How much water do you use?

[goboatnow]

Hey TF Team,
Curious how much water you typically use while you're out and about. We're chartering a boat with a 150 gallon tank and was trying to figure out how long that would last me and my SO. We can go pretty light and know how to conserve from camping and extended raft trips. Just wanted to get some input from those who are doing it.

Thanks

 

[Marin]

We carry 150 gallons of water in two tanks. With just the two of us on board we can go two weeks pretty easily (that's almost 11 gallons a day). Our toilets are salt water flush and our shower head is the Navy type with a push-for-water button on it.

However, the islands between here and Queen Charlotte Strait offer a fair number of places to get water, even if you anchor out most of the time. On a two-week cruise we generally top off the tanks at least once.

If we have guests with us, it's a different story, and we tend to top off the tanks every time we're in a harbor.

 

[FlyWright]

I just returned from 2 weeks on the hook and solo onboard. I have half your total, 75 gallons, and made it 9 days with still 1/4 tank remaining when I returned. Assuming the LED might have been close to empty, I feel confident I can go 10 days solo or 5 days with 2 onboard. We have water saving toggle valves at both faucet heads and always practice navy shower methods.

We use 1-gallon bottled water for our drinking/coffee/toothbrush rinsing needs. I used about 10 gallons for those purposes over 2 weeks. Our single head is raw water flush so no fresh water is used for that purpose.

 

[ksanders]

We use around 50 gallons a day for two people. Showers, dishwashing, freshwater heads, etc...

Not counting the clothes washer.

 

[Astral Blue]

For the three of us, we use 15 gallons per day. Our toilets are fresh water. We have a separate drinking water supply on board. Between the three of us, we use just under a gallon of drinking water a day, which includes the water we use for cooking.

 

[Giggitoni]

Two of us use about 100 gallons per week. Water useage includes showers and galley cleanup.

 

[FF]

With minor care 5 GPD per person is easy.

 

[N4712]

We use it like were at home home, since we have a water maker. When we tow out our little CC around it's usually 200-300 gallons a day and with out it about 250. Between going out fishing coming in taking a nice shower and we usually do that two times a day. Oh yeah and we eat a lot so there's always dishes being washed. And when we take showers it's like at home.

 

[DavidM]

We spent a couple of months in the Bahamas and used 5 gallons per day for two people. We took daily showers but caught the first 1/2 gallon until it got hot to use for dish washing. We were careful about water use but not crazy.

On the other hand on a recent RV trip we used 10 gallons a day for two with no thought to how much water we used.

David

 

[Moonstruck]

We carry 160 gal. The water in our tanks is filtered and softened, so we use it for drinking and cooking. We are not that frugal with water. Every
time we come aboard from swimming we shower with the cockpit shower. Our head flushes with fresh water. When guests are aboard I let them use all the water they want. We usually last 10 to 14 days without filling the tanks. Even in the Bahamas water is usually 25 cents/gal, so $40 will fill the tanks.

If water were not readily available we could tighten up quite a bit on usage.

 

[Bay Pelican]

Thirty five US gallons per day, includes 11 gallons per day for the clothes washer.

 

[READY2GO]

Two of us living aboard on a mooring. Fresh water heads, all showers aboard, washing machine as well. We don't conserve much, but are not wasteful either. Pretty consistently 150 gallons a week.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Hey TF Team,
Curious how much water you typically use while you're out and about. We're chartering a boat with a 150 gallon tank and was trying to figure out how long that would last me and my SO. We can go pretty light and know how to conserve from camping and extended raft trips. Just wanted to get some input from those who are doing it.

Thanks

First off, does the boat have fresh water or salt water flush heads?
Does it have a water maker?
How far from a place to top off your water tanks are you likely to be?
Will you be drinking and cooking with the water on board or using bottled water for that?

 

[goboatnow]

Yes, many variables and obviously "your mileage will vary". Thanks for all the input.

I think the heads are fresh water but the description doesn't say.

No watermaker.

We'll be drinking and cooking with bottled water since I don't know the state of the fresh water tanks on the charter boat with many people using it.

We won't be too far from water fill-ups - cruising the Gulf Islands into Desolation Sound

 

[Brooksie]

The old Willard has a water catch system that keeps 1 of the tanks full for showering, dishwashing, cleaning. The other (100 gallons) for drinking, tooth brushing, ice & ice tea making has lasted 6 weeks with 3 POB and was not MT at that. The second tank can also be filled with raincatch and have bleach added if the need arose.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

If all that is the case then I wouldn't worry about it.

Go forth and enjoy!

 

[BobH]

Before building a watermaker we used about ten gallons/day for the two of us while cruising. Saltwater flush, tank water for everything else.

Bob

 

[salty sailors wife]

Bob, was reading your post. You built your own watermaker? I am curious on how if I may ask?
Thanks

 

[BobH]

Really not that complicated, high pressure pump and a membrane. Of course there are details, back pressure regulator, product flow meter, pre filters, low pressure feed pump and a variety of valves to direct product flow and to flush membranes.

Total cost for 20gph, AC powered unit was right at $3000 including all hoses and fittings. This was a Cadillac, included pulsation damper, UV sterilizer, adjustable back pressure regulator and other, not really required pieces.

Bob

 

[Capt.Bill11]

http://www.westward-ii.com/PDF's/How to build your own watermaker.pdf

 

[gwkiwi]

We carry 400 gallons and it lasts two of us several weeks depending on anchoring as we use our fresh water outside faucet to rinse of the rode and anchor, I know I should install a separate raw water wash.

We do not run a fresh water hose to the boat when at the dock preferring just to use our internal tanks.

Currently I close off our starboard tank and just draw off of port to help with ballast especially since we topped up adding 1900 lbs of fuel yesterday at a great price and also to help weigh us down in order to get under the 19' bridge just outside Chicago.

Takes Two
Currently in Holland MI

 

[BerettaRacer]

Granted, I work on larger motor yachts for a living, so my numbers are not quite equal to cruising on a smaller vessel, but in 30 yrs of professional boating my long term, full time average is 100 to 125 gal/person/day. But this includes everything, laundry, washdowns etc etc. When I design my water systems I plan on water maker capacity to be 3 to 4 times max daily usage, ie 15 person capacity/1500+ daily usage/4500-6000 gal/day watermaker capacity.

 

[BruceK]

I can be as mean with water as a cat covering its own s#*t. Admiral is convinced the boat is direct plumbed to Warragamba Dam, a huge dam W of Sydney, capacity of 4 sydarbs (ie 4 times the size of Sydney Harbor). It balances out.

 

[MYTraveler]

My family of five (including 3 teenage girls) uses about 200 gal/day when no effort is made to conserve. Our 1,200 gal/day (rated) easily keeps up. When we can't use the water maker (anchored or moored in a harbor), we can skinny down to about 100 gal/day.