy and paste for some reason, but it has an interesting chart that shows typical fluid intake and output for an average adult on a typical day.

In the intake section it shows typically about 1575 ml are consumed daily in fluids, I guess that would be about 1/3 ish of a gallon. Fluid intake from food 675 ml, fluid intake from metabolic processes 300 ml (not sure exactly what that is referring to). So total would be about 1950 ml, or just under 1/2 gallon.

Generally speaking I would say sailing on a cruising yacht is pretty non strenuous activity for the most part, especially on some of the newer boats with power winches auto pilot etc. Pretty low activity levels, not much to do.

So, to my mind those of us suggesting we budget around a gallon, 4 or 5 liters a day are being reasonable.

Folks who chose to be indifferent to water management are certainly welcome to be, I see no reason why not if you are plumbed in at a marina, have a water maker or have big tanks and easy access to water, by all means go for it. Activities like vigorous exercise during midday day tropical heat, running the hot tub and watering the garden on the promenade deck are all great ways to use up extra water, but they are a choice we are free to make or not make. As several have stated a shower a day is a nice thing to have, if you have unlimited access to water, but is by no means a necessity if you don't.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

Great!! After much banter, debate, a trip to the cellar, a trip outside, some research, and some more debate, we have confirmed this:


eherlihy said:


> I plan on 1 gallon of drinking water per person per day, and use the 56 gallons (6-gallon hot water heater) aboard for cooking and dishwashing.


 (My boat carries 56 gallons of water that I have to add to the tanks in the spring and drain in the fall, so I count that as 56 gallons.)

5.5 gallons per person per day, which somebody's test says is correct, is overkill.


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

Not really following the fray here, but I just did my quick calculation, and it looks like we come in around 1.5 gallons _per person per day_ on our little boat. And that is without any real attempt at water conservation. We carry 200 gallons, and can easily last two months (two adults on board, full time).

We are water conscious. Like all resources on our small sailboat, we use water carefully. But we don't deprive ourselves. We live well, eat well, and stay clean and presentable. All with little effort.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

MikeOReilly said:


> Not really following the fray here, but I just did my quick calculation, and it looks like we come in around 1.5 gallons _per person per day_ on our little boat. And that is without any real attempt at water conservation. We carry 200 gallons, and can easily last two months (two adults on board, full time).
> 
> We are water conscious. Like all resources on our small sailboat, we use water carefully. But we don't deprive ourselves. We live well, eat well, and stay clean and presentable. All with little effort.


Yesterday I did the math on every responder on this thread without a water maker (including yours) and nearly every non water maker poster came within 1/2 gallon of the 1.5 gallon per person person per day mark.

The human body can only absorb so much water. Brushing teeth uses ounces. I think most wash dishes with sea water and only rinse with freshwater. A sponge bath, which is all there was for most people until the last 100 years and all there still is for probably half the world's population doesn't take up much water. Maybe a liter in a bowl?

It seems it's one of those cases where the existence of water makers is what created the need for water makers. It seems for most folks, not having one, means not needing one.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Will speak to just what I was taught and personal experience.

On passage don’t count on your watermaker. It may break. Carry enough water to allow survival if it breaks or you don’t have ability to make electricity.

Don’t count on your tank(s) either. They may get fouled.

Calculate 3liters/day/person. Calculate your longest expected time then add 1/3 of that time. Carry stores that don’t require cooking in water or add that water into your calculations. 

Carry your ****e hits the fan water in multiple small containers. We use gallons.

I’ve had occasion to have the floor boards floating. Water was fouled. No electricity. You guys can piss and moan. We went through the flats of water then drank the fluid out of canned fruit. Couldn’t cook the “survival” stocks of pasta/rice/Mac&cheese etc. It sucked. Now follow that advice. Event occurred 3 decades ago on a minor coastal trip. Maine Hinckley yard to Duxbury on a friends Hinckley Pilot 35. Weather buoys were out NOAA let us down. Trip was 10d. Boat was set up for three. Still have nightmares. Since then take water very seriously. You should as well and not just the rtw crowd.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

We lived on the current boat for a year without a watermaker. Now have one. It was far and away the best money spent in improving our quality of life. Everyone I know who has put one on says the same. 
I think any other sentiment is a reflection of that individuals sailing program and philosophy not the general cruising experience of tropical cruisers with occasional passages. Water at 25 to 35 cents a gallon in the Caribbean gets expensive over time. 
Needing to go into a harbor for water is a PIA.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

As is continually pointed out to me, most people here are daysailing out of marinas in closed waters and are not long-term cruisers.

