Hand-operated water maker

[Solani]

Most of my cruising will be done on the Chesapeake, so I’ll likely be able to land to refill my water supplies, but I really groove on self-sufficiency. I thought that with no electric system, motor, or generator, I wouldn’t be able to make my own water, but then I found this:

https://www.quenchsea.world

Its development/marketing seems to be for impoverished dry areas on land, not for small boat cruising, but it seems like it could work for me.

Curious if anyone has any thoughts about this? I’m especially interested in the rate of watermaking (it makes about a liter in ten minutes in ideal conditions). Does that compare favorably or poorly with electrical models?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Solani

... I’m especially interested in the rate of watermaking (it makes about a liter in ten minutes in ideal conditions). Does that compare favorably or poorly with electrical models?

Not really.

QuenchSea desalination capacity
Over 4 litres per hour. In ideal conditions, QuenchSea can produce up to 6 litres/1.6 Gallons of freshwater per hour.


Other manual emergency watermakers:

The Katadyn Survivor 35 produces up to 4.5 litres per hour.
➥ https://www.katadyngroup.com/us/en/8...vivor-35~p6775

The Katadyn Survivor 06 produces (+/- 15%): 1 oz/2 min (890 ml/hour).

[JBP]

The QuenchSea is $130? Compared to $1,000 for the Katadyn 06. That seems impressive.

[Sailmonkey]

I’d ask why…..unless you need to keep busy with mindless pumping while a spigot is easily accessible.

[fgd3]

At $130 it is a very attractive price. It appears to leave about 3 times the salt in its product water as a PUR Powersurvivor 40 which produces about the same volume of product water per hour. The Powersurvivor 40 can be operated manually in an emergency and costs almost $4000.

[Solani]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I’d ask why…..unless you need to keep busy with mindless pumping while a spigot is easily accessible.

Well, some places I can land & refill, but many of the places accessible to me from the lower Eastern Shore are marshy & unpopulated. Besides, I can be a little anti-social and until I gain a lot of confidence, I don’t want to have to answer questions about myself, my boat, or my situation.

It did seem to me, from the videos, that the “mindless pumping” was only to get the unit pressurized. Based on the low flow rate, I think it’s left on its own after that. But I could definitely be wrong!

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Solani

Most of my cruising will be done on the Chesapeake, so I’ll likely be able to land to refill my water supplies, but I really groove on self-sufficiency. I thought that with no electric system, motor, or generator, I wouldn’t be able to make my own water, but then I found this:

https://www.quenchsea.world

you planning to be shipwrecked and in survival mode in the Chesapeake?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Solani

It did seem to me, from the videos, that the “mindless pumping” was only to get the unit pressurized. Based on the low flow rate, I think it’s left on its own after that. But I could definitely be wrong!

It will require pumping the entire time to produce water. As the pressure and flow rate over the RO membrane decreases the output product salinity rises and the volume decreases.

Basically you’re pumping for an hour to produce 4L of water.

This is a survival device, not a convenience device.

[Solani]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

It will require pumping the entire time to produce water. As the pressure and flow rate over the RO membrane decreases the output product salinity rises and the volume decreases.

Basically you’re pumping for an hour to produce 4L of water.

This is a survival device, not a convenience device.

I’m an old backpacker; I love survival gear.

Yes, I had already figured out that it would take about an hour to produce a day’s water ration. I expect to bring water with me, and despite what I said, I expect to stop and get water from spigots. I’m still liking the idea of this device because it gives me options about when I do and don’t need to land. Besides, with no electricity on the boat, I will definitely have some free time in the evenings.

[Solani]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

you planning to be shipwrecked and in survival mode in the Chesapeake?

Nope, just looking to increase self-sufficiency. I would definitely be the type to build an off-the-grid tiny house, if I didn’t have a large husband who loves modern conveniences.

[Solani]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Not really.

QuenchSea desalination capacity
Over 4 litres per hour. In ideal conditions, QuenchSea can produce up to 6 litres/1.6 Gallons of freshwater per hour.


Other manual emergency watermakers:

The Katadyn Survivor 35 produces up to 4.5 litres per hour.
➥ https://www.katadyngroup.com/us/en/8...vivor-35~p6775

The Katadyn Survivor 06 produces (+/- 15%): 1 oz/2 min (890 ml/hour).

Thank you for the information about the Katadyns. I have no idea why they didn’t show up for me when I was googling manual desalinators.

[TrentePieds]

Well, yes, Solani - of course I have thoughts on this as on most other things to do with seafaring :-)!

A nifty little unit it is, if one can believe the snazzy marketing :-) The web page you refer to is IMO typical of the sort of marketing fluff that's designed to use pretty-pretty pictures to enable the producer of the unit to "sell into a market of ignorance" and into a "market of fear". Much the same thing, of course.

That doesn't mean that the unit is useless, it merely means that you have to ask yourself what it is you don't know (if anything) about the particular technology and what it is you are afraid of.

As for the technology it is dead simple. It is identical to that of any Reverse Osmosis electrically driven "water maker", and indeed to that of huge diesel driven "water makers", just scaled down so the puny 1/10 of a horse power of muscular power a fit man is able to generate on a reasonably sustained basis. So this unit is far from being a "break through"! So that deals with the "ignorance question" :-)!

