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Do You NEED a Water Maker? | Sailing Wisdom
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ส.ค. 2024
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Water is the most important item you carry on your cruising boat; without it, you will die! Wouldn't it be nice to be able to make water while you sail with your water maker? More importantly, do you even need a water maker? How much water do you need to carry? How long can you sail on the water you already have before you need to make more water? These are just some of the questions that will be answered in this video about water rationing and usage while sailing, be it crossing an ocean or just out for the weekend.
0:00 Intro
0:39 How much water do you need?
3:34 How much water can you use per day?
4:50 Do you need a water maker?
7:50 SkillShare
8:06 Charlie and Gerry explain SkillShare
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BOOM CAME LOOSE goose neck coming out of boom is upside-down pin should have a head on top. And assemble going in from the top down. Cotter pin on BOTTOM..
Have a watermaker and keep the tanks full. Take real showers, hose off the deck, do laundry, etc. If watermaker breaks start conserving.
Perfecty right
Nothing wrong with that. Especially if you've gone to the trouble of having a water maker which you can run , along with everything else, off of solar. I've seen more and more boats doing that. But , it is true, anything and everything can break, sink, burn. You must have back up fire extinguishers, back ups to your dingy and emergency raft, and back ups to your tanks and water pumps. And yes, the water maker could break. One did in fact with some boaters in Tahiti. They were "confined" to an island , a somewhat remote island, because of Covid, for at least a year. They survived just fine.
Gonna have to agree. I agree with just about everything sailing wisdom has but in this moment, some clears details missing; it might not rain, your water may become contaminated, the wind might not blow that day and your schedule is off. Water maker aren't the size of a shoebox but not 150 gallons.
I'd say the biggest thing I've learned is; anyone who puts all their eggs in 1 basket is begging for something to go wrong; so - a little tankage and a little water maker is prob the right receipe ..
Really important video for those who are crossing oceans. I will use a water-maker and use the old aviation maxim " Don't count on the fuel that you don't have". If the water is not in the tank, then don't assume that you will have it.
Yes, I have a water maker. If we're not too far from civilisation it just means we can have daily or even twice daily showers and don't need to think too much about rationing. If we're doing a long passage then I agree we cannot rely on it and must ration our supply on the assumption that the water maker will stop working at any moment. What it does mean, however, is that as the passage progresses and our tanks remain topped up, we can start using more water than at the beginning of the passage. Our daily water budget steadily increases throughout the passage. I agree, however, that a water maker is a luxury and you can quite easily get by without one.
surely it doesn't matter how far you are into the passage - as long as your watermaker and power supply can keep it topped up you're fine. When your watermaker or power supply are limited you need to do the calc.
@@markebert7336 This is a big assumption, for several reasons. First, it assumes that the water maker does not fail. Second, it assumes that there are no delays.
I know a few people who have water makers but also carry an emergency water maker. When I was in the Army, as well as flying and sailing, I learned that if it can go wrong, it will, and often at the worst possible time.
Water maker only way to fly.
Another reason I would prefer to have a watermaker is that the "fresh" water at many (or most) locations is of questionable quality.
yes but there are filters you can use and also purification tablets. don't forget rain and if you can find them, fresh water streams.
The best filter with replacement parts can keep you from getting typhoid, which is prevalent in Southern Central America to Southern Mexico. They say "don't drink the water" for a serious reason. And there was one other disease, can't remember what it was. Both were water born and very serious.
After watching other sail boat inhabitants hauling heavy jugs of water from the store, to the dingy, to your boat I would absolutely have a water maker if I could afford it. I don't need a vehicle or a house. I could ride a bike and live in a tent, but that ain't going to happen.
Also, if your tanks start leaking, you have no way to refill them on a voyage. I think having tanked water and a water maker makes a lot of sense. I think having a back up for whatever you start with makes sense. You can go a long time without food but no water, no live long.
Portable water makers look like an easier way to use one and they are cheaper.
I really like your calculations, I worked in very dry areas of W AUST doing field trips and did similar figuring at 4litres a day per person minimum. A lot of people get caught out by not realising this essential for survival.
Cruising with a family makes a watermaker a very helpful piece of kit. Just with any other system you keep spare parts on board and have the knowledge to do repairs as needed. The idea that someone would remove tankage to install a watermaker is nuts to me, totally backward. Of course you keep enough tankage for a passage +contingency, to do otherwise is asking for serious trouble. Fresh water is more important than fuel, always use all available options to keep your tanks full.
Long voyages in Baja Mexico essentially requires a watermaker because a) it doesnt ever rain; b) there are no ports to resupply water.
Lin and Larry Pardey cruised for decades and never used a watermaker. You just need to plan ahead. Don't cruise Baja Mexico in the summertime without some thought as to where you're going to get water... However, I would suggest getting a Katadyn Survivor 35 hand operated pump or its smaller cousin (the 06) for an emergency... I have one. bought it used on eBay, serviced it with Katadyn and it works a treat and it takes up very little space - "Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."
Actually, now that i think about it. Lin and Larry Pardey did have a watermaker... They had the 06 in their abandon ship kit. I believe they got one of the first units.
We are new to sailing..and plan on a water maker..but also carry enough water to do any passage without to much of a sacrifice...nothing like an ocean crossing...mostly from South Carolina through the Caribbean..never out of land reach.....we enjoy watching you guys..and learned a lot..thank you...John
We have a watermaker which means we don’t have to worry about water when cruising. Each day we run it to top off the tank using about 30a @12v when the solar is pumping lots back into the batteries.allows us to have showers and run the washing machine. we do always keep about 100l in emergency containers just in case.