I know very few long-term cruisers now without watermakers, and most of the ones who don't are either cruising areas where they can take on water at will, or have large tankage that allows them to go longer times between fills. Or seriously planning to get one.

I know few of us cruisers who are willing to live our life taking sponge baths. Regardless of what our great-grandparents did, or the rest of the world does. If this is acceptable to you long-term cruising, I expect you to tell us this is the way you also operate at home.

I disagree that watermakers created the need for watermakers. I think watermakers get more people out cruising for longer periods than they would have otherwise. Probably for many reasons - spouses are more willing to go along and stay out cruising when it is not camping, people get tired or unwilling to constantly jug water, people who wouldn't go otherwise without a supply of water will go with one, etc.

But it is true that once you have water, you use it. That's the whole point isn't it? Stay clean and comfortable any time you want, keep the boat clean and well-maintained by spraying it down regularly, don't wash dishes in stinky, algae, tannic staining waters, even keep the toilet smell and maintenance down by flushing with fresh water.

It is strange to bring the argument of on-board water storage and usage down to the level of the minimum amount necessary for survival, or what people in undeveloped desert environments do. I mean, why not go on about how dacron sails are unnecessary and extravagant because half the world's population gets by just fine with plastic tarps?

Mark


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

I have tankage for 60 gallons... after my Pearson 30, which only had tankage for 30 gallons, I thought 60 was a lot until you guys started posting.
I can also carry three 6 gallon jugs so I guess that takes me up to around 85 gallons. (I can fit an extra half gallon in each jug even though they're rated for 6 gallons) I am happy to say that my tanks are very clean and I find the water to be perfectly drinkable right out of the tap.

The Chesapeake bay water is too um... chunky to use as dish washing water. In the cleaner areas, I might be willing to bathe in it, followed by a fresh water rinse.
The summers here are hot enough to drive me to easily drink a gallon per day to satisfy my natural sense of thirst, depending on my level of physical exertion.

I take fresh water showers but I just spritz myself to wet down, lather up and then I rinse off. We don't seem to cook a lot of dry foods like pasta, beans or rice.
The two of us could stretch 85 gallons out to around 80 days, depending on the level of physical exertion driving our thirst.

I think Mark made a very smart comment about shutting off the water pump breaker when not actively being used. Any sudden leaks in the system would cause the pump to rapidly drain the tanks.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

outbound said:


> Will speak to just what I was taught and personal experience.
> 
> On passage don't count on your watermaker. It may break. Carry enough water to allow survival if it breaks or you don't have ability to make electricity.
> 
> ...


OK, I will take this on face value, but point out the logic is similar to that of having the boat ready and equipped in extreme measures to handle off-shore hurricanes for days at a time. It is a risk assessment and management thing, and planning for the most extreme outcomes isn't always the most efficient, or even prudent.  For example, a weekend out on Chesapeake Bay.

You were only coastal sailing and couldn't get in for 10 days? It took 10 days to go 100 or so miles? How did floating floorboards foul the water in your tank? I suspect there are details missing here.

Mark


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Will say for many fuel=water. Even with panels given watermakers are energy hogs you may need an alternator or genset set on. Fuel is expensive. If you’re going to put in a watermaker and can’t make enough energy you will end up using your genset. Then it is as or more expensive than just buying it. Any time the main engine is going to be on for awhile we make water to fill the tanks. Similarly if we know it’s going to be windy and sunny for a few days. 
Some people oversize their watermakers by not thinking about how they’re going to get the energy to run it.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Ajax_MD said:


> I think Mark made a very smart comment about shutting off the water pump breaker when not actively being used. Any sudden leaks in the system would cause the pump to rapidly drain the tanks.


We shut ours off when leaving the boat for any length, but on the boat we would surely hear our pump running. In fact, any slight weaping leak that causes the pump to splurt every 1/2hr or so is immediately noticed. Even while sleeping One problem that can occur by shutting the pump off is getting in the shower, soaping up on the stored pressure, then realizing that the pump is still off! Personal experience, there.

Mark


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

colemj said:


> As is continually pointed out to me, most people here are daysailing out of marinas in closed waters and are not long-term cruisers.
> 
> I know very few long-term cruisers now without watermakers, and most of the ones who don't are either cruising areas where they can take on water at will, or have large tankage that allows them to go longer times between fills. Or seriously planning to get one.
> 
> ...


