Water maker or not?

[BeOur3rd]

this thread has made me think of so many things id never thought of and ill make sure my boat has one or gets one. size is mostly what im wondering about? anyone have any reference point how much a normal person uses per day? i dont get a bill from a company so cant check our usage; [

[colemj]

Originally Posted by J Clark H356

Mark: Thanks for the feedback. Exactly what I was looking for. Do you have a CruiseRO unit?


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Yes, but we had the same experiences with our previous Village Marine unit. I can't think of a reason the Spectra units have more problems operating in these conditions.

Mark

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by BeOur3rd

if the cost of a decent watermaker is as high as ive seen i cant agree with you, think about it before buying the boat..

$4500-$7500 is going to break the bank? Seriously?

Just wait till the same person needs some new sails or major engine work, if you think the cost of a watermaker is high.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by J Clark H356

Mark: How many gallons of water can you run in areas with brown cloudy water before changing the pre filter? I am on KY lake and have cruised to Florida down Tenn-Tom and plan on doing again. Have considered a water maker, and on my last cruise, water was not much concern as marina water was available, good quality and I have an excellent filtration system on board for fresh water. We have 80 gallons capacity. We currently use about 15 gallons per day for cooking, showers etc. I just like the idea of being self sufficient and having ability to wash down boat and not worry about water at all. I run a generator while not at the dock so energy to make water is not my concern. My concern is keeping a system working and the filter changes that would come from using in cloudy water.

Thanks for your input on this. Also anybody else with real world experience please respond.

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It just depends on how many suspended particles are present in the water. The more particles, the more prefilters you'll go through. Simple. This doesn't effect the membrane unless the prefilters are compromised.

[tuffr2]

The reason I posted the question.

I dry camp in a 25' trailer for months at a time. I carry fresh water to this trailer with my truck. The fresh water tank is 50 gallon. I can carry 46 gallons at a time. The 8.3lbs. per gallon of water is heavy in my 6 and 7 gallon containers.

So I have an idea of how heavy water is and can not imagine trying to carry water onto an unstable dingy.

When I dry camp I take 'Navy' showers. But in my experience a female will use 4X or more water then I use. They say they have to wash their hair shave their legs etc. etc.

I have seen some U.S. marina's have a long fresh water hose. How easy is it to get into a marina to get fresh water. Is it usually crowded, too much hassle, bad water, expensive?

Does it make sense to stay in a slip from time to time? To get water and to resupply food, dump garbage, relax. How easy is it to stay in a slip a few days per month?

Oh...before I decided to dry camp in a trailer I knew how where to get water, food, find a laundromat, dump the black tank etc.

So moving to a boat I am just trying to figure out the environment and logistics.











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[Kenomac]

You can either continue to camp or not, the choice is yours.

[tuffr2]

I forgot to mention that I also stay in a 37' 5th wheel with 4 slides in the winter in an RV Resort in Florida with full hook-up including cable TV and wifi..I dry camp close to family and friends in the north in the summer.

The limited dry camping is not bad at all because of the family and friends gatherings.

I will budget for a water maker and plan on another system that will need maintenence.

Thanks for eveyone's experience and opinions. It was very very helpful.



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[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I'm going to write a book, "Tellies rules for watermaker .

I wish you would, really. I'd buy it and put in with my maintenance library


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[Stu Jackson]

The part that's missing from this expereince is SALT WATER.

It's effects have been mentioned. Some feel no difference, others mention the correct fact that salt on something will preclude it from ever drying.

In answer to logistics: marinas are where they are, they don't move, YOU do. So, if you're anchored out in a remote wilderness, then the chances of finding a marina are slim. This is basic logic 101.

No different on the water than on the road.

Most cruising guides show where the marinas are located. So does www.activecaptain.com.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by tuffr2

The reason I posted the question.

I dry camp in a 25' trailer for months at a time. I carry fresh water to this trailer with my truck. The fresh water tank is 50 gallon. I can carry 46 gallons at a time. The 8.3lbs. per gallon of water is heavy in my 6 and 7 gallon containers.

So I have an idea of how heavy water is and can not imagine trying to carry water onto an unstable dingy.

When I dry camp I take 'Navy' showers. But in my experience a female will use 4X or more water then I use. They say they have to wash their hair shave their legs etc. etc.

