On to Mexico next winter

[Captain Glenn]

I will be on west coast of Mexico for the next three to five month and I'm wondering about fresh water. I want to plan on staying both on the hook and small/ large marinas. It will be myself, the Admiral and maybe my daughter. I have a 400 gal. Fresh water tank but love using fresh clean water for cleaning boat and showers and general boat usage. I'm thinking about getting a water maker for the the trip. What would you plan on water usage per day? I'm also thinking about South America in a few years.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Crusty and I and some here on TF use the RO water system. I have the 40gph unit and I am very happy with it. See link.

Crusty is heading for mexico this summer.

Cruise RO Water & Power: Watermakers for Boats & Yachts

 

[Captain Glenn]

I'll also be adding a new water filtration system. Any thoughts?

 

[BandB]

I will be on west coast of Mexico for the next three to five month and I'm wondering about fresh water. I want to plan on staying both on the hook and small/ large marinas. It will be myself, the Admiral and maybe my daughter. I have a 400 gal. Fresh water tank but love using fresh clean water for cleaning boat and showers and general boat usage. I'm thinking about getting a water maker for the the trip. What would you plan on water usage per day? I'm also thinking about South America in a few years.

Absolutely recommend a watermaker. You'll need to consider the amount of showering and boat cleaning and your needs could be well above others. Older men seem less concerned about daily showers. Women seem slightly more so. Younger daughters considerably more so. Currently we have two men aboard and 8 females. The females range in age from 20 to 58. 3 have very long hair while the others have medium length. On a typical day there are at least 7 showers and those with most shampoo their hair, some adding conditioner and rinses and more. Our water consumption runs much higher than others might give you.

 

[Captain Glenn]

BanbB sounds like a lot of water any idea how much? Maybe with the Admirals boat washing we're about the same!

 

[Larry M]

With two of us showering every day and a dog who gets a quick paw/belly fresh water rinse after a beach walk, we use about 20-25 gallons per day.

 

[sunchaser]

Spending cruising time in Mexico IMHO requires a water maker, 100% certainty in my experience. Relying upon iffy marina water can also foul your boat tanks and create continual Montezuma's revenge.

 

[Crusty Chief]

After having a water maker, I cant imagine extended cruising without one. Between the two of us, a small dog and an occasional guest for a week or two we use up the main water tank (250 gal.) in a week. We are somewhat conservative on water use, but with showers, laundry, dish’s and cooking we can empty the tank fairly easily in a week. If one is very conservative, I suppose we could use half that, but as long as we have it we use it!
Making water also helps put a load on the genny while topping off the batteries. And since you should flush the water maker weekly with fresh water if your not making water, why not make some to top off the tanks.
Hope that helps.

 

[BandB]

BanbB sounds like a lot of water any idea how much? Maybe with the Admirals boat washing we're about the same!

You made me curious. So, I checked. Appears we've used about 400 gallons in the last 24 hours. I'm strictly guessing but sounds like 8 showers at perhaps 30 gallons on average and two or three loads of laundry at maybe 25 gallons each and the rest on toilets and dishes and hands and washing bird poop off the deck.

 

[DavidM]

You made me curious. So, I checked. Appears we've used about 400 gallons in the last 24 hours. I'm strictly guessing but sounds like 8 showers at perhaps 30 gallons on average and two or three loads of laundry at maybe 25 gallons each and the rest on toilets and dishes and hands and washing bird poop off the deck.

Wow we use about 1/4 that much water at home. When we cruised in the Bahamas many years ago we used about 10 gallons each day for two. Sure we were tight: short showers and saved the heat up water for cooking later, quick rinses of dishes, etc.


So three data points so far: 10 gallons, 20-25 gallons and 400 gallons per day!!!



David

 

[Fletcher500]

It sounds like you already figured this out, but you do not want to drink the water in Mex.

I had a Thru Hull put in last month for a WM, and currently researching which system to use for the install in Q4. I therefore can’t help, but I do know it will be an AC not a DC system.

Interested to hear what you end up doing and some updates after your trip.

Regarding water usage, we are on the low usage side for the amounts noted.

 

[BandB]

Wow we use about 1/4 that much water at home. When we cruised in the Bahamas many years ago we used about 10 gallons each day for two. Sure we were tight: short showers and saved the heat up water for cooking later, quick rinses of dishes, etc.


So three data points so far: 10 gallons, 20-25 gallons and 400 gallons per day!!!



David

We had 10 people using. We probably average closer to 30 gallons per person.

 

[hollywood8118]

It seems that most sub 50' boats I have been on use 20-40 gph watermakers, most AC driven. I have built a couple engine driven RO units and they work well also. If you have to run a genset everyday that's when you make water.. and if your going to have 40 gph at the ready might as well use RO water to wash the boat. Rarely does anybody wear a watermaker out from use.. its letting them sit that gets you in trouble.
In many trips to Mexico I have never taken on marina water except to wash the boat or sails.. just too risky to put in the tanks.


When we cruised in the early 90's we had one of the first gen Recovery Engineering RO DC units.. it put out a whopping 1.4 ghp.. had it on a 12 hr timer .. went to bed most nights listening to the subtle noise of the thing pumping away.
One of these days I will install the 40ghp unit sitting on my work bench on the Ocean Alexander, but so far in the PNW we haven't really needed it.


HOLLYWOOD