sea water 101
 

what uses have you found for sea water on your boat, especially on
longer cruises? do you cook with it? if so, what dishes? does anyone
boil or steam veges in it? do people bathe with salt water? Any other
interesting uses you've been able to come up with?

Thanks
Shaun

Don't drink seawater! I would assume most people know that but just
in case, don't do it.

We have a sal****er pump into our galley for washing dishes. The
problems that we have encountered are that the salt water tends to do
major electrolysis on the wires to the pump. The circuit breaker tends
to die after about a year or so. Also, the pump itself needs replacing
after about 2 years, even if you buy the best. In our case, I bought an
Adler Barber (sp?) super cold machine that came with the pump. I never
installed the water end of the frig so I used the pump to take water
off of the engine intake (NOTE***** if you do this, you need a seacock
on the down side of the line so that the engine doesn't suck air!!!)
The pump they supply is a high-grade sal****er pump. It still dies over
time.

We bought some very nice SS flatware that within months turned to a
dull finish because of the abrasion of the sal****er. Teflon pans die
fast too. There is a down side to using salt water instead of fresh but
it is easy to get.

A bucket is the best thing on a boat. We clean everything from feet to
fish with salt water. The outside of your boat will constantly be
salted anyway so you might as well just wash it off.

The one thing that has really been great for us is our water catching
awnings. We don't even try, and in rainy season, we have more water
then we can use for all our needs. (This is for tropical sailors, and I
didn't see that you mentioned where your course will steer you)

Most people without water makers argue the cost of water, even in the
Caribbean is so low that it does not warrant spending the money. I do
not have a water maker because I don't think I can fit another blade
of grass on my boat but I wish I could. I think that the money you save
on everything that salt water destroys would well make up for the cost
of a small water maker.

Seawater is nice to sail in. Sorry, couldnt resist.

Yeah, that's why they call it sailing solution

You have to use salt water to cook your lobster.

"palmtreedreamer" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yeah, that's why they call it sailing solution

Nah, BBQ in tin foil with a little butter in it - and I only cook the
tails. The rest makes for great fidhin'.

you can add fresh water to dilute it a bit. mostly you can use is for
spaghetti and seafood.
Washing dishes, washing decks, washing everything. If youre in real dire
solution, you can even go beyond rinsing with fresh water(although this is
kinda cheap) and instead after you bathe in salt water dry yourself really
quickly with a towel, it will prevent you from being all sticky.
Someone suggested that water is cheap in the caribean, this is true but it
has its disadvantages. Most americans cant drink water from other
places...My suggestion is you keep a few tanks run on the good water and
filled up with water youre sure you can drink and maybe rain. The others
could be the"dirty" tanks and fill them with water in any port, use those to
wash things. A water maker is really only usefull for cruisers unless you
have the money for it and dont care.

wrote in message
oups.com...
what uses have you found for sea water on your boat, especially on
longer cruises? do you cook with it? if so, what dishes? does anyone
boil or steam veges in it? do people bathe with salt water? Any other
interesting uses you've been able to come up with?

Thanks
Shaun

The most useful utensil IMHO is a pressure cooker. Put salt water in
the bottom, and the steam is distilled fresh water. Cooks really fast
and saves your cooking fuel as well.

I call our pressure cooker "the damn pot". My wife spent almost $200 on
it at some convention and used it ONE time! It sat on my boat for years
getting in the way and finding its way on top of everything else until
I finally just got rid of it somewhere.

If you buy one, you better use it or it could be the start of a water
soluble marriage :~)