Surviving At Sea, Catching Rainwater
February 11, 2025 · 8 min · 2K views · Eleuthera
What this video covers
Sailing solo aboard Into Oblivion, Jerome Rand demonstrates the rainwater collection system he developed during a solo circumnavigation after his emergency hand-pump desalinator failed in the Indian Ocean roughly 90 days into the voyage, leaving him dependent on rain for the remaining 180 days.0:36
The system uses the mainsail as a gutter.2:08 With one reef in, the excess sail hangs two feet above the deck, forming a trough that channels water toward the gooseneck.2:22 Jerome removes the mast track slugs from that lower section so the sail can droop freely.2:29 A funnel fabricated from a cut gallon jug, fitted with a short length of hose pipe and secured with Gorilla Tape, directs the flow into a five-gallon bucket held in place with vice grips.7:02 The build requires only a razor blade, channel locks, hose, and tape.1:16 The rig still sails normally while collecting.5:40 Jerome reports catching up to 45 gallons in a single heavy downpour, and describes waking to find four or five gallons accumulated overnight.7:36 The demonstration takes place roughly 65 miles from Central Eleuthera, Bahamas, on day 16 of the current passage.5:02 A hand-pump desalinator producing one gallon per hour remains aboard as backup.0:52 Removing mast track slugs to let the sail form a deep gutter is the key step that separates this system from simply tying a bucket under the boom.1:30
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