Are watermakers losing their relevance?

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by ikebartlett

$2000 installed cost for a do-it-yourself 20 GPH water maker was easy made decision, an easy install and peace of mind
Sailing Florence Clara

$2000 for the Watermaker but another $1000 for the generator plus the weight and storage considerations. That being said, the Seawater Pro guys are now selling theirs with a DC pump run from a 0.5hp motor. That's about 375w which shouldn't be too challenging for boats with a decent solar array, or when motoring.

[botanybay]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

I think this is the biggest factor. Watermakers only make sense for serious cruising boats.

We have been cruising for a long time and water is becoming harder, not easier to find in all the places we have visited. Having said the above, we have still not fitted a watermaker to our new boat. It has now been over six months since we left and rain water has kept our tanks full without any need for water from shore. This will not work in very dry climates and we still plan to fit a watermaker, but if you are on the fence about fitting one, a good rainwater system can fill your tanks remarkably quickly in nothing more than light drizzle.

My observation is that if a person installed a water maker on their prior boat they often move it to the next boat. High dollar value item, easy to move, buyer argues membrane is old and not worth much...

I definitely moved mine even though small as a backup to an eventual larger unit.

[sailoray531]

My boat has 3 tanks holding a total of 500 liters of water. I've done two Atlantic passages with 4 guys aboard, the longest 18 days at sea, without a watermaker and have not come close to using that much. We don't get a lot of showers and those that we do are freshwater rinses after sea water cleaning. We take a variety of other water conservation steps in cleaning and cooking. I just do not see the need for the expense and maintenance of a water maker, although I might change my mind for much longer Pacific crossings.

As for water supplies, I run water to the boat through a carbon filter, add 1 teaspoon of bleach per 10 gallons of water, finish by putting drinking water through a Brita or Pur filter. No sickness in decades of boating.

Buy different strokes for different folks.

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by sailoray531

My boat has 3 tanks holding a total of 500 liters of water. I've done two Atlantic passages with 4 guys aboard, the longest 18 days at sea, without a watermaker and have not come close to using that much. We don't get a lot of showers and those that we do are freshwater rinses after sea water cleaning.

Replace 2 guys with 2 women...... You might very well wished you had a water maker. SMIRK

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Olddan1943

Replace 2 guys with 2 women...... You might very well wished you had a water maker. SMIRK

Depends on the guys, and depends on the women .

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by makobuilders

The conclusion that I’ve drawn from all this is that there certainly is no economic advantage to a water maker. It cannot be justified in that way. Not for a typical $5000 or so.

I did an analysis, if I removed two tons of water tankage, replaced with a water maker, then the savings in fuel would work out to be about 8 cents per nautical mile cruised. That’s it.

But definitely from a lifestyle point of view it is advantageous.

But did you take into account the extra miles you might need to travel to collect water? The possible marina stays, that really weren't neccessary, but might as well stay the night, since we're already here to get water?

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by sailoray531

My boat has 3 tanks holding a total of 500 liters of water. I've done two Atlantic passages with 4 guys aboard, the longest 18 days at sea, without a watermaker and have not come close to using that much. We don't get a lot of showers and those that we do are freshwater rinses after sea water cleaning. We take a variety of other water conservation steps in cleaning and cooking. I just do not see the need for the expense and maintenance of a water maker, although I might change my mind for much longer Pacific crossings.

As for water supplies, I run water to the boat through a carbon filter, add 1 teaspoon of bleach per 10 gallons of water, finish by putting drinking water through a Brita or Pur filter. No sickness in decades of boating.

Buy different strokes for different folks.

Again, the value of a watermaker is not about passages. Most boats can carry adequate water for most passages.

It's about being able to stay in anchorages for longer before being forced to return to "civilization ".

If your type of cruising involves going from marina to marina then a watermaker would be of no value at all.

If, like us, you rarely if ever visit marinas, if you like staying in anchorages for prolonged periods, and then generally move to another anchorage, a watermaker makes a huge difference.

[Mike OReilly]

Here’s a (hopefully) simple question: how do you winterize an installed water maker? Is it a difficult process?

[Pizzazz]

Probably beating a dead horse here as the arguments have been repeated over and over but the crux of the argument goes like this:

Boats sail in water. Salt water is not food for you. There is a simple way to make fresh water from salt water and it is called reverse osmosis under high pressure. The components to do so run about less than $800, membrane for $200, a pressure vessel for $200 and a high pressure motor pump combo. The cost does not change significantly with capacity. Nevertheless, marine vendors routinely sell these for $4K, $6K, sometimes as high as $13K. There is a good reason for this, it is a small volume, niche market and everyone needs to make a profit in the food chain. By the way, it is similar for sunlight readable displays and boat electronics as well as many marine items. We need to find a way to change the economics of watermakers, including reduction in maintenance requirements. Hence my post from earlier, a small capacity, run often, never idle watermaker. When was the last time you winterized your fridge? If we do not pursue this goal, the rest is just repeating the same old arguments that many of us are tired of.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Here’s a (hopefully) simple question: how do you winterize an installed water maker? Is it a difficult process?