Back to the live aboard centric view again. You just can't get over yourself. I will make it clear for you. I don't want to live on a boat. Got my fill of that in my 11 years in the Coast Guard. Sailing for me is a sport and a pass time. Don't much care about living aboard in the Carribean. Some do, I don't.

For those of us who would rather live in houses and recreate on boats our answers are correct for us. Your opinion isn't more right because you happen to represent a tiny percentage of what most sailors actually do with their boats.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

outbound said:


> Will say for many fuel=water. Even with panels given watermakers are energy hogs you may need an alternator or genset set on. Fuel is expensive. If you're going to put in a watermaker and can't make enough energy you will end up using your genset. Then it is as or more expensive than just buying it. Any time the main engine is going to be on for awhile we make water to fill the tanks. Similarly if we know it's going to be windy and sunny for a few days.
> Some people oversize their watermakers by not thinking about how they're going to get the energy to run it.


One should never decide on a watermaker on the cost of water. The point is convenience, not cost.

I agree that energy needs to be carefully evaluated for practical reasons, but not the cost of that energy vs. the cost of buying water.

It is rare for a watermaker to ever be cost effective vs. taking on water. But the water is always there, can be had anywhere, doesn't need to be jugged, cruising schedules don't need to be formed around it, etc.

Mark


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Arcb said:


> Back to the live aboard centric view again. You just can't get over yourself. I will make it clear for you. I don't want to live on a boat. Got my fill of that in my 11 years in the Coast Guard. Sailing for me is a sport and a pass time. Don't much care about living aboard in the Carribean. Some do, I don't.
> 
> For those of us who would rather live in houses and recreate on boats our answers are correct for us. Your opinion isn't more right because you happen to represent a tiny percentage of what most sailors actually do with their boats.


You are making it clear who Sailnet is for, and what views and experiences are acceptable here.

I can see now how off-base I was responding to your posts that nobody on boats needs much water or a watermaker. You are correct - your viewpoints and opinions are the only one that matters here. The rest of us should go away and stop polluting the site with different ones.

Mark


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

I really can't understand why anyone who does extended cruising, whether offshore, inter island or coastal, wouldn't want a watermaker. The positives so outnumber the negatives that there just is no valid argument for not having one.
However, if for no other reason, if one has a watermaker, one does not have to worry about the water quality in their tanks. On my circumnavigation in the 70's, there were a lot of places where the water ashore was unfit to drink, and I doubt it has gotten any better today, probably the opposite, as even in the US in many places the tap water is no longer potable. Preparing for the 3000+ mile crossing of the Indian Ocean in Bali for instance, safe potable water was our biggest concern.
I can't even imagine where someone would stow enough bottled water for a 3000+ mile voyage for four people, especially adding a safety factor of as little as 15%. The boat would look like the old pot smugglers; all available floor and bunk space taken up by the bricks of pot (or in this case, cases of water). Never mind the expense!


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

Of all the topics to turn controversial, this seems like an odd choice...

A watermaker is like any other tool; comes with pluses and minuses. Is it needed? Not by me &#8230; not yet anyway. Would I like one? _Probably_. Will I get one? _Possibly_. Would I use more water if I had one? _Likely_.

There's no one right answer for everyone. Do what works for you.


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

capta said:


> I really can't understand why anyone who does extended cruising, whether offshore, inter island or coastal, wouldn't want a watermaker. The positives so outnumber the negatives that there just is no valid argument for not having one.
> However, if for no other reason, if one has a watermaker, one does not have to worry about the water quality in their tanks. On my circumnavigation in the 70's, there were a lot of places where the water ashore was unfit to drink, and I doubt it has gotten any better today, probably the opposite, as even in the US in many places the tap water is no longer potable. Preparing for the 3000+ mile crossing of the Indian Ocean in Bali for instance, safe potable water was our biggest concern.
> I can't even imagine where someone would stow enough bottled water for a 3000+ mile voyage for four people, especially adding a safety factor of as little as 15%. The boat would look like the old pot smugglers; all available floor and bunk space taken up by the bricks of pot (or in this case, cases of water). Never mind the expense!


Those of us on smaller vessels have energy production constraints to deal with. Water makers are energy intensive and some of us may not be able to carry enough solar or wind to drive it.

Just a note- Evans Starzinger, who circumnavigated twice, never had a water maker on his 47 footer. The omission was intentional. He didn't live like a savage, either.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

colemj said:


> You are making it clear who Sailnet is for, and what views and experiences are acceptable here.
> 
> I can see now how off-base I was responding to your posts that nobody on boats needs much water or a watermaker.