My Skookum has 160 gallons of tankage, but I am still putting in a water-maker. I can keep myself topped off and if something goes wrong, I can revert to a more conservative usage. I do like to wash the salt off things as well. A water maker might not be something to totally rely on, but having more than enough fresh water has it's pleasures.
I agree! The point of this video was that you don’t “need” one to go cruising. If someone is short on cash, they could save their money and live a dream life sooner by skipping the water maker purchase.
@@RiggingDoctor Go with what you can do...right on!
Your application of approximate technology is what I love about your channel. In my opinion we are for the most part too dependent on technology. One small piece of appropriate technology to consider is a solar still. If you ever need a little more water and the sun is shinning you are surrounded by water. They can be made very inexpensively and take up little room. A few sawyer filters for final filtration of your water tanks will also be a great add on.
concerning the watermaker i would say it depends on some factors. i think you guys strike a balance between your tankage and daily consumptions needs. ie. you can afford to not have a watermaker because you are a crew of 2 on a 45 footer. most likely, with an additional crew member you would start considering it. i own a 1962, 29 ft, Pioneer 9, in which i am building an integral water tank which should give 100 litre plus. the boat is being outfitted to be a go anywhere 2 person boat, will i install a watermaker? absolutely! is it going to break the bank? absolutely plus! why? because it has to be compact and the only one which will fit is a Powersurviver 40E by katadyn (4000USD). about the watermaker breaking up: well thats just a fact of life so to speak, anything that's working can break at any time. that doesnt stop you from using your car/boat/whatever everyday. watermakers like to be used, it isnt something that enjoys being still, so if everyday im topping up my tanks (didnt mention earlier but obviously one have to carry at least 30 litres of emergency "get out of Dodge, water) (and a solar still watermaker) then im maintaining my water range. passage planing should account for that possiblity also.if you are really in deep shit call a mayday, thats what maydays are for: life threatening- imediate danger situations.
I have 160 gallons in 4 tanks and also have a water maker. I like to keep the tanks full on passage because I need to run the engine to recharge the house bank right now anyways. The quality of the water from my Spectra is better than any water I have tested in the United States. 140-150 ppm from the water maker and 290-350 ppm in Miami. Aruba has some of the cleanest water on Earth at 59 ppm.
I like the idea of a water maker, but I'm not a sailor so I have no idea what I'm talkin about. Something like water, so important for survival, I like as many redundancies as possible. I'd probably also want some kind of kit to make a solar still or some method of passive desalination. Just in case all else failed, every tank gets contaminated/lost, water maker fails, some freak dry spell. I might have a complex about it lol
Great KISS - Keep it simple Math! Didn’t know there is such a thing as a water maker. And LOVE the spray pump shower! Also useable for camping!! THX❤️🙏😎
On Dreamweaver we call it a pirate's shower.
I love you guys . I do have a WM but never rely on it.
Having one and needing one are very different 😊That’s the idea! Awesome
We never leave the water pump on. Only on during use.
Smart
I've seen plenty of u tubes with cruisers lugging water in all kinds of containers. my all electric dream tri will have a watermaker and plenty of power to feed it. unfortunately just wont happen.
Sorry but there are several errors in your video. I have 2 powersurvivor35 units it is small and provides 1.5 gallons of water per hour on 3ah out of my solar . It was purchased for 500 USD and installed in my head.
I carry 35 gallons in tankage always keep my tank at least half full just incase of an issue and in 25 years of its operation have had no issues . Just replaced the membrane 2 years ago that cost me about 150 USD. The whole unit is just about 24 inches long by 4 inches with the motor unit being 8 inches by 6 inchesdiameter so not a lot of space taken up .
That being said I agree never depend on a watrrmaker . Dying of thirst would not be a pleasant way to go. Carry an emergency supply . You can live without doing dishes and bathing.
In calculating your liquid intake you need to include the water content in your chosen foods. ( per USDA recomendations) . .
They go for 2400.00 today. spauldingmarinestore.com/products/survivor-35
@@jeffdurden398 get one off ebay and replace the membrane if needed a lot cheaper but I'm speaking about the powersurvior35 which is easily converted to manual for emergencies . Picked up my spare one off ebay for 150 usd .
There is a powersurvivor35 on ebay right now 1200 obo .
www.ebay.com/itm/144073390190?hash=item218b71786e:g:OMUAAOSwrMpgxNiE
So they are out there and a reasonable price
I love your lecture while sailing talks.
Love your water usage formula. Never thought of it that way. We have always used the old don't use it if you don't need it method. Your formula will help a lot of people.my best advice is use tanks just big enough that if that tank goes bad, it will not hurt you to much. I see guys saying they have a 100 gallon tank, lose the ability to drink that and man are you in trouble.
if you only have water in tanks pls dont use the milage calculation if something happens and you end up adrift you will spend days without making miles
@@americosilva3935 amen. Do like the multiple smaller tanks concept though. Two large or worse one large tank always felt a bit vulnerable. Heaven help if a fiiting breaks, for example.
We carry a store of emergency water bottles for that. Also, if you’re adrift, don’t use the water for anything but drinking
If I drank 2L of water everyday I would get nothing done because I would be in the head PISSING all day. Lol. Great channel!
Right?
We have two Watermakers, if one breaks we still have another to make as much water as we need. We also keep the water tanks full. Living on a sailboat without a Watermaker is basically.... camping.
