The day started out as a rather calm day. Through the night we made some good headway South but by the morning, the winds had all but died down. We were getting a bit frustrated sitting there in the middle of the great Pacific Ocean going nowhere when we noticed a number of grey clouds looming on the horizon. Within minutes the rain was slapping into the sail and the sail cover was collecting a steady stream of fresh water into the large bucket I had placed on the winch at the bottom of the mast.
As Jaeden and I were filling the buckets Dailin came forward and suggested, “How about we siphon the water using one of the water hoses and drain it into the boat’s water tank? That way we could use the water for drinking and not just for washing clothes.”
“Lets give it a try. We sure can use the water.” Jaeden said.
Within one minute the first bucket was full and Dailin started to suck the hose and dropped it into the water tank. As the bucket drained into the tank we started to gather the other buckets that were quickly filling up.
It looks like our prayers were answered. 4 hours and 4 squalls later my fingers and toes felt like raisins and I looked into the newly filled 200 gallon water tank. It was completely full right to the top! It was a busy day and we had managed to collect enough water to last us more than a week!
8:50 pm PDT, Lat: 04° 18.300′ N, Long: 126° 48.231′ W, Course 225° T, Speed: 6.5 K, Wind: S 14 K, Swell: NE 3′, Cloud Cover: 40%, Barometer: 1007 hPa, Temp: 26°C … Current Location
Do you need to toss out the first few minutes of flow to let the rain wash away the salt buildup on the sails?
Hey Dalin, Great thinking, you sure are earning your position as crew…Ron
What a great team! There is no blessing like a full fresh water tank. The Marquises continue to grow closer. We greatly appreciate your daily updates.
We appreciate your faith promoting encounters and sharing them with us. Us “home bound souls” really enjoy the vicarious involvement in your adventure. Be well and stay safe!
Just before we left Portland, Oregon to sail to La Paz, I had a Sumbrella awning built over the access to the main cabin. It really helps with the sun, but in the very middle I had mounted a hose bib with a coil of white hose for using the water collected from rain squalls. In my opinion it is better than a watermaker, and it does not break down every other month. All you do is let the first few minutes of water wash the awning and the rest is pure and sweet. Cheers!
What an amazing blessing to be able to fill your tanks. We did the same kind of cockpit cover Terry talked about and collected lots of water for deck showers and laundry, thus leaving our tank water for drinking. I hope you’re figuring out your electrical problems. We think it’s great that you have the ability to send out your posts and emails. It makes your passage much easier on those of us at home, worrying and praying for you.
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.
P.S. great photo from the water.