No, my point was it's not the right solution for every one. Some of us manage just fine without, and adding a water maker to our boats would make them worse, not better.

I am all for different points of view, I really enjoy a couple of distant cruisers posts on here. I just don't like being corrected by somebody who doesn't know or understand my sailing program and I definitely don't like posts that imply I am dirty and ignorant for the choices I make.

You corrected us on our water calculations but I see no evidence what so ever you are qualified to correct us. Because you have a water maker on your live aboard retirement cruiser I am supposed to put a water maker on my 21' trailer sailor? No.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Arcb said:


> I found this article on hydration. Seems pretty good. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4207053/
> 
> In the intake section it shows typically about 1575 ml are consumed daily in fluids, I guess that would be about 1/3 ish of a gallon. Fluid intake from food 675 ml, fluid intake from metabolic processes 300 ml (not sure exactly what that is referring to). So total would be about 1950 ml, or just under 1/2 gallon.





> Water is produced by our bodies as a byproduct of the metabolism during a process called cellular respiration, in which glucose and oxygen are used to produce energy for cells. This process is somewhat complicated and involves a number of steps, but water is formed in the final step. This is the same process that produces the carbon dioxide that we exhale. It is also called aerobic respiration because it uses oxygen to produce energy.


So we learn something new every day. Our bodies rain inside!

Thanks for finding that article.
Another bit of it says "Americans typically consume about one liter (~ 4 cups) of drinking water per day"
so to that effect it doesn't matter what governments recommend, the people have decided themselves. If they were not drinking enough the American population wouldn't be 100 Million, or whatever it is. (seems more in Bahamas anchorages)

1 liter = 1/4 gallon so ordering the crew to drink 1 gallon is wrong. To have one gallon be crew per day if fine as theres plenty there for emergencies.

My guess is that Captains should ensure they have between 1 litre and 1.6 litres available each day in a consumable form... ie not full of grit etc

Note the "recommendation" then nearly tripled it 

LOL

Mark


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Arcb said:


> Back to the live aboard centric view again. You just can't get over yourself. I will make it clear for you. I don't want to live on a boat.





colemj said:


> You are making it clear who Sailnet is for, and what views and experiences are acceptable here.
> 
> ..... The rest of us should go away and stop polluting the site with different ones.
> 
> Mark


mark, you are sounding like a complete jerk. You've been doing it on and off for weeks. Whats up you? Not getting a shag? Live and let live. Get back to your normal self with thoughtful intelligent posts.

And if you haven't realized, Sailnet does seem to be much more USA centric than Cruisersforum, and much more local cruising than passage making. 
I am dealing with it. Why dont you give it a try again?


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

PS I dont have a watermaker and I havent for 10 years and I dont need one.

If/when I get a new boat I will have one and life will be lusher. But I dont need one.. and I still have my shower when I want, just not as long as I would like


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Arcb said:


> No, my point was it's not the right solution for every one. Some of us manage just fine without, and adding a water maker to our boats would make them worse, not better.
> 
> I am all for different points of view, I really enjoy a couple of distant cruisers posts on here. I just don't like being corrected by somebody who doesn't know or understand my sailing program and I definitely don't like posts that imply I am dirty and ignorant for the choices I make.
> 
> You got your little kicks by insulting other boaters and their wives, now you are getting it back. You corrected us on our water calculations but I see no evidence what so ever you are qualified to correct us. Because you have a water maker on your live aboard retirement cruiser I am supposed to put a water maker on my 21' trailer sailor? No.


Jeez Arcb, you are really a piece of work. I never implied that anyone was dirty or ignorant, nor insulted any boaters or their wives, nor did I ever say every boat should have a watermaker. I also never corrected anyone on water calculations.

These are all things you chose to twist and characterize and make allegations about in your own way so as to take offense at something that doesn't exist.

All I seemingly did to set you off was to disagree with your statement that the only purpose of watermakers was to create the need for a watermaker. I also disagreed that minimal survival amounts of water were applicable to boating, that what third world desert populations use is applicable to boating, and that sponge baths are something most cruisers rely on for principal cleaning.

I provided no input on water calculations beyond noting that I alone drink a gallon of water a day, so that living on a gallon or less each day seems difficult to me. There have been several people who have said the same thing about how much they drink.

You are continually attempting to intentionally find insult where none is given. I understand you have a problem with me personally, but at least try to exercise yourself on real offenses and not manufactured ones.

I guess with Smackdaddy gone now, some of you have a big piece of your life and identity missing. Find another hobby - I'm not it.

