How to save Fresh Water onboard our Boat

Water saving on our boat

Our 1987 Catalina 34 has about 70 Gallons of Fresh Water in two tanks. We carry up to an additional 24 Gallons in four on deck water tanks, so a total if 94 gallons. There's normally just 2 of on board, so that gives us about 10 days at 10 gallons a day

At home, like most folks, we probably use 20 gallons just taking a shower, our dishwasher uses 4.5 gallons per load. and we have two bathrooms with water reduction cisterns but they use about a gallon per flush. I don't know about you, but how often do you flush the toilet.

On board Eximius, we flush our loo with fresh water - to keep the qty low, we have a 64oz water bottle alongside the head and if we're flushing do do, then we use some or all of the bottle to flush the toilet. (We do not use Salt Water to flush the toilet, salty water in the holding tank is not a great idea IHMO)

On board, no Dishwasher - just me. To reduce the amount of water needed to wash up after a fried meal, which is the toughest job in the galley - mostly :)   I use a Spray bottle with a couple of drops of dish liquid to spray down the pots and pans, cutlery, plates, serving spoons etc. 

A half full sprayer typically last for about 3 days of 3 meal galley clean up and must save a huge amount of freshwater. 

To rinse the dishes, I'll turn on the faucet at a trickle but a 2nd spray bottle would save on water uses too. I just don't have that much counter space, but during our  six week cruise planned for 2022, I'll have one just to stretch our water budget to get us between shore water resources in Eluthra Bahamas.

When new Desalination processes come down in price and power consumption, I'll get a water maker, till then = I'll be using a spray bottle.

Just an aside note. We're not liveaboards and our longest cruise to date has been a month long trip to the Abaco's. 2020 put a hold on going out of the USA, and the 2021 covid requirements are not very encouraging, so we're keeping our cruises to Florida and the Keys - we might get down to the Dry Tortugas later this year. Meanwhile, our trips are mostly less then 200 nm round trip.

See you on the water - saving as much as we can ;)

Paul