Water Was Everywhere—Yet We Ran Out

During my most recent ski & sail expeditions in the Lofoten, Norway, as skipper for @SeilNorge, we really went off the grid. You have to pay close attention to your available resources. There are areas and days without any mobile network coverage, which many participants actually enjoy. We also bring extra gas for cooking, spare fuel for the engine, the outboard motor, and the heater. We try to use and reuse as much food as possible, and we do everything we can to conserve water. That means not letting taps run unnecessarily and swapping showers for a cold plunge in the fjord—which, if you do it right, actually warms you up!

Water Conservation Was the Toughest Challenge

Despite our efforts, water conservation turned out to be the hardest for us. By Friday evening, with two days left, we faced an empty tank—partly because the water tank indicator wasn’t working properly. I realized, too late, that I should have been stricter. The nearest shop was a day’s sail away, which interfered with our planned ski touring adventure. Water bottles were filled from mountain streams during the ski tour. I saved the last bit of “fresh water” for a pot of coffee for when everyone returned. Once the news sank in, the team adapted: handwashing, cooking, dishwashing, and even hair washing all switched to seawater. We didn’t go thirsty, as we still had a small supply of juice.

Making Do With Less

I have to say, we managed the water shortage pretty well. In a week when we received plenty of rain from the Atlantic and snow melted off the mountains, we even considered an emergency solution in nature, but it wasn’t necessary. The next evening, we were able to fill a jerrycan at the only shop in the area, which got us to the finish line. People were most surprised by how much water we’d used: with 9 people, about 650 liters in 5 days. That’s not much compared to home, where a single shower can use 70 liters. This whole exercise in managing scarce resources also required an adjustment from participants used to an “unlimited supply” at home. It was a sobering and highly relevant experience for these fans of the ultimate nature adventure. And for me, as skipper-trainer at @WhereSeaMeetsLand and developer of future-proof companies with @Flow+, it was an impactful experience.

A Lasting Lesson

In the days after returning to the Netherlands, I kept hearing a little voice on my shoulder every time I used water...

Any idea how much water you use in 5 days?

#outdoorwork #ski&sail #businesscriticalresources #water