Water in the tank is like meat in the freezer and a water maker is like a fishing pole. When the meat in the freezer runs out, you go hungry, but with a fishing pole, you can just catch your food and never go hungry. Would you cross an ocean planning on surviving on the fish you caught along the way?
I have 2 60 gallon tanks and a hand pump water maker that is US Navy surplus and were designed to make water in a 35 person life raft. Use the water in tank #1 when it's empty we switch to tank 2 and use the hand pumped water maker to fill tank 1. When tank 2 is empty we switch to tank 1 and fill #2 with the water maker. Fair Winds from the crew of Sv Celtic Lady, Seawind II 68 ketch.
Any clue where one can buy a similar hand pump powered water maker? Do you have a website or blog about your sailing?
That’s awesome! I looked into hand pump water makers and had no luck finding one that “makes lots of water”. Does yours have a brand or model number? I would love to have a backup like that!
Cool. Is the WM one with a pump like a well handle or a cranking handle?
I've had the hand pump for about 15 yrs. The company that makes the electric water maker sells the membrane and seals for the hand pump system. I was talking to the guys in the water maker booth at the Annapolis fall boat show and they told me about the hand pump system so I bought one an d buy the parts there every year.
Well when I get my boat it will have a water maker. One reason is I scuba dive. Every time the gear goes into the water it needs to be cleaned and de-salted. If not the gear won't last. You could very well have an equipment failure under the water. That could cost you your life.
Thank you for this video. I was planning to install a water maker, but after living on my boat for a couple of months, I can't think of what space I'm willing to sacrifice for that, and the more I look into water makers, the more I see people who are waiting for parts to fix their water makers rather than actually using their water makers.
Not all watermakers are expensive. Its a huge convenience for just a 1000 dollars. I'd rather have 2 of them for redundancy then not have them at all. But your point on relying on them for ocean crossings is quite valid. so in short "2 water makers and sufficient tankage to go pls"
$1000 is quite expensive to us...
@@RiggingDoctor OK then maybe I will buy it for you and in exchange you do the synthetic rigging on my next boat. Deal?
@@My_Fair_Lady I can build one for less. Not fancy but it would work. I used to be in the water treatment business.
@@My_Fair_Lady First you have to understand what reverse osmosis is. simple technology. Then you will see you can manually do it without all the automatic stuff that makes watermakers so expensive. First filter the raw water to as fine as you can. Simple 3 stage filters will do, start with 20 micron to 5 micron to 1 micron. You can easily change these by using different sizes depending on the water quality. The goal is to get down to 1 micron or less. The next part is the RO membrane and vessel. you can order these on line SS would be best but PVC is avaliable. You need a vessel that will handle 1,500 psi to be safe. next the membrane you need a brackish membrane. (Salt water). a pressure gauge and a fine needle valve. You also need to get the water pressure up to 800 psi. a simple gas or electric pressure washer will do in the 2000 psi range about $150.00 If you already have a pump that will draw water from the sea use that to feed the pressure washer. filter the water before the pressure washer with the 3 stage filters you made. feed the pressure washer to the RO vessel. this has three fittings (Inlet, outlet and brine) Install the gauge between the pump and RO. install the needle valve on the brine outlet. Open the needle valve all the way. Start the pump, slowly close the needle valve until you get 800 psi on the gauge. Pure water should come out the product water hole and brine will come out the other side of the needle valve. This goes overboard, product water goes to a bottle. Never put product water directly into the tank. (just in case it is not pure) Use a TDS meter ($25.00) to test the water should be about 50 TDS or less. pour the bottle into the tank if passes. Now I can start adding more things to make it more automatic/more sensors, more everything, but really it makes the same water. Once you are done rinse the pressure washer with treated water by sucking it out of the last bottle of water you make. You can make this as big or as little as you want. two RO's together will make twice as much water, three will make 3 times and so on. This is why they are expensive, they will use two or three or one larger one. The bigger the more expensive. The more thrills the more expensive. You can also use an electric Pressure washer if you have a gen on board. If you have an engine you can adapt a high pressure pump to that, not that hard. (Cat pump) even a salt water pump.
I have rain catchment, a manual watermaker in the ditch bag, and a 30gph watermaker I'm still assembling parts for. My T37 has a single 100 gallon tank and 5 x 5 gallon water jugs in case the tank leaks and to refill the tank in 4 dinghy trips if needed.
Exceedingly useful to know. Thank you so much.
We intend of having a water maker but we also intend to have plenty of tankage onboard. I already have skillshare sorry. Still the best ad ever.
th-cam.com/video/ooVk-__QEME/w-d-xo.html
Paint brushes...
Sailors survived 1000 + yrs w/o watermaker. But they did get sick. Watermaker for emergency if it makes you feel more confident.
Good video 👍on a controversial topic.
True. Just been reading a book about Captain Cook, and the number of crew that ships lost to sickness and disease back then is astonishing. You might lose 20 in the battle you were on your way to, but well over a hundred on your way to that battle.
@@scottysscandinavia5793 Yes, and the things the old sailors did to try to stay alive would astonish us now. Filling the bilge with lemons. And many other things. It was a very dangerous profession.
"But they did get sick."
but generally not from the water.
spoiled food, insects, etc
@@scottysscandinavia5793 "Captain Cook, and the number of crew that ships lost to sickness and disease"
If I remember correctly, he barely lost anyone the whole trip around Australia, through the reef, on a half-broken ship, then they all got sick in one single tropical harbor.
