How Expensive is the Virgin Islands to Live on Board ?

[Zanshin]

FarCry - I knew you'd chime in for USVI as our local resident expert!

[FarCry]

No expert but aware of some basic facts, usually!!!!

I was going to tease Chuckles about the 90 mile trip to Roosy Rds he quoted and ask if that was gybing large angles on his boat with a training hull, but then I remembered he came back to a mono.

[HighFly_27]

FarCry, Zanshin and All,

The last two posts are very helpful and I got the lay of the (sea pots) land down there. I wil be zeroing in on a water maker, after my boat is about ready. I need to test the existiing fresh water system. It needs to be chk'd. for operation (leaks), water quaility from a 42 YO old system. It may be severly corroded and need replacement. Again, one step at time, I may have to do a major replacement. The water maker would go in at the same time, dumb to re-plumb a 2nd time.

Speaking of cleaning a 42 YO fresh water system,; I read here - clorox & vinegar as the most common ones to use. Does anyone know of a better flush agent for your fresh water system ? Guessing.. the testing of your system will be by the -- smell and taste of your water. Id use the two different flushes, 1st with clorox, 2nd with vinegar. After the 2 flushes, I'd run fresh water through & flush again.. that should do it. I just had a head's up to... add-on a good quaility water filter to complete the fresh water system.

[chucklesR]

You will also want to add at least one quality filter to the line - there are several threads here where they are discussed.

Saba Rock on Virgin Gorda (BVI) is a good pit stop every couple of weeks. If you take on fuel they let you fill your water tank, free.

Run down to your local library, or amazon some used guide books of areas you intend to go, your studying has just begun.

[i_amcdn]

Leverick Bay also has deal on free ice with mooring. Saba used to as well.

Suggest that you do research and post some questions over at traveltalkonline.com as well.

Leverick has great monthly beach BBQ.

[hellosailor]

Zanshin-
"it is so demineralised that I recall reading somewhere that one shouldn't exclusively drink this water over extended periods of time."
Last month I was reading somewhere online, some fellow has published the recipes for ersatz Perrier, San Pelligrino, etc. for folks who want mineral water but don't like the price. A half dozen common and inexpensive chemicals (minerals) are all it takes, and you can "remineralize" your RO water and make it taste just like the $4-a-liter stuff.

How to make Mineral Water. Mineral water recipes.

Not the article I had read, but "make your own mineral water" turns up plenty of hits.

[Minnewaska]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

.....or the genset (1 hour every 3 days for battery charging and making water)......

Wow, those new Jeanneaus must be pretty darn efficient. If I go sailing and run all the nav/radio equip, etc, I have to recharge every 24 hrs. I might get away with 48 hrs if I'm very frugal with power and don't sail. I only have 400amp house bank, however.

How much water can you make in an hour? The OP might also benefit from understand the care and maintenance responsibilities for for watermaker and the "use it or lose it" concept too.

[Zanshin]

Well, first off I'm alone aboard, so don't use much energy. The AGM battery bank is 1000 AH (at 24V) and my genset can charge that bank with almost 200Amps through the Victron charger so I can replenish the amps very quickly without overloading either the genset or overheating the batteries (this is where a big house bank pays off).

The quiet and energy efficient Spectra Newport 400 makes about 1 liter per minute. And yes, watermakers want to be run often so that the membranes never get a chance to get biologically active and clogged. Unfortunately the rinse cycle after running uses about 10 liters, so the first 10 minutes of running the watermaker are just producing the water subsequently needed to clean the unit; for me 1 hour is about the minimum I'll run the system, giving me only 1/5 wastage.

I drink the water generated by the watermaker all the time. I do make sure that I get lots of "mineralised water" as well and usually get it in the form of "Caribe" or "Presidente" or "Red Stripe" in conveniently sized packages.

p.s. I tend to sail every day and thus will fire up the engine to leave the anchorage and if I know it is a longer motor trip I'll trigger off the watermaker as well.

[Minnewaska]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

Well, first off I'm alone aboard, so don't use much energy. The AGM battery bank is 1000 AH (at 24V).

If I'm doing the math correctly, that's 2000ah at 12v. Wow!! That makes a big difference. I feel better about why my 400ah needs daily recharge.

The quiet and energy efficient Spectra Newport 400 makes about 1 liter per minute. And yes, watermakers want to be run often so that the membranes never get a chance to get biologically active and clogged. Unfortunately the rinse cycle after running uses about 10 liters, so the first 10 minutes of running the watermaker are just producing the water subsequently needed to clean the unit; for me 1 hour is about the minimum I'll run the system, giving me only 1/5 wastage.

This is an important concept for the OP to understand. That is a net of about 13 gallons for one hour of running. That's around the minimum per person comfortable "marine" usage, ie basic conservation, no wasted usage. Of course, you can keep usage substantially lower if one chooses, but add people and you would add hours of running the watermaker. One could get a bigger one than the 400, but that would be expensive and likely too big to find a place to install on most boats.

Also worth pointing out that you need to draw relatively clean water to make water. Inside harbors with potential organic or chemical contaminants can be hard on a watermaker (depends on the harbor).

I do make sure that I get lots of "mineralised water" as well and usually get it in the form of "Caribe" or "Presidente" or "Red Stripe" in conveniently sized packages.

Now that's some good advice.

[Zanshin]

I should add that I've got a LOT of filters and wash them myself for re-use. Even in what look like clear waters (e.g. outside anchorage Marigot, St. Martin) the filters can start clogging up after just 2-3 hours of use.