rain

Rain catchment is a good way to top-up your tanks. Some sailors set up tarps to catch and lead the water into Jerrycans, others have the water flow directly into their main tank — we don't recommend doing that unless you've got a good filtration system. When it rains, we collect water trickling down from our aft solar panel, or from our inverted cockpit tent (see below picture, see pictures of our boom tent), into bowls or directly into Jerry cans. We collected this extra water for showers, laundry and washing dishes.

While the rain itself might be safe to drink, it carries dirt or whatever may be on your tarp, or deck. And depending on where you are, the rain may have environmental pollutants mixed in. For these reasons, I recommend using rainwater for purposes other than drinking and cooking. If you are to drink it, it's important to boil it first for at least 1 minute, or to run it through a good filter. See water.

Even if you don't plan on drinking it, it's a good idea to treat the water you catch. Before treating, make sure to filter debris out of the water.