Meaning, supposedly low quality water didn't kill anyone during the passage. Tropical germs in populated areas were the real problem.
@@bakters Bad diet got most of them. Cook was aware of this and tried to fix it. And he was successful. By accident.
He was forcing his crew to drink what was basically wort. And had no idea that it was the greens he took along that had prevented the scurvy.
It's interesting that he almost bumped into a Dutch ship that was close by in an eastern Australian bay that couldn't hang about to explore because its crew were so sick, so they headed east as fast as they could towards South America to try and save as many as they could.
Great episode!
I enjoyed the clip, very informative. If I got a water maker I would look into “the rain maker” it is a portable unit gas drive, since had no generator it’s size is smaller than a Honda generator. Nice as not permanent installed and portable, lots of water for the amount of fuel.
Great video y'all! LOVE THAT WATER!!
I have 80 gallons of water tank capacity and a Katadyn Power Survivor 40E, DC powered water maker that only draws about 4amps, but only makes a little over a gallon/hr. Take 4 screws out of the base and it is small enough to toss in my grab bag (in a slow moving abandon ship scenario) and bring on the life raft as it has a hand pump built in. I haven't crossed an ocean yet. I sail solo most of time so water is not a problem. Add crew 1 crew for a 2600nm passage, and if I understood you, after leaving a 20gal reserve we could use: 60gal / 2600nm x ~100nm/day = ~ 2.3gal/day between two of us without relying on the water maker.
Indeed. You could use 1 gallon every 43 miles sailed, at 100nm per day, 2.3 gal per day
I carry 180 gallons of water storage, good to know its more than enough to cross the ocean. Right now I have a reverse osmosis system from the tank to the tap so if need be I can pump water directly out of the lake ( through a filter into my tanks)....I'm in lake Ontario so it's fresh water. I'm sure it'll also be handy filling up in questionable locations when cruising.
One warning don't use a domestic water ro system to do seawater it won't work. Takes 800psi to push water and not sodium through a marine watermaker . Feeding fresh from the lake will work fine just won't remove all pathogens so treat accordingly.
@@solosailingboatlife7203I know it won't work for sea water. But a good point to mention it in case someone thought I was using it as a water maker.👍
@@PyeGuySailing you don't want to know how many people I have had to tell that to . Disclosure I am a retired shipwright
Great info!! Eliminating a mechanical process saves room and angst as every mechanical “thing” on board needs maintenance.
Indeed!
It depends on where you’re sailing. Where you guys have been so far ii can see where you can get away with no water maker. Sailing in the Sea of Cortez, or around Australia is a different situation. In Mexico, even when you get to land there might not be good water. In Australia, you could literally voyage/explore for months and see little or no rainfall. I think there are situations where water makers are at least something to consider if not needed. You do make some good points about keeping a tank instead of getting rid of it to make Tom for a water maker. We’re getting the small Katadyn which is also manual! We will be doing a lot of sailing around Baja where rain is basically non existent. Just another view point. Thanks for the great vids as usual! Peace
We completed a 6 year around the world sail without a watermaker. We did catch rainwater. We never had a shortage. I quess we were lucky.
Or with proper planning and tankage, you don’t need a water maker 👍
Good topic, good info. My take on it is do what makes you comfortable. Do your due diligence, figure it out before you go.
Amen
We carried 60 gallons of water in 2 tanks. We could make it last a month but we tended to stink. Many of my clients wanted watermakers on their boats and to be honest, I would always try to talk them out of it unless they had a large boat with plenty of "xtra" space for the gear and all the spares you had to carry plus deep pockets. Can't even begin to count how many service calls were watermaker related. I guess a hand operated Power Survivor (or2) in the survival raft/ditch bag would be handy. As far as ocean crossing goes, my preferred method of travel is a 747!
Haha we are always smelly when we’re at sea
Hard to fit your vessel in the overhead though.
A water maker is for added luxury,showers,dishes,laundry you still need to conserve your tank water for passages water makers are great for anchoring in remote places this is like saying do you need a Genoa no you can sail with just a main sail but it would be nice to have one
Absolutely. We aren’t saying you shouldn’t have one; just that you don’t NEED one in order to go cruising
Yes a water maker , small for carrying , and spoiling yourself. Yes you can never rely on it for survival. But you never know
As usual you guys are great
I have done like you for years with no water maker, but I am now considering to remove two of my tanks, one for my batteries for my new electric drive and the other for the proposed water maker. I have three stainless steel tanks but find after about two weeks the water starts to taste less fresh. I like the katadyn survivor 40e which has a manual handle if/when the pump fails. It uses 32 watts to produce 1.5 gallons which I thought was quite good.
I would definitely reconsider removing one of your tanks for a water maker. Even funny tasting water is better than potential water, but that’s just us.
I have to disagree with the whole water mater speal.... 1. There are a lot of different size water makers all the way down to a hand pump. 2. So you can get one to fit your needs and your boat. 3. Its also a good idea because if you have a tank burst you can make more, 4. if your tank gets contaminated you can make more. The list goes on and on... would I want to rely solely on one no.... but having one is a good idea for many reasons.
The point of the video was how you don’t need a water maker to go cruising, not that you shouldn’t have a water maker to go cruising.
Having a unit is fine as long as you have enough water in your tanks that you don’t actually need to rely on the water maker.
Systems upon systems......Need water.......Desalinate or store???? gonna be thinking abut this for a while....
Bird in hand or two in the bush.
If you store it, you have that many gallons. If you desalinate, you have many potential gallons.
Good information.
A different question ??
