Extreme Water Conservation - Don’t read if you have a water maker

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I've lived aboard in the winter (at a dock) where no water was readily available and we found that two 6-gallon jugs of water per week were plenty for two of us not taking showers onboard and being somewhat careful. In fact, we almost never go to a dock for water, winter or summer. I just jug it in the dinghy as convenient, winter or summer.

Exactly. Exactly why I am conserving at this level.

Another ding on the seawater is: too damn cold. Lol

[GordMay]

Some interesting factoids, about water ➥ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3846651

[rslifkin]

What are you currently using as a dinghy landing to get ashore? If one of the local marinas has a source of water that's live in the winter and doesn't freeze, it might be worth seeing if they'll let you land the dinghy there for shore access and to get water for a few bucks a month or something.

I've known of a couple of people that have made a similar arrangement with a local marina for a spot to keep their car and land their dinghy. In one case also to receive mail, although he docks at that marina in the winter and is only out on a mooring (not owned by the marina) during the summer.

[GordMay]

"Water” is just a misleading euphemism for Dihydrogen Monoxide, which comprises two hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom (H2O).

Barring the odd immortal, or two, everyone who drinks DMHO [water] will die. It may take a while, for its toxicity to kill you - but, you will die!

Dihydrogen Monoxide [DHMO] is a colourless and odourless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds, such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.

More info’ ➥ https://www.dhmo.org/
Get the Facts ➥ https://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

What are you currently using as a dinghy landing to get ashore? If one of the local marinas has a source of water that's live in the winter and doesn't freeze, it might be worth seeing if they'll let you land the dinghy there for shore access and to get water for a few bucks a month or something.

I've known of a couple of people that have made a similar arrangement with a local marina for a spot to keep their car and land their dinghy. In one case also to receive mail, although he docks at that marina in the winter and is only out on a mooring (not owned by the marina) during the summer.

Using a public landing. There are no facilities.

Marinas are no longer helpful anymore. Times have really changed. They all have a bad attitude because they don’t need your business. No matter how friendly and nice you are when you approach them. Including when I approached them to get a dock for the winter. I went to every marina there is within a reasonable distance. Every last one of them said no. It’s just how the world is now. So the less you rely on them the better life is.. One of the marinas nearby doesn’t even give water to people in the summer. Lol. They are all jerks. There is absolutely no dealing with them anymore.

Want to know the funny thing? I actually wintered over at this marina that I’m talking about with no water 20 years ago. Parking spot. Slip. They were friendly and helpful. Why? They needed boats. Now they don’t care because they have a waiting list a mile long. They don’t need me. They are sold out.

It’s kind of funny because the same guy still works there but he doesn’t know who I am ha ha. He doesn’t remember me from 20 years ago.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by GordMay

"Water” is just a misleading euphemism for Dihydrogen Monoxide, which comprises two hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom (H2O).

Barring the odd immortal, or two, everyone who drinks DMHO [water] will die. It may take a while, for its toxicity to kill you - but, you will die!

Dihydrogen Monoxide [DHMO] is a colourless and odourless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds, such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.

More info’ ➥ https://www.dhmo.org/
Get the Facts ➥ https://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

This is a good one! Ha ha Especially since they were able to sneak the term monoxide in. Very scary indeed

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Using a public landing. There are no facilities.

Marinas are no longer helpful anymore. Times have really changed. They all have a bad attitude because they don’t need your business. No matter how friendly and nice you are when you approach them. Including when I approached them to get a dock for the winter. I went to every marina there is within a reasonable distance. Every last one of them said no. It’s just how the world is now. So the less you rely on them the better life is.. One of the marinas nearby doesn’t even give water to people in the summer. Lol. They are all jerks. There is absolutely no dealing with them anymore.

I agree, some of them really do suck. But there are still some out there smart enough to realize that a situation like this is a case of "wait, someone is offering to give me money and I don't have to do anything for it? I'm in!" Unfortunately it sounds like the marinas around you haven't figured that out.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by GordMay

"Water” is just a misleading euphemism for Dihydrogen Monoxide, which comprises two hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom (H2O).

Barring the odd immortal, or two, everyone who drinks DMHO [water] will die. It may take a while, for its toxicity to kill you - but, you will die!

Dihydrogen Monoxide [DHMO] is a colourless and odourless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds, such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.

More info’ ➥ https://www.dhmo.org/
Get the Facts ➥ https://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

Ahh.. Nature's built in population control..

[sailorboy1]

maybe start that damn watermaker up

[Bycrick]

You can wash the grease and food residue of a dish with any water, no matter how dirty. When dry camping years ago, we used sand or dirt rubbed on the dish. To sterilize, you need a little fresh water with a little chlorox in a spray bottle.

[Don C L]

In my little boat I am always avoiding fresh water use. Washing dishes is not the main issue. Bathing my two kids is. Fortunately they don't need many baths. They get clean with salt water and then get a spritz rinse with fresh from a chemical sprayer. Even washing my daughter's long hair needs only
about a gallon rinse. (BUT it is useful to get as much salt off of things before stowing them because otherwise they just stay damp.) I try to avoid using the water in the keel until I am out (I like the ballast.) I pack about 10 gallons of bottled water for drinking/cooking and 10 for washing and I always come back with a lot of water. (I pack a lot of juice and milk for them to drink too.)
I also have a large Katadyn water filter that I can use if I ever want to get water from a source I am not sure of, but haven't had to use it yet.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Wow, that's some hard core conservation Chotu. On our boat, we are always conscious of fresh water we use, but it's not really a big thing we focus on. We use what water we need... but not more.

We use less than a gallon of water per person per day on our boat. There are two of us on board, so less than two gallons. With our nearly 200 gallon tank, it means we can (and sometimes do) go three months between water fills.

As Thin mentions, dishes are done in salt water. There is a raw water tap at the galley sink. We freshwater spritz the clean dishes/cutlery with a spray bottle. I suppose if we went into serious conservation mode, we'd skip this, but I do find the salt residue on plates and pots to be noticeable if not spritzed. This only takes a few tablespoons of water for the typical full-meal cleanup.

Our boat is set up in other ways to minimize fresh water needs. Our composting head takes no water to operate. Our shower is a modified garden sprayer. It holds 3.5 gallons, and we can get four lovely warm showers out of it. Often we use rain water for this, although not always.

Like I say, we don't focus on conservation. We always use what we need -- but are conscious not to use more than we need.

That is a good effort - We go through around 100 to 120 litres a day! - Family of 4 but that does include everyone having a shower, which must use quite a bit!

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by UFO

That is a good effort - We go through around 100 to 120 litres a day! - Family of 4 but that does include everyone having a shower, which must use quite a bit!

That's not far off our typical usage per person. We typically average between 10 and 15 gallons per day for 2 people and a dog (including showers). If we needed to conserve we could probably cut our usage in half.

[noelex 77]

What about rainwater collection?

The dihydrogen monoxide that falls from sky is much better tasting than anything you can find on shore.

[zachduckworth]

So I have a question.
When using salt water to wash the dishes is there any danger is salt build up in the drain over time? Or does relatively little fresh water get rid of it?