Are watermakers losing their relevance?

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I think that you may be a little off on your math, but amazingly close.
Gut says I can’t quite get 200 gls of water from 1 gl of gasoline with the Honda, perhaps I can though with the Nexgen on Diesel.

::nod:: The Nexgen should give you somewhat more power from a gallon of diesel than the Honda does on a gallon of gasoline. The energy content of diesel is higher, and the Honda engine is not as efficient as the Kubota engine on the Nexgen.

But think about it for just a sec, using your numbers, for every 5 gl of gas I carry, that is 1,000 gl of water.
I’ll make that swap in a heart beat, that is very worth it in my opinion.
Just from a $$ perspective, that 5 gl of gas is about $25, but to buy 1000 gls of water at .35c a gl is $ 350 I think, then there is the hassle of getting it into the boat.
Did I misplace a decimal, $350 sounds high.
I’ve seen it go for 35c a gl here in the Bahamas.

Even it it's all you can drink for the price of an overnight slip you're money ahead with the watermaker.

[Caddy Shack]

We (family of 3, with a large dog) cruised from SF to Mexico and back for a year without a watermaker, and when we go again we will do the same. We even had an additional 6'8 280lb crew member onboard for 3 months. We swam and bathed in the warm water, and just rinsed with fresh. Salt water pump to the galley sink for dishes. We did not find it difficult to get potable water for drinking etc.

It was great to make a passage, drop the hook, and have fun snorkeling, surfing, exploring, fishing etc etc etc and not have to repair/service/make power/make water, which is what so many of our companion boats spent their time doing. To each his own.

Perhaps if we cruised in a cold climate/cold water, we would think differently!

[lifeofreilly57]

Originally Posted by Gene Neill

I always smile when I hear people with boats easily double my LOA and 5x my price who say they have no WM because they "can't afford" one.



I guess I can't wrap my mind around feeling so urgent a need for ever bigger and bigger and bigger boats, to the point one is left in such in such a financial pinch.



I see the same thing with houses. I regularly do renovation work for people living in McMansions worth five times the value of my humble doublewide, but they have to pay me with credit cards or post-dated checks because they can't scrape up two grand in liquid capital.


Diff'rent strokes, i guess. I'll take a smaller boat and some jingle in my pocket, thank you very much. [emoji2]

Always lived within our means in both houses and boats. In our case that means doing all our own work and maintenance. It's allowed us the bigger boat without the bigger cost. Rebuild the engine? Sure, no problem. Rebuild and service the water maker system, no problem.
Yes, it requires the ability to service and maintain those systems but if your cruising far off places you need to be able to do those maintenance chores as well as troubleshoot systems issues.
I've cruised on basic boats and had to scramble for water. Ive gladly accepted the added complexity for the convenience of having readily available fresh water. We're still conservative with our water usage due to ingrained habits but really like the freedom it allows us.

[SteveSadler]

I think it makes more sense for a cat (watermaker) as the weight so affects speed. (if you are sailing)
For a mono that has plenty of tankage, it's a perk, not a necessity.
From my experience, it's not necessary to have one but if you do, you don't have to go to the dock every few weeks to fill up. It's just a convenience. Example, prickly bay Grenada. Dingys come and go with water jugs daily even though they could just dock and fill up once in a while. But that means picking up the anchor etc every few weeks. So they rather take jugs in and out daily? Many of these anchorages have such murky water that watermakers aren't used. Water quality can be a variable but thats what carbon filters are for.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by SteveSadler

I think it makes more sense for a cat (watermaker) as the weight so affects speed. (if you are sailing)
For a mono that has plenty of tankage, it's a perk, not a necessity.
From my experience, it's not necessary to have one but if you do, you don't have to go to the dock every few weeks to fill up. It's just a convenience. Example, prickly bay Grenada. Dingys come and go with water jugs daily even though they could just dock and fill up once in a while. But that means picking up the anchor etc every few weeks. So they rather take jugs in and out daily? Many of these anchorages have such murky water that watermakers aren't used. Water quality can be a variable but thats what carbon filters are for.

So you are in a single location that has easy access to safe water. It doesn't follow that other locations are easy to get water or that the water you get is safely drinkable.
FYI carbon filters are to remove chlorine while flushing. The watermakers regular filters are for removing particulates.

[SteveSadler]

Hi paul. You are mistaken. Carbon filters remove all impurities above 2 microns. Virtually everything unsafe. Drinking water is available at almost every fuel dock and city dock free for the asking. But if you want to wash your boat down daily in San Blas, you'd better have a watermaker and the means to power it.

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by SteveSadler

Hi paul. You are mistaken.

Not necessarily.

Carbon filters remove all impurities above 2 microns. Virtually everything unsafe.

Some carbon block filters might, but there are many forms of carbon filters that don't. There are filters that have carbon granules inside, and others that are carbon-impregnated, and neither does anything for germs.

Drinking water is available at almost every fuel dock and city dock free for the asking.

I don't know where you are thinking but I can assure you that fresh water is often not free in the Caribbean islands and in the Med.