Do you guys ever test the water in your tanks and the rain water you collect
And or treat it ,, ie add that nasty chlorine
I think theres a slight chance of some sort of bacteria. I don't think, when your on a serious passage, that Giardia and other land born amoeba problems would come from rain water unless your really close to a tropical island. But, I've wondered about that and that is why I use a filter capable of taking bacteria out of the water, amoeba's are large and very easy to deal with.
We don’t tend to add chlorine unless we deem it necessary, which has maybe been once in 4 years. We run the water through a filter before we drink it.
Pros vs. Cons 🤯
Average fresh water maker weight is = to 55lbs
Weight of fresh water=8.?
So 4-gallons = 1-fresh water maker + electricity (when were, how) + weight of parts needed (hoses, wiring, hardware, + + +). Maybe even the weight & space needed for spare part)
So after all that, and much more calculated thinking; the answer is - DEPENDS 🤦
At 2:45 “60 days from Florida to the Azores’ Thats 2500 - 3000 miles /60 = 50- 60 miles per day…
Did it take that long or did I miss something…
There was no wind when we left Florida so that leg took FOREVER (21 days). The forecast called for excellent wind the whole way which is when I started to lose faith in forecasts. Then we waited in Bermuda for a few days for the winds to come. Bermuda to the Azores was 26 days. We moved really well but got becalmed for 4 days, which knocked our average down for that trip.
The whole run from Florida was 60 days without tanking up the water tanks (Bermuda was expensive to get water so we decided not to).
I am restoring a boat for the future. I enjoy these types of conversations and reading your sub's responses.
I have no opinions but only questions.
How long do you let it rain to rinse deck salt off?
Do you separate the rain water from the stored tap water on a long passage? After you start collecting the rain water is it just used for bathing and laundry? Nice bed hair by the way 😀.
Is just using a good filter enough to make it less salty and improve taste? Or do you not filter the rain water and use it for non potable uses?
Thanks, Have fun.
I taste the water on the deck after a good bit of rain should have cleared away all the salt, then I open the deck full plate and let the rain water pour in. We then test it again in a cup to make sure it tastes good (unfiltered) before pouring it into a tank. I normally dump it into a tank that was empty so that I can calculate how much water we collected at each time.
If it’s a light rain, it can take an hour to clean the deck, but heavy downpours can have the deck tasting fresh in under 10 minutes!
Once it’s in the tank, we use it like regular tank water: dishes, bathing, and drinking (but the drinking water goes through a filter)
Question: where'd you get your bird, does it poop on you, what kind is it, how much was it, do you take it out to sea with you, and is it a nightmare or is it worth it?
You can get macaws almost anywhere in the US if you go to specialty bird stores or breeders, yes, she poops on me, but we’re working on the training and it’s gotten much less frequent, it depends on the breed. Greenwings such as Charlie go for about 7,000 in the US, but you can also rescue them. She has logged 2,000 miles at sea. It is a dream. It was worth it.
Rigging Doctor that's awesome! I didn't see any videos dedicated to your bird. You should do one
People that have water makers don’t run with empty tanks. They keep their tanks brimmed and use it as needed it’s a luxury item.
Unfortunately, we’ve met many cruisers who took out most of their water tanks to install a water maker.
@@RiggingDoctor oh dear I definitely wouldn’t do that 😳
What is your exercise routine
I love the thought process.... gallons per mile with multiple tanks. I assume you have benchmarks along the way such as "if we start on tank #3 before we pass the Azores we need to conserve more". Simple but smart. ...and you are right in that the more gadgets we bring into our lives, the more stuff we need to maintain and repair.
Questions: do you filter rainwater on the way into your tanks? Do you have any means of filtering/disinfecting water in case some of your tanks go sour with bacteria? I used to have a backpacking water filter that could turn pond water into potable and I would think that might be good insurance against sour tanks.
Good stuff.
We do filter our water as it comes out into the sink. It’s just a simple filter from Home Depot, but yours sounds awesome!
Hi, apologies I'm a fairly new 'sub' but I've watched quite a lot of your 'back catalogue'. I'm not a sailor but I've spent quite a bit of time on diving liveaboards in the Red Sea. Are you able to drink the water without any treatment from your storage tanks? Obviously? In the Red Sea they take bottled water to drink, and use the storage tanks for showers and cooking and toilets etc.
Ha Ha! On my first trip we had to stop on Day 3 to fill the tanks and to take on extra bottled water....as the guests had used the whole weeks supply. (Back in the 1990's, so there were no 5* air conditioned boats back then... :-) (If you wanted 'air conditioning' you slept on deck)
Do you have a flow meter on your water system to tell how much water you are using, or do you just ballpark it? My new (to me) boat has 150 gallons of water capacity in 3 tanks (port, starboard, and under the v-berth). Do you balance out usage to try to keep the boat balanced, or do you run one until empty to try to minimize "sloshing?" I am not yet using the boat for long passages. If I find that I eventually need a water maker, I'll deal with it then.
Our tanks are all partitioned, so we know when we’ve used one up and it’s time to open the next one. We just keep a mental idea of how much we’ve used other than that. We generally use the 4 salon tanks first, alternating sides and then move to the bow.
I don't have a water maker. If needed, I can drink my own pee, and lick myself clean like a cat. Meow.
Hah! Waterworld
I like the "catching rainwater" part. I have been thinking about that as well but how can you practically catch a fair amount of rainwater on a sailing boat? Any useful tips for that?
