Thanks for the info. I did dig into it a little, and see that installing something like the PUR40 or Spectra under the little aft stbd bunk seems fairly common. And I am guessing you just run the
diesel when you need the amps to make water? that doesn't sound so bad.
Those watermakers weigh about 50 lbs. That's about, uh, 6 gallons of water.
So, the way this looks to me, is that I can carry an extra six gallons of water, or for the same weight, the ability to make water every time the
motor is running. Correct?
I recognize that the weight of the watermaker is constant, or like always having six gallons on board even when I don't. A constant weight penalty.
On the other hand, I would not have to carry huge weights of full water tanks for the first part of every trip, or worry about the quality of the water either.
So, blessing the metric system, 900 liters of water in two tanks = 900 kg, right? Is that 1,980 lbs of water, more or less? A ton, roughly. to carry and tanks to clean, and the potential for big
leaks. I do agree that I hate thru hulls, though. Wonder if there is some way to siphon/pump the water over the top of a bulkhead? A tube that runs down the outdrive as far as the water line? You only need it when the drive is down, anyhow. and you have
pump power at that point for 12 vdc, and there is really not much
head involved with siphon action. Would that
work to prevent putting a hole in the
boat?
How bout installing a fitting and hose setup in the top of one of the
centerboard trunks, so the fitting is dry. Is there room in there, I wonder for a short hose reaching the water line. Or a tap off the
salt water pump in the
galley, fitting, perhaps?.
I gu
For people who intend to spend a lot of time where we intend to go, I think the standard tank and the weight of six extra gallons is making a lot of sense.
Now I get to factor in the cost, the hassle of
maintenance, and the cost and weight of spares.
Has anyone ever thought of a
solar water
heater array that would heat sea water to boiling, using a
heat exchanger to heat fresh water, while turning some of the sea water into reclaimable steam?
I love this stuff.