I have seen some U.S. marina's have a long fresh water hose. How easy is it to get into a marina to get fresh water. Is it usually crowded, too much hassle, bad water, expensive?

Does it make sense to stay in a slip from time to time? To get water and to resupply food, dump garbage, relax. How easy is it to stay in a slip a few days per month?

Oh...before I decided to dry camp in a trailer I knew how where to get water, food, find a laundromat, dump the black tank etc.

So moving to a boat I am just trying to figure out the environment and logistics.











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[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

It's effects have been mentioned. Some feel no difference, others mention the correct fact that salt on something will preclude it from ever drying.

Yep. +1!

b.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by BeOur3rd

this thread has made me think of so many things id never thought of and ill make sure my boat has one or gets one. size is mostly what im wondering about? anyone have any reference point how much a normal person uses per day? i dont get a bill from a company so cant check our usage; [

If by normal you understand an average US citizen then you can find this data from US agencies.

Per capita water use. Water questions and answers; USGS Water Science School

If by normal you understand an average cruising joe and jane then this will go in relation to their water tanks and their watermaker capacity.

Small boats on longer passages may do with less than a gallon per a crew of two per day (say 3 liters per person per day). I think this then must be the absolute minimum one wants to stay hydrated and "clean" for easy passages in the tropic.

From my personal research on watermakers I have gathered two important clues: a) do NOT get a small unit, if you can afford a bigger one (afford both in money terms and in energy onboard terms), b) no matter what watermaker you have, it is always optimal to have the biggest watertanks you can reasonably fit (exception: racing).

The above my impressions as seen from aboard a small boat that sailed longer distances without a watermaker.

b.

[tuffr2]

Here is what I use dry camping:

Navy Shower - 1.5 to 2.5 gallons
Quick Shower - 3 to 6 gallons
Long Shower - 6 to10 gallons
Dishes - .5 to 1.5 gallon/day
Toilet - 2 gallons/day
Drinking is separate as I drink a variety of beverages.

A female uses at least 3X more shower water.

When I am at my house I let the water run and probably use 25 - 30 gallon in the shower.

If I end up sailing alone I can see me using much less fresh water. But alone is only fun for so long.



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[4arch]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

$4500-$7500 is going to break the bank? Seriously?

According to some around here, that's an entire year's cruising budget!

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

...A female uses at least 3X more shower water.

When I am at my house I let the water run and probably use 25 - 30 gallon in the shower...

Boat-oriented females could shower 10 times with the water you waste on 1 land-side shower.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by BeOur3rd

this thread has made me think of so many things id never thought of and ill make sure my boat has one or gets one. size is mostly what im wondering about? anyone have any reference point how much a normal person uses per day? i dont get a bill from a company so cant check our usage; [

BeOur3rd,

I have described my water usage data [land and sea] in prior posts, and will include some excerpts from one of those posts for reference:

...Some personal examples: I lived aboard for a few winters in Valdez, Alaska ... Since I had to haul water and fuel on a sled to the boat [it was frozen-in at those temps...] I knew I was consuming precisely 5 gallons/day/person including lots of hot beverages and daily [Navy] showers. [Ed: Half of that was the minimum to be comfortable...]

When I anchored out, I had to go ashore and haul fresh water from flowing streams between cold spells.

On our current boat... [We] are now spoiled with a water maker that doesn't seem to care about the cooler water temps. (12 Gal/hr consistently in 40F water temps.) In SE Alaska our consumption in winter is 1.5 gal/day fuel oil, and 15-20 gallons/day [for 2] water because we are also spoiled with a washer/dryer on board...

...Let me add another water usage metric that may be useful for perspective: Our house in Fairbanks, Alaska is high on a hill where a well is not cost effective. Therefore many homes in this area have underground water holding tanks (ours is 2000 gallons) We have water delivered (or haul it ourselves in a 400 gallon tank in my truck...) so I know precisely what our water usage is. Over 13 years we have averaged 35 gallons/day/adult with all the usual water consuming appliances [clothes and dish washers...] and fresh water toilet flushes. We take no real water preservation measures other than [Ed: to limit showers to 10 minutes and] to use what we need and need what we use...

I hope this helps provide some perspective on water usage.

YMMV

Cheers!

Bill