We use the entire deck. We have approximately 440 square feet and it comes out to be about 100 gallons per inch of rainfall.
@@RiggingDoctor If you use the entire deck, how to you account for salt deposit... just let it rain for a 1/2 hour or so before capturing or ??? Discussion of different approaches of capturing rainwater (yours plus others you are familiar with) would be useful and interesting to your followers I'm sure. Just about anyone who passage or off-grid sails, or aspires to do so, it would be topical for.
We wait for the rain to rinse the deck clean, then taste the deck water before opening the deck fills to capture the rainwater.
We’re currently anchored in Florida and it’s been raining off and on today, captured about 15 gallons so far 😉
Fairly certain I drank a liter of water in the last 30 minutes. I think imma need a water maker.
What is your exercise routine while at sea??
Just the exercise we get from working the sails. I’ve never been much for going to the gym and working out, I prefer to just live an active lifestyle and not have to do exercise
@@RiggingDoctor
Works for me
Thanks
As an emergency back up, one should carry dehydrated water.
HAHAHAHA
Funny. There is one scene in the Captain Ron movie where they must have taken at least a 200 gallon shower. Somehow they filled up the entire shower. remember that ?
Ah yes! And then everyone came into the bathroom and they were stuck 🤣
Its like saying can you live in California without central air. Yes but why would you. People that have water makers keep full tanks use a small amount and then top them up. If one day the water makers don't work they still have most of the tanks full and can just start conserving water. You guy used to argue that you don't need ais but it seams like you really like it now that you have tried it.
Do you have a motor on your sailboat? ,you do ,but why you don,t nead it you can cross oceans with you have sails who needs a motor who needs a.fridge to cross oceans
Agreed. There is a lot of stuff we don’t NEED and we are simply saying that a water maker is one of them.
By the way, we have an electric motor so we do sail the whole way across! Not having a motor makes us rely on less “other stuff” and helps us keep an uncomplicated approach to cruising.
Hello 👋 cool 😎👌 saludos
W.C. Fields once said: "Water? Never touch the stuff. Fish screw in it!" (Actually, W.C. Fields used a much stronger expletive) 😂😃
Hah!! 😅
lol...Crazy bird people.
Rain water collected from the deck is foot water 😷
Helps build a healthy immune system 😎
But actually, we let the rain flush the gunk off the deck before we start collecting it, then it goes through a series of filters before we drink it.
@@RiggingDoctor either way it’s too late because you’ve contaminated your tanks. Take a swab test of your decks and see what grows. Bird droppings, insects, humans are all a constant source of bacteria, not to mention the bacteria that lives in sea water
Completely missing from this video is consideration for where you are going. Can you guarantee those places can spare water if they have it? Some islands in the Pacific, for example, do not have great natural reserves or storage. It is irresponsible not to have some means to be self-sufficient when it comes to water. If you are in a place where water is plentiful, then by all means fill up. Otherwise, don’t suck local communities dry at the expense of your first-world cruising dream.
Have you been somewhere by boat that didn’t have fresh water? Be it from a hose or a bottle?
We have been cruising to distant places for the past 4 years without a water maker and without a problem.
We’re not saying you shouldn’t have one, what we are saying is you don’t need one to go cruising.
Hmm. Yer busting a lot of bubbles on this Water Subject😜 Personally I would like to take a LONG Hot Shower on Occasion👍 But whatever floats yer boat. Stay Safe & Enjoy 😎
Always fun to ignite some passionate arguments 🧐😅
60 days to cross the Atlantic…
We had absolutely no wind on the way to Bermuda, then stayed in Bermuda for a while without getting more water before leaving (the prices in Bermuda were insane) and then a comfortable passage to the Azores. Then, once we got to the Azores we still had plenty of water.
We went a long time without filling the tanks!
Ya didn't even watch the video yes you do
Lol watch the video. No you don’t
You are expressing a very narrow perspective on this based on your own situation. For example, not everybody is sailing a monohull where weight isn't a significant concern. You've obviously never considered a payload limitation. If for example you are carrying 100 gallons of water, that's over 800 lbs including the tanks. On a smaller multihull you might only have 2000 to 3000 load capacity including the bodies onboard and absolutely everything else...... including for example all your personal effects, batteries, fuel electronics, and all that chain for your star mooring. Only an idiot goes to sea entirely dependent on a watermaker. They do require storage, and that 1.5 to. 2L per person per day should be the baseline storage even if you DO have a watermaker. Watermakers from the factory are all the things you say they are.... complicated and expensive and bulky. But the technology is dirt simple, and the critical components are available in generic form. Many people have built their own for a fraction of the cost of a factory built unit, and they can be powered in many ways.... There is little more than a high pressure pump .... essentially a power washer pump.... a membrane unit, a couple of cheap pre-filters, a few lines and valves, and in they can be located and arranged any way you want. Making water would be an excellent "battery"..... using surplus solar or regen power. The pump could be engine powered or electric, or even human powered... pedals? Only your imagination limits the options. The controls can be fancy and seemingly high tech.... or simple.
The other concern should be local water quality and availability.... Many cruising grounds have water issues... atolls for example depend on cisterns or a "fresh water lens" that may be gradually contaminated by saltwater intrusion....... if you look in a local cistern you may not want to drink the water. You may also be dipping into a limited local supply, as well as having to treat it. and pay for it........ I personally would be much happier drinking water I'd run through the watermaker than questionable local water that I had to buy, and haul out to the boat in a dinghy, and disinfect.
