Wildcat Sailorgirl

Off The Charts In Guyana - Water Collections And Conservation

11-13-16

Confession time. We are not the best at water conservation. We are not bad. And I would challenge any dirt dwellers in a heartbeat, but in comparison to other cruisers, I would say we are average in terms of our water useage. I’ve mentioned before that the Caliber 40 LRC has tankage. Hello…..LRC = Long Range Cruiser! And that is one of the reasons we picked this boat. Additionally, we have a small, older (aka energy sucking) watermaker that does a great job at keep our tanks topped off. And more importantly, keeps us from schlepping water from shore.

Rain gutter in place and ready for rain

Being in Guyana up the river 45 miles from sea means fresh water. However, not that fresh. As I have said previously, it is very muddy. VERY! Additionally, there is the worry about mercury in the water from the mining industry. Despite legislation, accords and pledges, change is coming slowly and thus mercury is still used in small to medium scale gold mining. Finally, there are the normal water quality concerns of run off and local human use.

Trying another location for bimini funnel collection

For the above reasons, we have not been running the watermaker and instead trying to use our tank water very conservatively. We have also been trying our hand at various water collection methods. Cruisers who were here previously said it would rain every day even though it was the dry season when we first arrived. It did not rain every day. We started to worry. However, we did get some really good downpours – frog stranglers as my mother call those type of heavy rains.

Rain catching methods we are testing –

Gutter off the bimini –

Rain gutter

Screen to filter out big nasties

Hose connection ready

In place and ready to go

Hose drains directly into the deck fill

Funnel off the bimini -

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain

Another view of the funnel method

Open deck fitting damming -

I have no idea why this pic is double but enjoy

The three methods all worked to varying degrees. Sometimes it depended on the velocity of rain and whether or not there was wind driving the rain. Regardless, they worked well enough that we didn't have to stress about water. We did sharpen our water conservation skills so that was a good thing. Additionally, we have a new water collection design shaping up as part of our replacement for the sun/rain shade. But that is a project for next hurricane season.

Off The Charts In Guyana - Screaming Fresh Water

The Essequibo River is 600 miles long, the third longest river in South America. Our camping trip to Rockstone took us approximately 20 miles up river from our anchorage that is 45 miles up river! Even at Rockstone we had a tidal flow. However, the river is fresh water. Well…..fresh as in not salt water. There is silt and flow off.

Anyway, if you thought you heard a faint, far off screaming on the day we entered the Essequibo, it might have been coming from our hull. The few barnacles that we had on our hull when we arrived no doubt died screaming as we motored up the river. It is odd not having to deal with salt crystals everywhere. Rust has been kept at a minimum as well because we are in fresh water However, our poor old galvanized chain is suffering. And our dinghy Nick Nack continues to struggle along regardless of fresh or salt water.

Update – 12-29-16 We have been in Tobago since 12-16-16 and thus in salt water since departing Guyana. I dove on the hull yesterday to check for growth and barnacles. I am happy to report none! Our bottom paint along with the time we spent in fresh water seem to be the right combo to keeping the nasties at bay……knock on wood.

SO…..if you are a cruiser and it’s time for a bottom job, maybe just pop down to Guyana first for a visit. All the growth will die and fall off and then you can head up to Trinidad for a new paint job.

Off The Charts In Guyana - Georgetown

Here are more pics from Georgetown, the capital of Guyana.

At 143 ft, St George's Cathedral is one of the world's tallest free-standing wooden buildings.

Did I mentioned that 2016 is the 50 year anniversary of Guyana independence from British rule?

With an unprecedented, wild, and crazy election season going on in the USA, it is interesting to learn that an American Woman has already been president. Not in the USA but in Guyana. In 1997, an American born Jewish woman named Janet Jagan was elected and became President of Guyana at the age of 77! How about that!