Water rationing

[newly anonymous]

On a different thread, the topic of how much water passagemakers should carry per person per day came up, with Ross stating that he thought he'd read "that planning a half gallon per person per day is minimum for drinking and cooking. Washing is done with sea water."I've just returned from taking a class sea kayaking in Baja for a week where we consumed 2.5 liters of water per person per day, with all washing including final rinse of dishes done in sea water. Let's see, that would come out to .66 gallons per day. Granted, the hydration needs of most sea kayakers would probably exceed that of most sailors, but still, I'm thinking that .5 gallons per day might be a bit parsimonious. Were I to make a multi-week passage on my boat, I'd want to switch the heads over to salt water, but I'd probably allow a marine shower every third day, and I'd certainly want to do a final rinse of dishes in fresh water. However, for purposes of this thread, let's assume that fresh water is rationed as follows: one no-more-than-two-liters marine shower per week; a quick freshwater rinse for dishes after they've been washed in saltwater; no freshwater flushes; ample water for drinking and cooking. So for planning purposes, how much water would you want to take per person per day for a long passage?

 

[Ross]

A lot will depend on the air temperature.

In the summer time while working outside at hard labor I have gone through a gallon of water on the job and weighed myself after my shower at the days end and still been 3 pounds lighter than I was that moerning.

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi John, Karen Thorndike did a solo circumnavigation...

in the late '90s in her sloop that had a 32 gallon fresh water tank and no water maker, but managed with what she had; the first woman to do so. Her longest period at sea between ports was 93 days. So, water per person/day is up to the individual and what they can live with/without.Resourceful passage makers use methods to capture rain water for tankage. And as you suggested washing dishes with sea water, bathing with sea water, etc., all helps keep fresh water consumption to a minimum.Our boat holds 150 gallons. During our two month cruise up north we usually have access to fresh water supplies along the way so that is rarely an issue. We always wash with fresh water, but heading off shore would mean a change in our fresh water life style.Terry

 

[Benny17441]

It depends on how much beer you can carry.

We take a shower every day; we have a line tied to a bucket to bring up sea water. One bucket gets you wet so you can lather, the second one is for rinsing and then you can wet a towel with fresh water to wipe off the salt. We also clean the salt off the cockpit cushions once a day. Dry salt is like sand paper and cuts like a razor blades. Dishes are washed in salt water with Joy dish washing liquid as it is cheap and forms lather in salt water. No fresh water rinsing, they are allowed to dry and are put away. A lot of our fresh water goes for tea and coffe and general cooking. We have been known to chase thunderstorms and rain water as it means a nice fresh water shower. just lather up and let the rain rinse you. We do not collet rain water, just use it on the spot. The length of the passage will dictate the amount of needed reserves and your strategy. Obviously what works for a crossing to the Bahamas likely will not work for a crossing to Hawaii.

 

[sailaway78]

There is a big difference

the daily usage and emergency situation usage. I would hate to think that I had to function on a daily basis on much less than a gallon per day. On a long passage could cut that down if necessary. Every individual and every situation is going to be different. For emergency survival rationing, you can probably survive on one quart per person per day. Much below that, for a very long period of time and you will become dehydrated, disoriented, and not be thinking properly.

 

[John Howitt]

passage making

On a passage from Malta to Panama,all of the cooking was done in salt water unless it would ruin the food.Washing was done every couple of day's in sea water, with a black bucket to heat it up in the sun. rinsing was accomplished with a liter or less of fresh water.Head and shoulder's lathers well in salt water.Squalls were looked forward to as a free rinse.Somtimes they were very quick.dishes were washed in sea water, and rinsed in a pan of fresh, about a liter.Cofee tea and boxed juice as well as high temp boxed milk contain water not to mention Beer.(warm)At no time did we feel worried about running outor deprived, our tankage was probably compairable to most boats and we still had lots when we got to portthe longest leg was Canary Island's to Barbados 24 days, (it was a slow boat).We flew two genoes and had a tarp over the boom for a sun shade.Most people want to go on a luxury cruise, I was just glad to be out there doing it.The boat is now for sale in Cambell River BC for $69,000. A Sparkman Stephens 40 ft. Yawl.A wind generator is no good in the trades.

 

[Ross]

Much will depend upon the size of the people

a 130 pound person won't need as much water as a 200 pounder.

 

[Buck2796]

John,

"So for planning purposes, how much water would you want to take per person per day for a long passage?"Answer... as much as you can.I crewed on a Carribbean 1500 race some years back. 6 people (4 men, 2 women) on a Mason 44 w/ about 120gals of water for 11 days, (Norfolk to St Thomas). In addition to tank water we had about a dozen gals of bottled water, many cases of beer, juice, etc.We used fresh water pretty much as John H. and Benny have stated. Did not collect any rainwater along the way; never were too worried about running out of water and finished the 11 days with at least a few gals left (as I recall).We all took very brief fresh water showers every 2-3 days and all took a final shower on the last day.We finished 3d and LOOKED fresh & clean as we came in. We then ran for the beer, kissed the ground, and vowed never to do "that" again. A few beers later we were planning the next one; sailors ARE crazy.Edit/Add .. I think your boat carries 200gals of water? Even if you planned a month long ocean crossing (say SF to Polynesia) w/ 4 people; adding bottled water, soda, beer, etc. that's about 2 gals/per person/day. Offshore for that long, I think you could almost count on refilling your tanks w/ rainwater at least once (especially crossing the ITCZ). As a final backup, I'd take a hand pumped RO watermaker.Fresh water (on your boat, at least) shouldn't be too big an issue.

 

[newly anonymous]

well, yes, 200 gal on the big boat, but...

...the sea kayak tends to get cranky if I carry much more than 12 liters. During a Christmas trip out of Mulege a few years back, it meant we had to return to civilization after only six days. Of course, we've discovered that the more we hike the more we drink, which admittedly tends not to be a problem for most sailors on an offshore passage. But for me, carrying more water means I have to get a bigger yak.Common wisdom among the kayak gurus in Baja is to take at least one gallon per person per day. Which is why, when I heard Ross opine that he'd read recommendations to take half that much for sailors, I wondered whether that was generally considered adequate for passage making. The Singlehanded Sailing Society requires racers in the Singlehanded Transpac (SF to Hawaii) to carry at least 21 gallons of fresh water in at least two containers. A buddy of mine has done this race three times in an Erickson 35-2, which carries only 35 gallons, and he says that water has never been a problem. But we're talking about crazy people here.I REALLY appreciate Benny's idea about finishing up a bath with a towel that had been wet in fresh water. Sure wish I'd heard that a couple weeks ago before my last trip south--would have been nice to go to bed without feeling so salty.Next time I'm taking a wash cloth.