Water maker for yacht

[Antipodean2]

G’day

I would like to install a water maker on my yacht prior to departure next year for ports north and the pacific.
I have been tosssing up between the “Rainman” and “Katadyan Power survivor.
I have also considered a engine mounted pump as Echo Tech have but they have no agents in Australia and the Caribbean is a long freight..
We do not need a large / commercial system and space is a issue as is power like most cruisers we have limited charging and storage space.
Any advice or recommendations on water makers for reliability and issues would be appreciated

Fair winds to all

[chowdan]

Originally Posted by Antipodean2

G’day

I would like to install a water maker on my yacht prior to departure next year for ports north and the pacific.
I have been tosssing up between the “Rainman” and “Katadyan Power survivor.
I have also considered a engine mounted pump as Echo Tech have but they have no agents in Australia and the Caribbean is a long freight..
We do not need a large / commercial system and space is a issue as is power like most cruisers we have limited charging and storage space.
Any advice or recommendations on water makers for reliability and issues would be appreciated

Fair winds to all

Checkout seawater pro. They also have modular systems and seem to be pretty good quality and decent pricing.

I suspect this winter or next spring I'll be placing my order with them

[dougweibel]

The Katadyn have very low production rates. You may want to look at the Spectra Ventura series. They are a little more money but will allow you to make a lot more water per hour.

The Rainman water makers do not have an energy recovery device (Clark pump) like the Spectras so your energy usage will be higher.

[chrisr]

hear what you say about echotec & trinidad being an expensive delivery

would just like to mention that we have an echotec and very very happy with it. couple of times spoken to the guys in trinidad abt spares etc, and they have been extremely helpful

but final price is the thing i guess...

cheers,

[Sailmonkey]

We had a katadyne 40e. It made sufficient drinking and cooking water for us, and on occasion was run for 12 hours+ when motoring or there was sufficient wind to power it.

We’ve since upgraded to a schenker and would never go back to the ultra low output of the 40e unless downsizing the boat.

[Cthoops]

We have the petrol Rainman with the compact membranes. At 30’, space is definitely an issue for us. It works great and the output is as advertised. It takes 10 minutes at the most to set up. The downside is it’s LOUD, but we only run it for an hour once a week so we can deal with it in exchange for water on demand.

[a64pilot]

Either a Spectra or Cruise RO.
Spectra if you want DC, and Cruise RO if you have or plan to have a generator, a Honda is fine.
With a modular system so that you can mount things in different places, it’s possible to lose very little if any storage space as you can tuck the modules into out of the way places. For instance my 30” membranes mounted nicely tucked up high in my Lazarette on the hull.

[sailorboy1]

I have a DC powered Spectra that runs off solar. Today i had it running and left the boat and when to the store etc. Not sure I would do this with an AC powered unit running off a generator.

But, if were buying a DC unit new I would get a Schenker instead of the Spectra. And if an AC powered unit I would get a SeawaterPro.

But this question is a regular.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Either a Spectra or Cruise RO.
Spectra if you want DC, and Cruise RO if you have or plan to have a generator, a Honda is fine.
With a modular system so that you can mount things in different places, it’s possible to lose very little if any storage space as you can tuck the modules into out of the way places. For instance my 30” membranes mounted nicely tucked up high in my Lazarette on the hull.

Absolutely agree with both recommendations I have Spectra, with the filters under the sink cabinet in the head, and the membrane in the bilge.

[mvmojo]

I put together an engine driven system (Ford 80hp Lehman diesel) that worked great. Used a pressure washer pump with stainless steel internals for the high pressure pump. Designed a bracket to mount it to the engine with an electric clutch to engage/disengage the pump. Tee'd into the raw water circuit just past the oil cooler. The raw water pump supplied more then enough water for the water maker and the engine heat exchanger. Ran high pressure hose from the engine driven pump to a remote mounted membrane with a pressure gauge and stainless steel steam pressure valve and associated plumbing. Worked great with daily use from 1995 until 2000 when we sold the boat. I then moved the pump/membrane/etc. to the new boat and kept making water. The same Lehman engine also had a 100 amp alternator and an engine driven refrigeration compressor belted to the front. We ran the engine an hour in the am and an hour in the pm for refrigerator/freezer and to charge batteries. The water maker made 16 gph so we only ran it once a day. Once full, the tanks stayed pretty much full since we rarely used more than 16 gal/day including showers, cooking, etc.

[Akapeterc]

I have a “H2O on the go” 12 volt makes 20 litres/hour had it for 3 years no problem. I spend more time just fresh water flushing it because we hardly ever need water travelling the east coast of Australia due to going into marinas. This season we only have run it three times and that’s more to just make sure that it’s working properly.

[chris mac]

We have the rain man 12 volt.37gph.
We love it. Easy setup, easy maintenance, decent initial cost and running costs.
It is also easy to fill up buddy boats.
If you need work done on it you can take it to a tech, instead of hiring a mobile guy.

[Mirabooka]

We also have H2O on the go. It is good value at about $AUD5800 for a 60l/h system. You can buy it as a modular kit. We installed it under the floorboards, and have had no trouble for the last 3 years. We have the 240v 1HP motor version, which we run off the inverter with the engine running to keep the batteries topped up. See https://www.h2oonthego.com.au/

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by Antipodean2

G’day

I would like to install a water maker on my yacht prior to departure next year for ports north and the pacific.
I have been tosssing up between the “Rainman” and “Katadyan Power survivor.
I have also considered a engine mounted pump as Echo Tech have but they have no agents in Australia and the Caribbean is a long freight..
We do not need a large / commercial system and space is a issue as is power like most cruisers we have limited charging and storage space.
Any advice or recommendations on water makers for reliability and issues would be appreciated

Fair winds to all

You're in luck! There's a resident water maker expert here on the forum by the name of Telly. I believe he deals with Spectra but I suspect he's knowledgeable about the other brands as well. Spectra is the Cadillac with Schenker running a close second in terms of popularity. Your two biggest concerns should be how much water do you need to make and how much power do you have to spare in doing this. Efficiency is the main concern for many due to the finite power capacity on boats. Don't install something you can't run. Spectra, with it's Clark pump, is considered the most efficient and is owned by the same parent company as Katadyn which is a much bigger name in outdoor markets like back packing and camping. Hopefully we can get Telly to chime in here or you could just PM him.

[Quadrille in JB]

Ive had a 20 gph Seawaterpro on our boat for 3 years now with no problems. We run it of our 840 ahAGM battery bank with a 2 kw Asae inverter for an hour each day to top off the tanks. Any time I’ve had a question, Mike, the owner has been available to help. And the best news, the unit is modular and costs around $2k