Mark


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

MarkofSeaLife said:


> mark, you are sounding like a complete jerk. You've been doing it on and off for weeks. Whats up you? Not getting a shag? Live and let live. Get back to your normal self with thoughtful intelligent posts.
> 
> And if you haven't realized, Sailnet does seem to be much more USA centric than Cruisersforum, and much more local cruising than passage making.
> I am dealing with it. Why dont you give it a try again?


I realize I am sounding like a jerk at times. I have lately been attacked by a few here who are also acting as jerks and I don't take that lying down.

Am I the only person here sounding like a jerk to you?

I thought I was providing helpful viewpoints and experience here and in other threads, but keep getting attacked for them.

Do you really think I said, or even implied, what Arcb has contributed to me here?

I also realize that Sailnet is mostly a local USA forum. Should I not provide any other viewpoint or experience beyond that? Is this a place only for a bit of joking and small talk from anyone outside the small local group?

I value your opinions and insight, so your answers to the above will help shape my time here.

Mark


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)




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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Our current boat is the first we have had with a dedicated shower. I've done years of cruising without one on two other boats. 

I don't agree that a gallon/day is reasonable when drinking need alone is that (as a couple of us here have said ours is). However, at no time have I argued that it couldn't be done differently, nor disparaged anyone for doing so. I only stated that in the tropics I drink at least a gallon of water a day. In fact, in any heat at all, like the Chesapeake summer, I drink at least a gallon of water a day.

Post 19 isn't mine, and I'm not sure what you are referring to. If you are referring to the post that you said you are offended by, I again point out that it is your sensitivity and willingness to see anything I write in an offensive way. 

What really seems to have set you off is my disagreement that the only purpose of a watermaker is to create the need for a watermaker. I presented our use case as one example of how that statement is wrong, and pointed out that there are entire categories of boating usage that make this statement wrong. Others here have even posted similar thoughts as mine, one in even stronger terms than me, but I am the one you choose to attack or take offense with. That is telling.

I have no idea what the point is about your's and others previous jobs and careers. I certainly don't understand how that is relevant here outside of questions pertaining to specific topics of expertise. I don't consider my personal background relevant here outside of that.

Mark


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

YIKES, Post 19 is MINE.

I'll save you the click, and quote it here in its entirety;


eherlihy said:


> I'm not in the tropics, and a gallon per day is plenty. 5.5 gallons per person per day is crazy. Once we've hit the 1-gallon per person mark we switch to wine, and after that, could care less what we smell like.


I will stand by my stated planning of 1 gallon per person per day for not-in-the-tropics sailing.


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

Doing the math I find we use about 3 gpd per person. I don’t have a water maker because I can currently go 3 weeks without running out so water use has not become a $3-5k problem for us. If it does I will get a water maker, it’s as simple as that and I don’t understand why it would cause internet conflict.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

Okay folks, its time to dial the tone back big time. As I read through this thread the substantive portions of the responses make sense for the way that each of the respondents chose to use their boats and where they chose to live. The reality is that this question validly is asking 'how long does a piece of string need to be?' and the useful part of the answers are saying, "in my opinion for this use the string needs to be this long". 

That type of discussion is a very useful and revealing since the answers present a clear snapshot of the diversity of uses that we each chose as our own and think of as cruising or sailing, and then each response to the question seemingly reflects that use plus the personal preferences to achieve that use. 

This provides insight into the individual user and the broad range of possibilities. What it does not provide is "one universally correct answer", nor does it even provide one more correct or incorrect answer. And that seems to be where so many of these discussions go off the rails. 

Quite a few of you have long history of battling with each other on multiple threads. It has left scars and bad attitudes. Its left folks walking around with hair triggers trying to be the fastest gun in town and watching for the slightest hint of a proverbial gauntlet being dropped. These past slings and arrows mean that any topic, no matter how trivial is bound to result in a epic throw down with an ensuing massive pile-on. 

This needs to stop. Its not productive, Its not in accordance with Forum Rules. Its not even fun to watch from the cheap seats in the bleachers. Quite a few of you have heard from a moderator today, and perhaps more of you still will hear. 

It is time to take a breath, read the content and if you have input on the content respond with the basis of your input. But the arguments aimed at the perceived viewpoints and/or perceived personalities of the posters needs to stop here. If you stop and pay attention to the actual content of the post, you might see that given the context of the comment, the point being made may actually make sense and in that context, you actually may be in agreement with the point raised. That gives half a chance of posting a response that acknowledges that answer is correct in the context in which it is given and allows you to put your response into its proper context with the net result being that there is more useful information and less bickering. 

