WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

HOW TO STOW, CONSERVE OR GENERATE DRINKING WATER IS KEY FOR ANY OFFSHORE SAILOR. TOBY HODGES SURVEYED THE 81 SKIPPERS OF THE ARC 2020 FLEET FOR TIPS

Water is the source of all life. For any sailor considering extended cruising or an ocean crossing, the ability to carry or produce sufficient fresh water to live off is a top priority.

But how do you decide how much water to ship or how best to generate your own? Our survey of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) fleet last year focused on water. We asked the skippers how much water they carried, in what form, how it was used and, for the majority with watermakers, detailed questions about the generation of water and how the equipment performed at sea.

Since we last ran a survey on this topic in 2014 our collective attitude towards waste has arguably changed for the better. That fleet of 193 yachts carried over 28 tonnes of bottled water with them across to the Caribbean. All sailors today should consider how every consumable item they carry aboard will be disposed of when they reach their destination.

The main decision ocean sailors face with water stowage is whether to fit a watermaker, which is both a practical and a financial decision. Generating your own water is one of the best investments cruising sailors can make towards comfort and true independence.

ARC skippers over the past two decades have consistently described watermakers as one of their most vital pieces of equipment. “To us, a watermaker is the single best thing you can have for cruising by a fair margin and fully changes the game,” thinks Rush’s Ian Baylis – see full details of his set-up overleaf.

Three-quarters of the skippers who replied to our survey had watermakers aboard. The seven yachts listed as not carrying one were all smaller entries between 35ft and 45ft and typically over 20-year-old models. They carried extra water in bottles and jerrycans and used it sparingly.