Water Is Not Unlimited**
Water comes out of a tap.
That’s the assumption on land.
On a boat, water is something you store and manage.
We rely mostly on rainwater.
We have two 1,000L tanks onboard.
During the rainy season, especially in summer,
this system works well.
When it rains, it’s not just weather.
It’s supply.
We’re a family of four,
and this setup is enough — because we manage it.
In the past 9 years of living on a boat,
we’ve only needed to refill water from land once or twice.
That doesn’t happen by accident.
That’s design and discipline.
There are systems that can turn seawater into fresh water —
they’re called watermakers.
They’re powerful, but they’re expensive.
A typical marine watermaker costs around
$3,000 to $10,000+ AUD, depending on size and capacity.
We don’t have one installed.
For now, we rely on rain, storage, and usage control.
Because again — it’s a design choice.
Showers are where reality hits.
The three boys shower on the boat.
Fast. Very fast.
When it rains, they grab a bar of soap
and shower outside.
That works for them.
It doesn’t work for me.
So I pay.
I have a gym membership,
and I use land infrastructure for proper showers.
That’s the trade-off.
Laundry is another system.
We go to a laundromat about twice a week.
Washing machines cost around
$7 to $20 per load, depending on size.
Dryers are about $5 for 30 minutes.
On sunny days, we skip the dryer,
bring everything back to the boat, and air-dry.
Again — design.
On a boat, not everything has to be done onboard.
You build your system across different environments.
Some people stay in marinas.
Marinas usually provide water and electricity — if you pay.
That’s a different model.
We live at anchor.
So we rely on what we can store, collect, and manage ourselves.
Water is not unlimited.
It’s a finite resource.
And once you realise that, everything changes.
You stop wasting it.
You think before you use it.
You become aware.
This isn’t just boat life.
On land, water feels infinite
because someone else manages it.
But it isn’t.
Boat life just makes it visible.
That’s the point.
Water is not a utility.
It’s a resource you design around.
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