Just smugly proclaiming "you don't need a watermaker" while technically true reflects ignorance of the many reasons people choose that path. Passages are a small part of cruising for most people, and between making passages you are dependent on local resources. This is going to be an increasing problem with sea level rise. Those popular island nations in many cases have a real problem, and other places are increasingly coming under pressure. It's foolish to write off watermakers on such shallow reasoning.....
How true you put it on the point great thank you!
So right!
You touched on some very good points here. Payload is a major concern for light displacement craft, such as multihulls, which are very weight sensitive when loading. Not only does the mass matter but so does the position in the boat as it will drastically affect trim.
That said, not every boat is built for ocean crossing. If a boat can’t carry the necessary gear to cross an ocean, why would someone choose it to cross an ocean? Why not choose a boat that can carry the necessary equipment and payload to safely get you to the other side. Adding a water maker to a dinghy and a bunch of freeze dried meals does not make it a “bluewater” dinghy.
A boat is designed for a particular task. If it’s very light and has little storage, it’s probably best for a weekend or coastal trip. One with lots of tankage and storage for food is better suited for a long time at sea.
As for local water supplies: we have spent the majority of last year in 3rd world countries where we didn’t expect to find indoor plumbing. Turns out they had water and it was delicious! If there are people, there is water and you can drink it. If the water is notoriously horrible, maybe a different destination should be kept in mind. We have gone a long time without a water maker and never had a water supply problem while our friends with water makers are constantly struggling to keep them running and producing fresh water.
Our smug proclamation “you don’t need a water maker” is because you don’t! You can still have one and benefit greatly from its convenience but you don’t need to have one to untie your lines and start a life of Cruising. They are expensive and time consuming, but they are not mandatory to have on a bluewater boat.
Everyone is going to back up thier decisions; that is to say decisions are arrived at for reasons.. Yes? So as long as we are taking into account the safety of oursevles, crew, and passengers, whatever choices we make are 👌.
Trouble starts when we step past good manners (or salespersonship) to say you must do this and thus lest the wrath of Odin descend upon thee...
Ever tasted (unpoluted) rain water straight from the sky?
@@drewgibbons4799 People are fond of proclaiming “great truths” about sailing that often are nothin more than personal prejudices. I personally find catamarans far more practical for voyaging.....and prefer smaller ones (mid 30’s) for both economic reasons and ease of managing and handling. The ride is far less taxing, lack of rolling, no walking on steeply slanted decks, safety... less fatigue, good view from the cabin... also safety. Problem is managing weight within limits. Many smaller cats cross oceans, often older narrow beams..... and contrary to the monohull trope, they virtually never capsize. Two cats were shadowing the Fastnet ‘79, and a third was passing through.... none had any trouble... “kind of rough out there”. Sailing smaller cats means weight management.... water is a big part of that. Carry minimums, make the rest. Tanks are a problem... algae, bacteria, etc.. Stuff grows in water, particularly in warm climates. Saying local water is not a problem, after doing the Transat circuit is just silly.... One ocean, continental stops. The Pacific and Indian oceans have many island groups where water is questionable at best. Once one ventures beyond the proverbial beaten path into less “civilized” areas, it would be foolish to trust local water. Mexico even is notorious for bad water “don’t drink the water”.... Africa, South America, parts of Asia. If you are hitting only the usual stops, only passing through from one developed urban civilization, which is what most cruisers do, and sailing a 45 foot tank of a monohull, your perspective is different from that of a dedicated wanderer without a real home base.
Demast mid-ocean, then get back to me why you don’t really need a watermaker.
You are banking on all your other systems (solar/wind/hydro) still functioning to keep the water maker running. If you need to motor across the ocean, you are not in great shape.
Big tanks are water in hand. A water maker is potential water that will only come to fruition if many moving parts are in working order.
Dismasted in the middle of the ocean is time to jury rig and have lots of water on hand in tanks to get you to your nearest port for repairs.
You are so both so patronising in your presentation/tone. "Humans need water to survive". If you ever fill up with contaminated water one day in a remote location you will reconsider your opinion and small reserves. You are wrong, 2 litres per day per person is not enough in hot climates.
That’s why it’s important to test the water first and do your research/ask around before filling up.
Wow 7 minutes of video then more than 3 minutes of add!!
You could just not watch the ad...
you need water maker
4 years and18,000nm would say otherwise. It’s more of a “nice to have” and not a “need to have”
Another excellent video. I love technology and convenience, however I know that Murphy's law is all too real. I see way to many who assume that nothing will fail, and worse, don't plan for a failure. Thanks again for your videos.
My Catalina 30 has a 17 gallon and a 25 gallon tank. I was able to install a 35 gallon per hour water maker that utilizes 12 volt dc. The motor pulls 81 amps at its rated 1hp output. We can run it on the generator or the batteries using the Victron 3000 series Multiplus. I suppose I could cross an ocean on the boat, but that would be a little nutty or at least desperate. The entire water maker cost me under $2000 and the parts are so cheap to replace because they are all off the shelf parts and not custom. This link can tell you how to make your own, if you go through the more section of the video and the comments. th-cam.com/video/ooVk-__QEME/w-d-xo.html You can make AC or DC versions depending on the motor purchased. For instance you could have a 48 volt version easily. If you ever get one don't get one of the piston recirculating Clark type pumps. Most require refurbishment after 1800 hours, which they produce so little over time that gets expensive typically. $1800(rebuild cost) per 12000 gallons plus upfront cost of like $8000 purchased on a 7gph unit...hahahahaha. That makes in $9800 per the first 12000ish gallons for a Spectra for instance. That's over $0.82/gallon. Spectra charges $1800 to rebuild one of those pumps I am told...so I don't think I'm far off on the estimate. My motor and pump are about $400-$500 total new..