Kumbaya and out, 

Jeff


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

eherlihy said:


> YIKES, Post 19 is MINE.
> 
> I'll save you the click, and quote it here in its entirety;
> 
> I will stand by my stated planning of 1 gallon per person per day for not-in-the-tropics sailing.


My mistake, I mentioned the wrong post number. We are in agreement on that figure. As per Jeff above though, I am just going to drop it. Doesn't matter.


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

In a post above i think outbound mentioned pee color....as an indicator/guide.
i learned that when spending a lot of time in desert areas and it held true to me.
an entire day and it was gold....you were not flushing kidneys.

we are all different. Height and weight = some correct standard is BS.....as an example.

Casually im using 2 gal/day. Less frugal with sundowners

My favorite color is red. Does that piss off anybody....am i wrong...


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

So having a single 20 gal tank on my boat, I fill it once a year whether it needs it or not. This is not, or is a correct answer to how much water I need on my boat?!?!?!??? I have no shower, no on demand running water, foot pumps only.......Heck, I'm still working on the original 2 gal fill of LP after 12 years!

Marty


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

blt2ski said:


> So having a single 20 gal tank on my boat, I fill it once a year whether it needs it or not. This is not, or is a correct answer to how much water I need on my boat?!?!?!??? I have no shower, no on demand running water, foot pumps only.......Heck, I'm still working on the original 2 gal fill of LP after 12 years!
> 
> Marty


Hell, that'd change in 5 minutes if you have a mistress in the marina!!


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

I'm going to save water today when it gets hot by jumping into the water I'm floating in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!













May be short sighted because I will need to shower that off later.


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## sailjumanji (Dec 6, 2000)

We spent two months in the Exumas in 2016, mostly on the hook. We have a Spectra watermaker, and that provided all of our tank water from the time we crossed over into Bahamas, until we left. (Our tank is clean, and we drink out of it, so didn't want to risk contamination from any other water supplies.) Anyway, we are not water wasters - in my opinion - nor heavy conservers. We averaged 10 gal fresh water consumption per day, including drinking, washing dishes, showering each evening before bed and rinse down after swims, rinsing down snorkel gear, and cleaning the bbq griddle after use each day. And making ice for cocktails! We have 105 gal tank, and generally kept water level between 25-40 gal. Not filling the other 70 gal of water tank meant we were 70*8.3 lb/gal =580 lbs lighter when sailing. Which is a noticeable difference to performance.

The Spectra 150D made 7 gal/hr using 8 amps, which was fully sourced by the solar panels in a sunny afternoon run. We would run the watermaker every 2-3 days. It's impossible to ECONOMICALLY justify a watermaker for Exumas trip, but the convenience is well worth it if you can afford it. Plus I never had to test my partially-torn rotator cuff tear by hauling water jugs, nor was a slave to having to leave a remote anchorage because we were running short on water. Which also usually happens in bad weather, according to my non-WM friends! Plus we also made some good friends by delivering strangers 6 gal collapsible jugs of RO water.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

sailjumanji said:


> We averaged 10 gal fresh water consumption per day, including drinking, washing dishes, showering each evening before bed and rinse down after swims, rinsing down snorkel gear, and cleaning the bbq griddle after use each day. And making ice for cocktails! We have 105 gal tank, and generally kept water level between 25-40 gal. Not filling the other 70 gal of water tank meant we were 70*8.3 lb/gal =580 lbs lighter when sailing. Which is a noticeable difference to performance.


If you substituted "100 gal tank" for your "105 gal tank", then this would be exactly describing us. Except for the BBQ rinsing thing - we don't do that, so it probably accounts for that extra luxurious 5gal you have over us.



sailjumanji said:


> Plus we also made some good friends by delivering strangers 6 gal collapsible jugs of RO water.


Probably few here would believe me if I described how many good friends we have made in so many countries just by our ability to willingly supply potable water to them. Not just fellow cruisers (those are definitely numerous), but more importantly, local people who have become our good friends. We just spent an exceptionally fun day with some we met this way here in the Bahamas, and Michele still corresponds with Kuna Indian friends met through water that we haven't seen in person for 3-4 years.

And we have loaned our two never-used 6gal water jugs out to others countless times.

Mark


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

colemj said:


> Michele still corresponds with Kuna Indian friends met through water that we haven't seen in person for 3-4 years.


Hooboy, that's bad grammar, but I'm letting it stand. Rest assured that we never expect to see that water again...