Greg

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by SteveSadler

Hi paul. You are mistaken. Carbon filters remove all impurities above 2 microns. Virtually everything unsafe. Drinking water is available at almost every fuel dock and city dock free for the asking. But if you want to wash your boat down daily in San Blas, you'd better have a watermaker and the means to power it.

Except that is not how water makers are set up. They typically have a pre- filter for particulates and a seperate carbon filter for flushing. The carbon fi,ter is not in use when making water.

Which doesn't address the real point that in some cruising areas a watermaker is not really needed and in others it is a very valuable tool.

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Shrew

I think it depends on where you're looking.

The vast majority of used boats on the market are not boats used for extensive cruising.

If you look up and down the East Coast of the US, you will find most boats don't' have watermakers. Water is available at every slip and fuel dock. Many communities in New England (Newport, RI; Edgartown, Ma (Martha's Vineyard)) have a floating water rafts to pull up to wash the boat and fill up with free water.

Most boats aren't used for passage making.

This is cruisersforum.com though so we are only interested in cruising on this site. Cruising boats, cruising people, cruising answers according to the slogan.

Going through my old invoices I can see that one stop for water in a municipal port in Propriano in Corsica was €28. In Ibiza it has regularly been €15. At those prices it would only take a few seasons for the watermaker to pay for itself.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

This is cruisersforum.com though so we are only interested in cruising on this site. Cruising boats, cruising people, cruising answers according to the slogan.

Going through my old invoices I can see that one stop for water in a municipal port in Propriano in Corsica was €28. In Ibiza it has regularly been €15. At those prices it would only take a few seasons for the watermaker to pay for itself.

And in other parts of the world high quality potable water is free.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

That sounds like quite the deal Tellie. I just wish I had easy boat bucks to jump at it. My problem is I don’t really have a need for one right now, but I likely will in a couple of years when I head south… but you’re sorely tempting me.

Will you announce the sale here? It sounds like great, and very kind, offer for CF members.

Not with standing what Tellie has kindly posted on here for the benefit of all the members, there are a couple of Katadyn 40s in the for sale forum at the moment.

Pete

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by alctel

Reading this thread I'm amazed at the number of boats doing laundry onboard or having a freshwater shower everyday! O_o

We don't have a washing machine or WM, but we are becoming adapt at seeking out Laundry machines, either in launderettes, local yacht clubs, harbour masters offices and marinas. We normally do a laundry run ever 4 or 5 days to make it worth while. At the same time shop for food and top up the water.

Thankfully water in NW Europe is free and of very high quality, state and water companies monitor frequently. We have never been charged to top up the tank. Even the local beach has a stand pipe and tap for beach goers to use, free of charge. I suspect it paid for by the local council.

We fill the tank and drink straight from it.

[Gene Neill]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I would hold you down and tickle your feet until you cried VT150 it is.

Hi Tellie.

I'm not easily intimidated, but I admit the threat of this violent assault forced me to take a second look at the VT150. Roughly twice the power consumption of the 40E, but 4xthe water production. Hmmmm!

My only issue is the weight. The 40E weighs 25lbs, where the VT150 weighs 60.

Our Vega is only 27' LOA and displaces under 5100lbs, so every ounce matters. I think the extra 45lbs inherent in the VT150 might be a deal breaker. Would you still threaten me with the same physical torture, given these circumstances, or would you suggest a 40E for us tinyboaters?

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Gene Neill

Hi Tellie.

I'm not easily intimidated, but I admit the threat of this violent assault forced me to take a second look at the VT150. Roughly twice the power consumption of the 40E, but 4xthe water production. Hmmmm!

My only issue is the weight. The 40E weighs 25lbs, where the VT150 weighs 60.

Our Vega is only 27' LOA and displaces under 5100lbs, so every ounce matters. I think the extra 45lbs inherent in the VT150 might be a deal breaker. Would you still threaten me with the same physical torture, given these circumstances, or would you suggest a 40E for us tinyboaters?

Yes, I would pummel you with feathers. The difference is 35 lbs. That's barely more than the weight of four gallons of water. Go with the VT150 and keep 6 gallons less in your water tanks and your ahead of the weight game.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Gene Neill

Hi Tellie.

I'm not easily intimidated, but I admit the threat of this violent assault forced me to take a second look at the VT150. Roughly twice the power consumption of the 40E, but 4xthe water production. Hmmmm!

My only issue is the weight. The 40E weighs 25lbs, where the VT150 weighs 60.

Our Vega is only 27' LOA and displaces under 5100lbs, so every ounce matters. I think the extra 45lbs inherent in the VT150 might be a deal breaker. Would you still threaten me with the same physical torture, given these circumstances, or would you suggest a 40E for us tinyboaters?

gene I have ( I'm sure everyone knows by now ) the 35E on a defender 29 and if I didn't already own it ( on its second boat . Its over 30 years old ) I would definitely have to consider the VT150 . The weight difference would mean I store my food in a different spot to balance it out.