So, then, what are you afraid of? The possibility of dying of dehydration and thirst while sailing on the Chesapeake? Or while you are camping under the upturned boat on the shore of the Chesapeake? Now, in days of yore when such things really had significance for folks like thee and me, the "survival ration" of potable water was "halfapintamanaday". In other words hardly anything at all by our standards. But you aren't going to find yourself in a survival situation sailing you little boat on the Cheasapeake. And you can bring all the "survival water" you need with you from home in "repurposed" gallon sized plastic milk jugs!

As it happens, your little boat, well sailed, will give you 8 knots or so on a brisk day. But I doubt that you would have the stamina to sail her like that for more than a coupla hours. I know I didn't when I wuz your age :-)! So how far from home are you gonna go? Your distance made good on a reasonable day is likely to be on the order of 20 or 25 miles.

And what is the weather regime on the Cheasapeake? Is rain frequent enuff that you can gather all you need in a "rain sail" you whip up on your trusty Bernina sewing machine? And do you remember the "field craft" we were taught by old Baden-Powell? The stuff about making a solar still by digging a hole in the ground?

Anyhow there is no reason that you shouldn't have the "Quench" if you like. You asked for thoughts :-) My thought is that you don't need it at all.

And here is a clip of people cruising in a dinghy the size of your boat. The Wayfarer is a lovely, lovely dinghy and sometimes I wish I had one of those rather than TrentePieds, but my wife - well, you know :-)!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B54D...igbadtheSailor

All the best :-)!

TrentePieds

[Solani]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Well, yes, Solani - of course I have thoughts on this as on most other things to do with seafaring :-)!

Don’t we all?

A nifty little unit it is, if one can believe the snazzy marketing :-) The web page you refer to is IMO typical of the sort of marketing fluff that's designed to use pretty-pretty pictures to enable the producer of the unit to "sell into a market of ignorance" and into a "market of fear". Much the same thing, of course.

Ah, yes, so much of marketing is targeted at creating & exploiting fear.

That doesn't mean that the unit is useless, it merely means that you have to ask yourself what it is you don't know (if anything) about the particular technology and what it is you are afraid of.

As for the technology it is dead simple. It is identical to that of any Reverse Osmosis electrically driven "water maker", and indeed to that of huge diesel driven "water makers", just scaled down so the puny 1/10 of a horse power of muscular power a fit man is able to generate on a reasonably sustained basis. So this unit is far from being a "break through"! So that deals with the "ignorance question" :-)!

I understand RO pretty well. I was disappointed that the manual for this unit is not yet available, as I assume that it will be both technical & accurate, since, as you noted, the website is more “fluff” than substance.

So, then, what are you afraid of? The possibility of dying of dehydration and thirst while sailing on the Chesapeake? Or while you are camping under the upturned boat on the shore of the Chesapeake? Now, in days of yore when such things really had significance for folks like thee and me, the "survival ration" of potable water was "halfapintamanaday". In other words hardly anything at all by our standards. But you aren't going to find yourself in a survival situation sailing you little boat on the Cheasapeake. And you can bring all the "survival water" you need with you from home in "repurposed" gallon sized plastic milk jugs!

Lol! Yeah, totally not expecting to find myself in that kind of survival situation.

As it happens, your little boat, well sailed, will give you 8 knots or so on a brisk day. But I doubt that you would have the stamina to sail her like that for more than a coupla hours. I know I didn't when I wuz your age :-)! So how far from home are you gonna go? Your distance made good on a reasonable day is likely to be on the order of 20 or 25 miles.

I begin to see the discrepancies between my way of thinking and yours (& others).

Discrepancy 1: I envision gunkholing as being liking backcountry camping. I like to get away and not be around people for some length of time. It really isn’t a function, for me, of how far it is to the next place there are services available. If I find an isolated spot I like, and can see staying and noodling around for days swimming, crabbing, sketching & painting, sunbathing & reading, rowing up creeks, etc. Going on a water run is less appealing than doing those things.

Discrepancy 2: I’m still thinking like a backpacker, and in this, perhaps I do need to change my notions, as you (& others) have alluded to. Backpacking is so very limited, there is no way to carry all the water you need, so you must plan to meet your needs along the way, and you’re gonna need a lot because you’re working hard. Storing a dozen gallon jugs of water on a 17 ft boat plus food plus all my gear and all the boat gear sounded like a bit much, but yeah, it’s probably not nearly the issue I’m envisioning it to be.

And what is the weather regime on the Cheasapeake? Is rain frequent enuff that you can gather all you need in a "rain sail" you whip up on your trusty Bernina sewing machine? And do you remember the "field craft" we were taught by old Baden-Powell? The stuff about making a solar still by digging a hole in the ground?

It’s a Pfaff, not a Bernina, thank you very much!

Anyhow there is no reason that you shouldn't have the "Quench" if you like. You asked for thoughts :-) My thought is that you don't need it at all.

And having this conversation with you has convinced me much the same. But did I mention I love survival gear? Perhaps I should load up my kayak for camping so I could still justify getting it.

And here is a clip of people cruising in a dinghy the size of your boat. The Wayfarer is a lovely, lovely dinghy and sometimes I wish I had one of those rather than TrentePieds, but my wife - well, you know :-)!

All the best :-)!

TrentePieds

Thank you!

[jt11791]

Does anyone make water in the Chesapeake? Looks way too silty for making water to me. Not very self-sufficient to go through 3 disposable filters per gallon of water made.