Mark


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Agree with above. Only hassle is avoiding putting chlorine in your tanks. Any one know a cheap easy way to test for chlorine in municipal water?
Any good cheap suppliers for the carbon filters?


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Hardware stores sell chlorine test strips, but what is the issue with municipal chlorine? If you are concerned about the watermaker, the carbon block filter will take care of that. Most of the chlorine is out of the water after a few days, so if you wait after filling before running the watermaker, there won't even be much of a potential for problems. Once you are running on RO water, there isn't any issue at all with chlorine.

I just did a very quick search and came up with this: https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-Carbo...31gOg%2BgYnjL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

They last a long time unless you are putting a heavy chlorine load through them, and since they are on the tank side, there is no sediment. I think ours has been in place for a couple of years now, but we run almost entirely on RO, so it doesn't see any chlorine load.

Mark


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## RainDog (Jun 9, 2009)

I thought we were pretty frugal with water, but after reading this thread, I realize that is not true. 

At anchor, in the tropics, 100 gallons of water lasts the two of us about 2 weeks. Then it is back to a marina to refill the tanks. 2 weeks is also about how long I can make produce and laundry last. It is also about when I run out of room to store trash (34-foot boat). Most of the water we use is to rinse the salt and sand off our bodies, dog, and snorkeling gear.

I would never have a watermaker unless I was going somewhere that visiting a marina once every two weeks was not an option. In that case, we would also have to do laundry aboard, which I would guess takes a lot of water.

As Mark pointed out above, the best way to conserve water is to turn off the pressure water and use foot pumps and solar showers. We swim several times a day, so washing off the salt and sand takes a lot of water.

Another good way to save water would be to plumb a pressure salt-water line for washing dishes, etc. Seems like most of the people who responded above use 12-25 gallons per person, per week.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

MarkofSeaLife said:


> Hell, that'd change in 5 minutes if you have a mistress in the marina!!


Mark,

Fortunately, my marina has shower every 100 yds or so over the mile or so in length. Being as I petty much daysail/race or weekend to one week max trips.....tankage is not as big a deal to me, vs someone that lives on a boat.

I guess I have to say "It depends"......if you need it or them!:wink:grin

Marty


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

" like WC Fields, "I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.""

Actually, WC didn't quite said it that way. He famously said he didn't drink water because "fish f*** in it". Give the man his due, if the audience can't take the quote, let them follow Bart Simpson instead.

At 12+ pounds per gallon, one has to ask if those were metric pounds? Or, was someone drinking really high grade heavy water, deuterium, instead of the Perrier again?

How much water a person "needs" is highly variable depending on the temperature, exertion, and personal factors. In hot humid weather with any activity level, it is easy to go through an extra half gallon to gallon between 10am and 4pm.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

chef2sail said:


> Just a few questions:
> 
> 1-Coming from a similar thread about fuel, is water the limiting factor on how many days you can stay out without coming to a place to fill up ( assuming you don't have a water maker) ?
> 
> ...


As the OP I rea.ize that threads will drift.

What's apparent by the cruisers posting is that there are no real limits and most have water makers which certainly makes sense, if I were cruising I would certainly have one.

I posted this in general discussion as I assumed that cruisers would carry water makers.

Many of here are weekend warriors and take 2-3 week vacations on our boats with that in mind, What I was really asking was without a water maker how much water to you carry and what conservation measures do you employ ( questions 1 and 2) ?


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## roverhi (Dec 19, 2013)

We used a little over a gallon a day of water for the two of us.. We didn't ration water, we didn't stink, we just lived a normal cruising life in the tropics. The pressure water pump was turned off as we found that to be a gross water waster. We had foot pumps for both fresh and salt water. We used salt water for everything that didn't need fresh water. We didn't have a shower on board, didn't need no stinking shower as most days we spent a couple hours to sometimes the whole day snorkeling and free diving for food and shells. If we wanted a fresh water rinse would fill up a small pot and dump it on us or hang out in a passing downpour which seemed to happen reasonably regularly. We had something less than 80 gallons of water in two tanks but never went through a whole tank before it got refilled. In SoPac never had to schlep water to the boat. We caught rain in our awning and there were regular enough rain showers that we never came close to running out.

Tied up in a marina with fresh water at the dock, not using the salt water pump, and the pressure pump turned on, we'd go through a tank every week even though we used the shore facilities for showers and bathroom. We didn't try and waste water but not using the salt water pump and having the pressure pump turned on upped our usage.

