Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

[Blue Crab]

Lots of conversations about watermakers, but anyone actually living by catching rainwater?

Non pipe-dream methods?

Filtration?

Cormorants?

Speaking of, I was just visited by a migrating flock for several days. Literally, thousands of them. I am not a fan of the individual birds but this was a wonderful sight.

[colemj]

Water maker or not, a very large percentage of cruisers collect rainwater. During rainy season in some parts, we can forgo our water maker for months.

Whether one can live on rainwater full time depends on how much it rains and how frugal one is with usage.

Mark

[colemj]

As for methodology, our 12'x14' bimini is guttered and plumbed to a household filter, which leads to the tank fill. When it is drowning frogs, we can collect 100gal/hr.

Others have all sorts of various means to collect water, from just sitting buckets under open sail covers to making dedicated rain catchment devices.

One, of course, makes sure the catchment area is regularly cleaned, and lets the first part of the rain wash off salt, etc before catching.

Mark

[Blue Crab]

Thanks. I had my bimini made with "extra" material for gutter attachment but haven't gotten to it yet. It's only been 2 years. I also have a big awning, as yet unrigged for collecting. Then I began thinking of guttering solar panel mounts which lead me to considering guttering a hard dodger ... and hell, it's raining right now and I'm sitting here on my butt. Kinda like last year ...

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Lots of conversations about watermakers, but anyone actually living by catching rainwater?

Non pipe-dream methods?

Filtration?

Cormorants?

Speaking of, I was just visited by a migrating flock for several days. Literally, thousands of them. I am not a fan of the individual birds but this was a wonderful sight.

Blue Crab,

I have done this in higher latitude waters and the S Pacific with great success on other boats in the past. I always used a ‘tarp’ of some configuration with a low-profile plastic drain fitting in the center.

I would allow the tarp to be rinsed thoroughly before diverting into the water tank(s). [One has to allow for the helpful assistance from the birds with mineralizing one’s potable water, so sterilization and/or filtration [0.5µ at the potable tap] is still necessary… especially with regards to avian vectored, water borne parasites like giardia…] Inline low resistance filtration is helpful for reducing the macro particles that make their way to your tank(s.) [e.g., 20µ particulates house filter.]

As we redesign the aft deck shade on our current boat we will incorporate rain catchment into it, but always keep a tarp with a drain and hose for quick rigging in calm conditions at anchor.

I should also mention that rainwater collection is very common practice for remote cabins and homes in the southeast Alaska area where we currently cruise. Most use a rain gutter downspout device that automatically bypass the tanks for the first few mins of rain before diverting the flow to the holding tank(s).

Cheers!

Bill

[roverhi]

We lived off rainwater caught from our awning for a year in French Polynesia. Installed two through hulls, one on each side of the boom, pulled the through hulls down with a light string to make catch basins and ran a hose to the tanks when it rained. In the tropics there tends to be regular passing showers so that we never had to schlep water from shore. We'd let the rain wash any salt off the awning for a few minutes before collecting the water. Ran the water direct to the tanks, regularly added chlorine to the tanks and had a common household filter with a charcoal filter element to remove the chlorine taste, if any. Worked fine with the foot pumps that we used exclusively for freshwater.

Catchment is a safe method to provide drinking water that is uses world wide. More than 10,000 people on the Big Island of Hawaii, Bermuda, and many islands in the Caribbean and SoPac live off caught water. Tried it on the Kona side of the Big Island but long dry periods over the winter made it impractical for residential use.

[barnakiel]

We collected rain water when we could. We found it very bad but sure thing that's where filtration equipment steps in (we carried none).

Last time in the West Indies I simply left the yoyo on the water overnight and could easily collect over 10 gallons of rainwater every time the night was stormy. We have the smallest of yoyos - 3 by 6 ft only.

Another time back there (I think 2003 or thereabouts) we watched a Wharram with full area sun shade collect squall water into blue plastic barrels maybe 25 gallons each. They collected about one barrelfull of water every day ... pretty awesome, I think.

So I say this can be done in some parts of the world and in some seasons. You may want decent filtration for drinking but for otherwise use like shower etc. this water is as good as gold.

Cheers,
b.

[Blue Crab]

Appreciate the input. It won't go down the drain.

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Thanks. I had my bimini made with "extra" material for gutter attachment but haven't gotten to it yet. It's only been 2 years. I also have a big awning, as yet unrigged for collecting. Then I began thinking of guttering solar panel mounts which lead me to considering guttering a hard dodger ... and hell, it's raining right now and I'm sitting here on my butt. Kinda like last year ...

No point rushing into anything...some thing require a great deal of contemplation.

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

hell, it's raining right now and I'm sitting here on my butt. Kinda like last year ...

Reminds me of leaky overhead hatches and windows and toerails.....
I think about them a lot when it's raining and I'm watching them drip.

Then, just as I've figured out how to do it as soon as the weather clears..... the sun comes out and wipes my memory clean, apparently.

Because then I start thinking about air conditioning, and fans....and just as I've figured out how to improve everything.....it starts raining....which also seems to erase my memory...

[jkindredpdx]

Some great tips... Thanks Y'all and Happy 2016

[crazyoldboatguy]

Has anyone plumbed their deck scuppers to facilitate collection? I would think to a small barrel or tank but not directly to the water tanks.

[Cheechako]

You can collect a lot if it rains hard. Trouble is, that may not occur for months sometimes.

[colemj]

Yes, this is common. Frankly, it is the least desirable way to me. It is very difficult to keep a deck clean, even after letting it rain heavily first. However, a deck can catch a lot of water quickly.

Mark

[Blue Crab]

Altho, what the hey, that deck runoff water would be pristine compared to saltwater. I could live, and cleanly too, schlepping just drinking water in gal jugs when the only hose is the one at the pumpout.

My friendly little town has a free dinghy dock with a trash can and a water spigot. I was just wishing on a star there was some new latest and greatest.

Thanks