Finding drinking water in the Mediterranean

[Tuxie]

I'm just finishing my boats refit in Greece and will be getting on the water next week. I'll hopefully be moving around quitea bit and this is my first time sailing down here so I was wondering how do people find places to fill their watertanks here? Fuel is nicely marked on Navionics charts but no mention about water anywhere...

I plan on living on anchor pretty much all the time so hoping to avoid staying at marinas.

[Joh.Ghurt]

No idea about Greece or the islands.

In continental Spain and France, the water out of the tap in the marinas is good enough for cooking and is even ok to drink if you get one of those filter water-jugs (Brita or some clones). Carrefour sells them for a moderate price, the cartridges are usually good for 100l.

If you don't want to go this way, you can get for below 2€ those 5l or 8l jugs in any supermarket. Bunker a bunch of those for the water you drink. Usually I used about 1 per day for 2 people.

In short, do what the locals do and you'll be safe.

[Tuxie]

Thanks. I guess I wasn't clear enough with what I'm asking. I'm more curious about how to get the tanks on the boat filled up. Does one just visit (or try to call via phone or radio) any nearby marina and hope they have a place where you can fill up or something else?

[Joh.Ghurt]

Depends on the marinas. Some will charge you if you spend 2 hours at their dock to fill up, others have a metered tap, others don't care. Worst case, book a night from time to time in the marina and fill up then.

Best call ahead on the mobile, preferably in the local language.

[sv_pelagia]

In Greece, we definitely saw metered water taps at the electrical connections for med-tied boats (we were land-cruising, but often checked-out boats, etc).

[boatman61]

Most public quays have water taps, just tie up alongside and fill up.
Thats how the fishing boats do it..

[meirriba]

Not very many marinas in Greece.
In every marina you may fill water and fuel.
In any town/village quay you will usually find a tap with water. You need to ask if this is drinkable or not. Nowadays it mostly is, but still it is prudent to ask.
Some of the towns put electricity/water pedestals on the town quay, with electronic paid cards.
Some tavernas have private pontoons, usually with electricity and water hose/tap.
All in all, it is not a real trouble to get drinkable water wherever you sail in Greece.

[Gypsy23]

Originally Posted by Tuxie

I'm just finishing my boats refit in Greece and will be getting on the water next week. I'll hopefully be moving around quitea bit and this is my first time sailing down here so I was wondering how do people find places to fill their watertanks here? Fuel is nicely marked on Navionics charts but no mention about water anywhere...

I plan on living on anchor pretty much all the time so hoping to avoid staying at marinas.

There are very few 'marinas' in Greece, you will mostly use town quays. Some will have an open tap or two and the 'town' or Port Authority will charge a modest amount for the use of the quay which may or may not include water. Be sure to have at least 2 lenghts of hose and various joiners and adaptors.


In others there may be a truck tanker which visits the quay to sell water or a 'waterman' who has the key to the tap and will charge a fee for a fill. If it sounds a bit hit or miss, it is. Small islands in the Aegean often ship water in by tanker and it can be terrible to the taste ( a bit soapy) so I used to ask for a taste before buying. However, apart from the bad tasting water we always drank the town water. Others preferred to use the water for the galley and showers but purchased bottled/jug water from the supermarket.
In Croatia there are many restaurants on the edge of bays which offer tie-up with water if you eat there.

So it is a bit of a mix, you need to ask other cruisers along the way too. Remember most islands are quite dry and locals have to be careful with water so visitors need to be careful with it too. You might see big chartered 'yachts' washing their boats but they make their own water.

[mariner-dovb]

Especially in Greece Water is no problem. In general, tap-water is of excellent quality and dependable. In marinas and most town-quais there are water taps to fill Your tanks from. Besides this, on most beaches there are showers in connection to a taverna, and usually there is also a water tap. It depends on the local depth and the lenght of Your hose, whether you can fill your tanks by hose or by cans. So You better have an extra long hose.
After the water has passed through a tank-truck, it might be of lesser quality.


As far as I know, same thing is true in Turkey.



Currently in Greece


PS: don't forget to pay the TEPAI!

[Chalifour]

Fresh water is easily available at public quais or marinas. However water supply is limited. Some islands have their water supply delivered by boats. Other islands use desalination equipments, leaving for that reason, a salty taste to the water. So if you want drinkable water inquire before you fill up your tanks. In any event provision ample supply of bottled water!

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by Tuxie

I'm just finishing my boats refit in Greece and will be getting on the water next week. I'll hopefully be moving around quitea bit and this is my first time sailing down here so I was wondering how do people find places to fill their watertanks here? Fuel is nicely marked on Navionics charts but no mention about water anywhere...

I plan on living on anchor pretty much all the time so hoping to avoid staying at marinas.

Having just read through the previous posts, it sounds like a good water maker might be a sound investment - it would surely be more convenient than carrying a bunch of hose or lugging water in Gerry cans.

[Chalifour]

It’s an option thought expensive and require regular maintenance. Must be operated 2 miles of the coasts in order to get proper water.

[SaltyMetals]

In order to increase yr possibilities i would suggest you carry a spare water hose that you can connect to yr existing because sometimes there is only one tap available and it is more than 20 metres away.
Andrew

[Rapanui]

Certainly in Croatia and I would expect elsewhere of you pitch up at a town quay or marina you can fill your tanks

[Rapanui]

For a charge. Sometimes reasonable occasionally exorbitant. A watermaker is easier but costly to run. Most places, the water is so clean, you can make water at anchor, you do not need to be miles offshore except in a few places where there is pollution.