Pickle with food grade antifreeze . All done

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by makobuilders

The conclusion that I’ve drawn from all this is that there certainly is no economic advantage to a water maker. It cannot be justified in that way. Not for a typical $5000 or so.



I did an analysis, if I removed two tons of water tankage, replaced with a water maker, then the savings in fuel would work out to be about 8 cents per nautical mile cruised. That’s it.



But definitely from a lifestyle point of view it is advantageous.

You didn’t factor in the .35c a gl cost of water, if your in the Bahamas.
I agree, running up and down the ICW in the States, they aren’t as necessary

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by makobuilders

The conclusion that I’ve drawn from all this is that there certainly is no economic advantage to a water maker. It cannot be justified in that way. Not for a typical $5000 or so.

I did an analysis, if I removed two tons of water tankage, replaced with a water maker, then the savings in fuel would work out to be about 8 cents per nautical mile cruised. That’s it.

But definitely from a lifestyle point of view it is advantageous.

"there certainly is no economic advantage to"... owning a boat, but here we are.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Here’s a (hopefully) simple question: how do you winterize an installed water maker? Is it a difficult process?

On mine and I assume many, you disconnect the hose to the HP pump and connect it prior to the HP pump, thereby bypassing it.
You then stick the hose meant for pickling into a 5 gl bucket that you have either mixed the preservative, or you have put 2 gl of RV antifreeze in and mixed with 2 gl or RO or other chlorine free water.
Then you turn on the boost pump until the antifreeze mix is sucked in.
Your not only “pickled” but also I believe winterized.

To de-preserve, you reconnect the HP pump and start making water.
I don’t place the valve from sample to tank for 15 min or so to make sure every drop of the antifreeze mix is throughly flushes out.

Depending on access to the HP pump, it’s a 10 min job at most, requiring on mine, one 11/16” wrench to disconnect the HP hose.



To start making water, you ensure the pressure valve is fully open, place the intake valve to seawater, turn on the boost pump, wait a few minutes to ensure you have purged the air, then turn on the HP pump.
Slowly increase pressure to 800 PSI and check the water output to ensure it’s good, when your happy it is, place the output valve from sample to tank. Read a book.

To shutdown, turn output valve to sample, slowly decrease pressure until valve fully open, then turn off HP pump, and boost pump.
Place intake valve to fresh water, since mine is connected to the house pressurized water supply, I don’t need to run the boost pump, ensure pressure valve is fully open, which it is, cause you just opened it fully, turn on HP pump, let it suck clean water through the system for three min., turn off pump, place input valve to off.

Get into the habit of always ensuring the pressure regulating valve is always open to low pressure prior to turning on the HP pump.
All these valves etc are plainly marked and right in front of me as I got the optional valve panel, otherwise they are on the pressure vessels.
I mounted mine out of the way so I wanted the optional valve panel.

Not the best picture as I have the panels mounted in our “storage room” the second Stateroom, and can’t get into there well for a picture. Everything you need to turn on or adjust is there, and well marked.
Once you understand the principle, it’s a logical start up and shut down sequence.

Maintenance consists of changing pump oil yearly I guess, and replacing filters, they are the common 10” water filters, flushing with fresh water weekly, which we don’t have to do cause we use it more often than that, and pickling for extended marina stays or haul outs.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by makobuilders

The conclusion that I’ve drawn from all this is that there certainly is no economic advantage to a water maker. It cannot be justified in that way. Not for a typical $5000 or so.

I did an analysis, if I removed two tons of water tankage, replaced with a water maker, then the savings in fuel would work out to be about 8 cents per nautical mile cruised. That’s it.

.

The motion of ours is a lot nicer with the added weight so we would still need the 5 tonne of water

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

But did you take into account the extra miles you might need to travel to collect water? The possible marina stays, that really weren't neccessary, but might as well stay the night, since we're already here to get water?

We do it at the same time as we get fuel.
No need to pay for a berth or do extra miles.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Tellie

"there certainly is no economic advantage to"... owning a boat, but here we are.

There can be.
Owning and living aboard at anchor works out for us a lot more affordable than renting or buying a waterfront dirt house.