A grudging feeling of gratitude to our awful water companies

A reminder of the preciousness of water leaves Libby Purves considering how used to regular access to water we have all become

Water management isn’t something we talk about enough on our cruising boats. Blue-water sailors think about it a lot, obviously, and we have, in our time, installed – and mothballed – two watermakers, both hungry for power (meaning fuel) and time. They drizzle out the desalinated supply while someone on board points out how many vital minerals we were going to be missing, rattling a pack of magnesium tabs.