How Much Water Will My Liveaboard Family Use?

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

I use a 2 gallon garden sprayer as a solar shower. I can get 4 showers from it. It's a fine and small stream. So I wet the hair and start at the top and wash, then rinse and towel dry. Could be 3/4 of a gallon some times. Works pretty good in summer. Winter or cloudy days is a pot on the stove to warm the water.

Impressive.

I take my 2 gallon showers every second or third day and use baby wipes in between while cruising.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Impressive.

I take my 2 gallon showers every second or third day and use baby wipes in between while cruising.

Too much information... Do you have any close friends?

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I take my 2 gallon showers every second or third day and use baby wipes in between while cruising.

...hey Dave, I will send you some water maker sales comissions, because you just helped me sell a few water makers with that line...

[a64pilot]

The Baby wipes is exactly what we used when deployed, better than nothing

[GhostChaser]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Not a dumb question at all and I get asked this almost once a week!
Almost every water maker company manual will say there same thing that you must have a dedicated through hull. But why do we say that and is it really TRUE? The “You need a dedicated through hull answer” is the easy no risk thing to say and explain (by risk we are talking about warranty claims and hours of trouble shooting inlet flow problems). But in reality if you set-up to share a through hull properly and are willing to turn a “Y-valve” every time you start and stop the water maker (without forgetting), then you can share a through hull. I would NEVER share one with a generator or engine, just because the risk of forgetting to open back up your engine or generator cooling water. Water makers hate air bubbles, like in damage the membrane type of hate, so simply putting a “T” in the line risks the water maker being able to pull air bubbles in through the shared device.

Thanks Third Day, Very helpful.

As OP, I appreciate everyone's input and I am now in a much better position to make an informed decision about a new water maker.

Obviously my requirements for water usage and volume are different to others, especially those without kids and those that have made a decision to be very frugal with their water usage for reasons of economics or their views on the environmental impact of RO.

Comfort sits very high on the priority list for my wife and I, and this has been a key factor in many of our decisions to date around purchasing and optioning a new boat. Water is a significant contributor to this for all the reasons cited above. If I have the option to have more water, I'd take it any day of the week. And as the saying goes 'happy wife, happy life' and this is never truer than on a boat. Ample AC generated water appears to be a very good decision and an investment in the marriage.

The other key motivator for a good supply of water is to wash the boat down. Having purchased a new boat, I have a strong desire to keep it in as good a condition as possible as I am looking to sell it when I return back to Australia. Having the ability to wash all running gear, electrics, etc etc down with fresh water, particularly on the longer passages makes good sense. I think another reason why this appears to be a good investment.

If I was buying a second hand boat, I'd appreciate if the first owner was diligent with respect to this aspect of boat maintenance.

[Kenomac]

A friend we met in Menorca, Spain last season, is a full time cruiser and live aboard with his wife. He's been out cruising the world for 10 years, first on a Tatyana 55 with a decent water maker. But when he commissioned his brand new Lagoon 450 in 2013, he purchased a Spectra water maker direct from the Spectra company that is capable of producing 75 gallons per hour. I thought that was quite a lot, but he said it's better to have one that makes a large quantity in a short period of tome, and that he is sure that he will recoup his 12,000 euro investment when he sells the boat upon his return to Australia next year.

[Mirage Gecko]

Sorry what am I missing with so many people saying you need to run your engines to make hot water?Their are plenty of other options other than heat exchange type units.
Chris

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Mirage Gecko

Sorry what am I missing with so many people saying you need to run your engines to make hot water?Their are plenty of other options other than heat exchange type units.
Chris

All that I can think of have drawbacks, like propane, Solar or electrical resistance, any others?

[Hudson Force]

I'm also surprised by the amount of water that people require while cruising, but I understand the differennt behavior with having a watermaker. I also see that choices for those without a watermaker are not challenging comfort or hygiene. When we cruised as a family of four we all bathed daily and had ample water at a rate of 8 liters of water per day for each individual. When we had unlimited supply, without being in a conservative mode, our use was doubled, but still under 20 liters/person/day.
If you're cruising in clean warm seawater..............

............. then fresh water is just the rinse after cleaning with no negative connotation of "camping"..

[robert sailor]

When we first started cruising we had a 30 gallon water tank and we could make it last 3-4 weeks. All of our bathing was in salt water and we even used it for some cooking as in pressure cooker so it didn't add salt. The water was for drinking. We used to have to jerry jug it sometimes for a mile or more. Our next boat had 100 gallon tanks and the 2 of us would use it up in 30 days because like others have said we used what we had. Then along came water makers and we bought a new Spectra which made 8-9 gallons per hour with one pump or around 14-15 with 2 pumps. Then our water usage went up to 8-10 gallons per day. We have pretty much stuck there but if water became tight as in the water maker breaking, which it has we can go back in a heartbeat to making it stretch. Years ago in the Baja when we were carrying 50 lb jerry cans back to the dink in 100 degree temps for close to 2 miles and needed to make several return trips it permanently marked us so we still really value clean fresh water to this day. If your cruising on the milk runs, no big deal but when you get off the well traveled routes and your genset or watermaker go down it will be a life changing moment.

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

You will need to wash down the boat every couple of days while in route.

Why?

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

......................... Years ago in the Baja when we were carrying 50 lb jerry cans back to the dink in 100 degree temps for close to 2 miles and needed to make several return trips it permanently marked us so we still really value clean fresh water to this day. If your cruising on the milk runs, no big deal but when you get off the well traveled routes and your genset or watermaker go down it will be a life changing moment.

Maybe more than "milk runs", it's related to cruising in areas where there is far more rainfall than the desert. We've been a month away from water before resupply, but I've never carried water miles overland! I have cruised in some wilderness areas, but in places where rain is common. I should have added to my water use data (8 liters/day/person) supply earlier, that we would always "shower" on the deck when it rained or collect some unaccounted rain in some buckets.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by SimonV

Why?p

Because the OP is purchasing a new 300-400 euro boat and probably wants to keep it looking new, so that he can re-sell it for top dollar upon his arrival in Australia.... His stated goal.

Ken

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

A friend we met in Menorca, Spain last season...he purchased a Spectra water maker direct from the Spectra company that is capable of producing 75 gallons per hour...he is sure that he will recoup his $12,000euro.

Yikes you could buy 3-30GPH units or 2 of our 65GPH units for one of those...

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Impressive.

I take my 2 gallon showers every second or third day and use baby wipes in between while cruising.

My pressure water system was down for a few weeks so showered with a 1 gallon water jug until I did the repairs. Half filled the jug with cold water, heated about a quart on the stove to add and make about 3 qts of warm water Showered like sailorchic, wet hair wash and work my way down and always finished with a quart or more left in the jug that I just dumped on my head for the luxury of it. Never felt deprived at all. Of course it helps a lot to have a boat with a separate shower stall.

Have to take a shower daily (or yes even twice at times), even more so at sea. Gets rid of the salty, damp feeling and just makes you feel better.