Contrast our experience with a dock mate. He had to add a large capacity water maker and
a generator to power it. He's addicted to long fresh water showers so takes 3 or 4 a day and uses no salt water for anything including deck wash down or head(s). Yes, you can live a lifestyle that burns through more than a gallon a day but you have to work at it.

FWIW, when we left sunny SoCal getting at the tanks in the bilge were just a matter of lifting the floor boards and probing the tanks. After getting stuck in the doldrums with a failed engine, decided to pull the floorboards, check the tanks and switch over if we needed to. Unfortunately the floor boards had swelled and we couldn't get them up. Soldiered on on the one tank and figured we take a hatchet to the teak and holly floorboards when the selected tank ran dry. Fortunately we made Hiva Oa after 24 days and waited for a week checking in and exploring the bustling metropolis still on the one tank. Unfortunately it rained a bit every day with resulting high humidity and the floor boards weren't showing any signs of shrinking. Decided to sail around to the dry leeward side of the island. After week on that side were finally able to pull the floorboards and switch from the nearly dry 35 plus gallon tank to the full one.


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## roverhi (Dec 19, 2013)

We used a little over a gallon a day of water for the two of us.. We didn't ration water, we didn't stink, we just lived a normal cruising life in the tropics. The pressure water pump was turned off as we found that to be a gross water waster. We had foot pumps for both fresh and salt water. We used salt water for everything that didn't need fresh water. We didn't have a shower on board, didn't need no stinking shower as most days we spent a couple hours to sometimes the whole day snorkeling and free diving for food and shells. If we wanted a fresh water rinse would fill up a small pot and dump it on us or hang out in a passing downpour which seemed to happen reasonably regularly. We had something less than 80 gallons of water in two tanks but never went through a whole tank before it got refilled. In SoPac never had to schlep water to the boat. We caught rain in our awning and there were regular enough rain showers that we never came close to running out.

Tied up in a marina with fresh water at the dock, not using the salt water pump, and the pressure pump turned on, we'd go through a tank every week even though we used the shore facilities for showers and bathroom. We didn't try and waste water but not using the salt water pump and having the pressure pump turned on upped our usage.

Contrast our experience with a dock mate. He had to add a large capacity water maker and
a generator to power it. He's addicted to long fresh water showers so takes 3 or 4 a day and uses no salt water for anything including deck wash down or head(s). Yes, you can live a lifestyle that burns through more than a gallon a day but you have to work at it.

FWIW, when we left sunny SoCal getting at the tanks in the bilge were just a matter of lifting the floor boards and probing the tanks. After getting stuck in the doldrums with a failed engine, decided to pull the floorboards, check the tanks and switch over if we needed to. Unfortunately the floor boards had swelled and we couldn't get them up. Soldiered on on the one tank and figured we take a hatchet to the teak and holly floorboards when the selected tank ran dry. Fortunately we made Hiva Oa after 24 days and waited for a week checking in and exploring the bustling metropolis still on the one tank. Unfortunately it rained a bit every day with resulting high humidity and the floor boards weren't showing any signs of shrinking. Decided to sail around to the dry leeward side of the island. After week on that side were finally able to pull the floorboards and switch from the nearly dry 35 plus gallon tank to the full one. 

My current boat has two 20 gallon tanks under the settees in the man cabin and a 35 gallon tank under the V berth forward. I've only made a long passage on that boat solo so have left the bow tank empty to keep weight down forward. If I was sailing with my wife or crew would fill that tank to be sure I had enough water in case of emergency. Have always carried at least two 5 gallon Gerry jugs in the cockpit for emergencies on passages.


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

I went back to my original plan for fresh water use.
I have a 2.5 gal countertop/berthtop water jug.
Other than filling the spray bottle, all fresh water is from that jug

I took Mark's cue and offed the fresh water breaker.
It's very easy to learn how much fresh you use each day. You see the level thru the clear square jug...

You open the pressure tap and you can not track it. This is very easy and disciplined.

I ran out of water during a storm period and used rainwater for about 3 days...and my catchment system looked like a yard sale on deck. I now have the plumbing to do up a proper tarp catchment....probably at the last minute knowing me.
Ill prob throw a tad of bleach in the 23ish gal fixed tank because it wont turn over rapidly. I fill the 2.5 from 3x5.5 jugs....now being in a harbor with easy access to fresh.
I also have 2 unused flex tanks of 25ish and 33ish gals.

info...needs...possibilities...plan...execute...


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

Be a clean sailor, just say NO to the water Nazi irateraft:


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