Water Supply and Dehydration on Sea Trips

Water is the one thing on a Kuwaiti boat that nobody counts until it runs out. Fuel gets checked, ice gets bought, rods get loaded, and at two in the afternoon there are three bottles left for six people.

The Rule of Thumb: 3 to 4 Litres Per Person Per Day

For a summer day on the water in Kuwait, plan 3 to 4 litres of drinking water per person per day. That is a planning figure, not a prescription, and it assumes sun, movement and little shade.

Scale it. A short morning run in cooler months needs less; a full July day with kids on board needs the top of the range plus a spare. Add more for anyone who sweats heavily.

Why the Sea Dehydrates Faster Than the Beach

• Reflected sun: water throws light back up, so heat arrives from above and from the surface.
• Wind: a steady breeze feels cool and hides how much you are sweating.
• Salt and spray: dried salt on skin and lips sharpens thirst and pushes you to gulp.
• Quiet effort: balancing on a moving deck is constant small work that adds up over six hours.

Signs That Need Action

Dehydration and heat exhaustion start alike: headache, dry mouth, dizziness, dark urine, cramps, and a short temper aimed at whoever is driving.

Stop fishing, get the person into shade, loosen clothing, wet a cloth on the neck and wrists, and offer small sips. If someone is confused, collapses or stops sweating in serious heat, call for help and run for port.

If the Water Runs Low

• Shade first: heat under a bimini is a different day from heat in the open.
• Stop moving: sit down, cut the fishing, cut the effort.
• Ration on a schedule: a small cup every 20 minutes beats one big drink.
• No alcohol, no seawater: alcohol speeds dehydration and seawater speeds it faster.
• Head in early: saying the trip is over early is the cheapest call of the day.

Storing Water on Board

Keep drinking water in a closed cool box out of direct sun. Sealed bottles beat one open container, because you can hand one to a kid without losing half of it.

Do not leave plastic bottles baking on deck. They get hot, taste of plastic, and nobody drinks them, which is exactly how a full supply empties before you need it. Freeze two overnight: ice first, drinking water later.

Carry non-drinking water too: a few litres for rinsing a cut, a hook in the hand or salt in the eye, and a separate container for the engine, because a cooling system that runs dry turns a check into a tow.

Kids do not notice thirst when busy and heat up faster than adults, so hand them water on a schedule instead of asking. Older crew may not feel thirst the way they used to.

Check sea state and forecast before leaving so a full boat does not meet a rough run home. The Bahr app shows sea state and tide times for Shuwaikh and Shuaiba on one screen.

Load List Before You Cast Off

• Water bottles at the per-person rate, plus two spare.
• Two bottles frozen overnight for cooling and drinking.
• Closed cool box, shade, and a hat each.
• A small towel, and a first aid kit with rinse water.
• Charged phone and a power bank.

Before the next trip, put the bottles by the door the night before, check tide and sea state, and keep the SOS button in the Bahr app within reach. Download the app free on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.q8dm.b7r