Living off the grid...we know it can be done

Living off the grid conjures up images of hippie communes, reading by candlelight and bathing in a stream. I guess you could do that, but it seems a bit much.

We know it can be done because living on a sailboat is living off the grid.

And there was no way I would call our 8 years on the boat slumming in any fashion.

We lived great so can you.

As we explore more ways to live cheaply, this lifestyle should be in the mix. Getting utility hookups and using utilities is expensive.



There is also an intangible feeling of elation knowing you are self sufficient and producing all your energy needs without reliance on someone else.

This will be of interest to those of you that may consider a park model or cabin being placed on a remote location without utilities.

It seems daunting but it is not.

By definition living off the grid means a home not connected to any or all the above:

• Fresh water
• Sewer
• Electricity
• Phone service
• Natural gas

Lets take a look at each item, see how we managed on the boat and how you can manage on land considered "off the grid".

Fresh Water

When we were on the boat we had 90 gallons of fresh water. It would last 2 weeks, a daily shower, the dishes and cooking uses and our drinking water. The average American family uses 400 gallons a day...about 394 gallons a day more than we used a day for 8 years. Don't get me started...we waste a shameful amount of water.

In the Caribbean houses were built over cisterns that held as much water as a swimming pool.

All roofs were metal that collected the water and sent it to the cistern. So they looked to the clouds to supply their water. They treated water as a precious resource...and it is.

I doubt such a process would work in the desert. So here in the US you drill a water well and that takes care of that utility.

Sewer

Living on a sailboat the waste was discharged into the water. There was enough wave action and currents to take it away so that utility was covered for us.  You don't have this luxury in the US.

Septic tanks is the answer for off the grid living off the grid. Many homes are run on septic systems right now, this utility is not difficult to handle.

Electricity
Living aboard a sailboat you have 12 volt batteries, we had 4, all gel cells which required no water. Providing the power was 2 75 watt solar panels, and a wind generator. Our usage was about 120 amp hours per day. That means all usage averaged 5 amps an hour.

About 75% of that usage was drawn by our 12 volt refrigeration system, which worked great. The solar panels gave us about half of our needs daily...the sun always shines in the Caribbean. If we had the normal 10 knots of wind we were golden. If it got to blowing 20 knots or so, we would tie it off because of the noise (remember we were living in a 35 foot boat), we had plenty of power.

On the rare times when that is not enough we ran the engine which would put back about 75 amp hours in an hour. It made noise so we never liked to run the engine for power. Electricity just was never an issue living on a sailboat.

Same thing on land solar power, wind power, some batteries to store the power and you are all set. Don't think is like the cavemen. You can do this too. You can watch TV, read just like at home.

If you are a DIYer, here is a great resource for making power with wind and solar...with free batteries to store power. This has a money back guarantee.. It will take you off site, come back later.

Phone service
Living on a sailboat we used the single side band radio to chat with other cruisers. Cell phones worked well on some islands. We would use the library for email.

Living off the grid and phone service can be a problem or a blessing depending on how you look at things. If you are in cell range fine. You can get connected through a satellite dish for your Internet needs. The more I think about phones the less we need them.

Natural gas

Living on a sailboat meant your gas was supplied by 2 5 gallon propane tanks. This provided us all the gas we needed for cooking. We ate great so can you.

Living off the grid means propane tanks. Easily supplied by many companies operating almost everywhere. this is probably the easiest utility to handle.

Conclusion

After our 8 years on the boat this does not seem to be a problem at all. If you want to locate your park model or build a cabin in an area with no hookups, go ahead. Living off the grid is doable and so so much more efficient than the way we use resources in our homes. Enjoy

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