Interesting perspective however not exactly my experience. My tiny boat came with a Spectra, a new membrane and a rebuilt of the 16 year old unit is $1200, of course I carry multiple spares and I can do the repairs. I did the rebuild because I wanted to be sure of no maintenance issues in my cruising future not because it needed it. As a comparison your unit uses 3X the power per gal of a Spectra so you have the cost and complexity of a massive electrical system to support it. While the Spectra works off of an average system that runs the boat and I make water in mid day when I have more solar power than I can store, turn it into water! About my situation, my boat is 27’ with only 30 gal of tankage. I carry 10 gal separately for emergencies so the watermaker provides the luxury water not the survival water and I could complete a voyage without making a drop but I would be stinky! Ben S/V DAWN
@@benlindner5285 The Spectra vt150 pulls at 12volts 9amps of power. It produces 6.3 gallons per hour. So 9amp hours for 6.3 gallons. My water maker produces 35 gallons per hour for 81 amps of power. So therefore it 81 amp hours for 35 gallons. Lets break it down to amps per gallon. 81/35=2.31 so that is 2.31 amp hours for a gallon of water on my system. So for a vt150 that becomes 1.43 amp hours per gallon. No where near three times more power friend. It is less than one amp hour difference for a product that costs four times less to purchase, will likely never need a $1200 rebuild...or leave you hanging because it needs a rebuild in the middle of nowhere. My system easily can be regenerated on solar, and you don't have to watch it for a mind boggling equivalent of 5.55 hours to make 35 gallons. Yes it draws more power, but really my system over a vt150 only draws 38% more power. So if used consistently costs 20% of the Spectra upfront at the first rebuild...which if you ask Sail Away World Sailing costs $1800 for a rebuild. So a real world cruiser will need a rebuild every other year if they actually use water. Sail Away spent a month without water and had to cut their fun time short because theirs broke down. You don't even have to ask them, just go watch their videos. So the cost keeps going up with every rebuild if you actually use the product. Remember solar can typically handle both and a big draw on the battery typically means solar is more efficient at putting the energy back in, so I would say the real energy usage on solar is only about 20% more. With big families or a charter boat a Spectra running 24 hours a day can't even keep up. The Spectra 150 could barely keep up with my family which likes their showers if I ran it 20 hours a day, and would have to wait as my tanks dried up after about one or two heavy usage showers. The Spectra wouldn't work because my tanks aren't that big and I would have to micro manage too much would have to stop it every 4 to 6 hours as it filled the tank. Then have one or two people use the water then run it for another 4 to 6 hours. With my system I start my generator, start cooking dinner on electric, and I can throw six people through dinner and hot showers in about 2.5 hours and end with full tanks and full batteries. Mainly the generator heats the water, I could do the rest on solar alone.
It only uses 38 percent more power over say a Spectra vt150. Clark pumps have like 60 to 90 rubber seals, multiple pistons, and overall have a whole lot of moving parts to fail. My pump is built like a car motor with hard seals. I have yet to hear of a cruiser using one to need a rebuild.
@@allynonderdonk7577Just not my experience 7 gal/h on 7 amps of 12V. Rebuild AND new membrane cost me $1200, I could have spent more by going to a more expensive service center but by getting several quotes I got a better price. Different solutions for different situations, since I have so small tankage I could only run your watermaker for 45 min and I am solo so I don’t have a need for 6 showers at one time although that could be fun! I don’t need a generator and I am glad yours works, if it doesn’t you have 6 thirsty people.
@@benlindner5285 Yours must be a better model than the vt150. The official spec off the dealer website has the 6.3 gallons for 9amps. There are probably 500 different Clark model pumps out there from various companies. I can only run my watermaker for about 45 minutes to fill the tank too or it starts ejecting on deck through the vent stanchion. Though long showers use about 17gallons for a 20 minute shower...so just leaving it on while doing a full shower rollout works well. The water heater can generally keep up on AC power if you start with a full 6 gallons of 160ish degree water. It mixes well. What model watermaker do you have all the current models use about 25% more amps than gallons per hour.? The evening generator routine is our best solution to get it all done on a thirty foot boat. The water heater can only heat one tank of water at 6 gallons on solar after about a full day. Pretty sure it is a 300 or 700 watt DC dual element. AC and DC on the element but the AC side is 1500 watts. For two people we can just about live daily on just solar, but for four more kids...not a chance. Too many things running...TV's, tablets, networked equipment....too much stuff pulling on the inverter /charger. I could buy a more expensive motor that only uses like 50 amps I think, but the motor I have only cost like $150 dollars and is the standard dc 1hp job you can find on ebay.
Miles per gallon is this a joke, it's 2021. Water makers a must, have 2, 1 backup, or build you can build one like Julz, Sailing Emerald Steel
The point is you don’t need a water maker to go cruising 😉
“Nice to have”s and not “need to have”s
Bad advice
Disagree
It’s worked well for us for years, the videos are our proof that we haven’t had issues either.
Easy, I just won't watch any longer.
I watch for sailing content not advertising.
Will un subscribe!!
They are sponsoring us for a year. You would have to watch our video 28,571 times to make your subscription mean more to us than this ad. TH-cam is our livelihood. Good luck finding a successful channel with no sponsorships. At least we don’t put the ads on our regular episodes
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