Making Water in Harbor?

[OneKoolCat]

I just finished assembling my water maker and only have used it a few times, so I am not an expert. I had asked a couple of my neighbors in nearby moorings, and they told me that they make water on the incoming tide after the current is running for a bit. (my home port is on a tidal river). They all have been doing for years and not had any problems.

So far I have not tried it and only made water underway in the ocean, but I think that I might try it out next fill up. How do you know when the membrane is damaged? Is that reflected buy the TDS in the product water or is there some other way to tell ?

[PLANET EXPRESS]

You could just pop out for a couple hours fish and make water, if your in Biscayne bay. I hear they are having a very bad algae bloom in the water this year killing fish in Biscayne bay.

[sailorboy1]

cruisers need water at anchor!

It is crazy to tell them them you need to "pop out" very 3-4 days to make it with their wm. If that was what they have to do they wouldn't buy a wm and instead "pop over" to the dock.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

cruisers need water at anchor!

It is crazy to tell them them you need to "pop out" very 3-4 days to make it with their wm. If that was what they have to do they wouldn't buy a wm and instead "pop over" to the dock.

Exactly!

I don't even want a watermaker if it's useless where I'm located.

I'm not sailing offshore every time I need water. Way faster and easier to just jug it from the dock every trip. Or bring the boat up to a fuel dock to fill water.

I'm very disappointed if you can't just make water when you need it (at anchor).

[kas_1611]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Absolutely nothing. Filtered tap water is the best solution of all.

It has a couple drawbacks.

1) it's not where I'm anchoring
2) it's very heavy

For these reasons, the sun will be producing the water on my boat.

The OP was asking about water in harbour not at anchor hence why I said about mains tap water.

Water isn't that heavy really. It weighs 1 gram per cubic centimetre. I have 360 litres of it on my boat and she still sails at 9kts in a stiff breeze, in fact she sails better on the Port tack as the weight of the tank(s) keep her angle of heel down. 360kg out of a boat that tips the scales at 8000kg is nothing really.

But if you are one of those minimalist, got to have a titanium toothbrush, ultra lite racing snakes who leaves the anchor behind and drains everything but a couple of litres of diesel then yes water is heavy

[rslifkin]

Water being heavy isn't always an issue of absolute weight. Sometimes it's an issue of "I could carry more, but it only fits over there and adding too much weight there is a trim problem"

[Cheechako]

I made water in harbor a lot. No problems. Oil will mostly stay on the surface anyway. But keeping your eyes open is a good idea.

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Hey hey hey. Greeting from Spain.


A sewage outlet in nearly every marina.



Maybe you meant most Nordic EU countries?


barnakiel
Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain

Treated effluent can be dumped. Normally raw sewage pipelines would have be a certain distance out, only used in extreme cases, and local warnings issued when in use.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Mr Manatee:

I'm confused as to how a membrane that can keep salt out will still allow large, organic molecules like PCBs or MEK through.

Can you explain?

A quick Google yields the following:

"The pore size of RO membrane is 0.0001 microns which is smaller than the size of the Sodium Chloride Molecule which is 0.0007 micron and will not let it through."

PCBs look something like conjoined benzene rings. (See attached image) Typical huge organic chemistry molecule.

These are significantly bigger than NaCl which is filtered out by the membrane.

The issue is not that those molecules won't be filtered out by the membrane, it's that they will clog the membrane and seriously shorten it's life.

[mikedefieslife]

If they clog, you should see an increase in pressures and lower output.

A damaged membrane should show a decrease in pressure and increase output and salinity, but then so too will a damaged o-ring or similar.

Custom DIY installs are probably much easier to diagnose than energy recovery units.

[rslifkin]

If chemical contamination is a concern and you don't mind a bit higher operating cost, you could add a GAC/KDF filter after the prefilters to help strip some of that junk out before it hits the membranes.

[Manateeman]

Mr. Chotu. You will find on this great planet two kinds of physicians. Those who practice ...how should I call it...alternative medicine. Then you have people who, believing in science and the value of experience and learning, study hard and get a medical degree. Now this is not to say witch doctors cannot cure illness. Further, a traditional degreed Doctor might not cure a patient who has a belief system which cannot accept the value of science. Modern medicine has learned that trust between doctor and patient is an essential factor in any treatment.
Now you have gone to google and brought back some information which in your mind, does not comport with the detailed explanation I posted. Kind of like a patient who expects candles and some chicken blood. Nothing wrong with that. Belief is a strong and positive thing. You said you were confused . So let me do this. You can follow me step by step. Open google and type in the question “
What chemicals are NOT removed by reverse osmosis.”
There is your answer.
There is a great book on the conditions of knowledge and it states that for a person to know something , first it must be true, second the person must have evidence the opposit is not true and third the person must BELIEVE it is true.
I don’t think you would post a reply in which you question my expertise in science boatbuilding or manatees in a mean spirited way. I can see when you opened google, and read alternative facts you become genuinely confused.
As one learned physician one told me, no harm in having a candle or some rum around. I wish it were so simple. There is no way I can get you to believe what I said was the consensus of science on the matter. Thus it fails a critical condition of knowledge and for you, harbor water will always be safe.
Now there exists one alternative. You could take a sample to a local water authority and ask them to test it. They might be willing to refer you to some journals on water science. It might only add to your confusion. Sorry, but I’ve got to go back to work on my yacht and my manatee friends will soon be coming along side to eat the lettuce that grows along my antifouling free bottom.
No wonder Federal Law prevents giving them water. It could be harbor water out of a reverse osmosis water maker.
Happy trails to you kimosabi
Mark, a voodoo manatee...

[barnakiel]

Why you should think twice before making drinking water out of your local harbour water:


https://www.theguardian.com/news/201...ned-its-people


In very many places, inshore waters are heavily polluted.


But since you will drink that water I will not hence there is no problem.


I am just talking so that somebody who is hesitant has more data points before they decide.


Those who have already decided cannot be persuaded.


b.

[sailorboy1]

What

[daletournier]

I've made in excess of 200,000 liters of water over the years in Anchorages and harbours around the world, theres very few places I cant or arent willing to make water in.

Watermaker still going strong.