Are watermakers losing their relevance?

[Exile]

Originally Posted by newhaul

I disagree with #1 its just as likely that the reason many cruiser sailboats don't have watermaker for the same reason my last one didn't. They are expensive but don't add much to the value of a boat so like me they take the watermaker with them to their next boat.

Exactly the case when I bought my boat. The nice thing is that some of the plumbing, thru-hull, and electrical connections were left in place, making future installation if desired that much easier (maybe ).

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by newhaul

I disagree with #1 its just as likely that the reason many cruiser sailboats don't have watermaker for the same reason my last one didn't. They are expensive but don't add much to the value of a boat so like me they take the watermaker with them to their next boat.
Vice that just a quick look on eBay will give you another answer.

Go walk the docks talking to people in a well populated 1st world area...which is where the vast majority of cruising boats spend the vast majority of their time...you simply don't see many with water makers.

I suspect people on this thread represent a higher percentage of longer distance cruisers who spend significant time away from potable water sources and with similar style cruisers...so they assume that is representative of the larger cruising community.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Go walk the docks talking to people in a well populated 1st world area...which is where the vast majority of cruising boats spend the vast majority of their time...you simply don't see many with water makers.

I suspect people on this thread represent a higher percentage of longer distance cruisers who spend significant time away from potable water sources and with similar style cruisers...so they assume that is representative of the larger cruising community.

in my area that's not exactly true here on the west coast most destinations ( other than Mexico ) which you want a watermaker anyway.) are at least 2 weeks of offshore passage.
Many do or at least did have a watermaker.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

There are two different discussions going on:
1) Original Question: Why do most cruising boats for sale not have water makers? Answer, most cruisers have no need for them. Water is readily available for little to no cost and easily stored onboard.
2) If you do extensive cruising away from viable water sources, is a water maker a good idea? Answer: Yes, it's a really nice tool though not absolutely necessary.

Maybe the answer to #1 is that these boats are for sale BECAUSE they don't have a watermaker. The owners have found they didn't enjoy cruising when it consisted of constantly thinking about where their next refil was coming from.

Meanwhile, boats with watermakers don't come up for sale so often, because their owners are enjoying the freedom so much.

[a64pilot]

Vast majority of “cruising boats” are never cruised.
Mine for her first 27 yrs was nothing more than a dock Queen, someone’s beach house etc. The second owners day sailed her, myself I can think of better boats to day sail than an Island Packet though.

I know it was never cruised because it didn’t even have a Windlass, nor any other cruising gear, much less a Watermaker.

Just like almost no Porsche’s are ever really driven on a track, much less raced.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Vast majority of “cruising boats” are never cruised.
Mine for her first 27 yrs was nothing more than a dock Queen, someone’s beach house etc. The second owners day sailed her, myself I can think of better boats to day sail than an Island Packet though.

I know it was never cruised because it didn’t even have a Windlass, nor any other cruising gear, much less a Watermaker.

Just like almost no Porsche’s are ever really driven on a track, much less raced.

I would clarify "never cruised on long passages or to remote areas".

Most are cruised but tend to be weekend local cruising with maybe a week or two trip per year. Still a perfectly valid way to cruise but it's no challenge to provide for water without a watermaker and thus most don't have one.

As you say, you can typically tell a long distance cruiser by the gear you see....

[a64pilot]

Cruising is a term that has many different definitions, sort of like “Blue Water”.
However I’ll say that when I was still working, we couldn’t cruise, not with just weekends and the once a year two week holiday etc.
Not my definition of cruising anyway.

I’d venture to say that most boat owners are in the same fix, that is they have a job that actual cruising just isn’t possible.

Then many don’t stop working until 65 or older, and maybe don’t have the income to cruise, plus cruising can be tough, or easy a lot depends on how much money you have.

Point is that many if not most are unable to cruise, and of the ones that are, many may want to cruise, but aren’t willing to put up with the work and bad weather etc.

I stay worried about my better half, cause cruising is primarily my idea, but it causes a lot of work for her and deprivation etc.
Not all better half’s are willing to do it.
So you end up with not a large percentage of people that could cruise, that will, or quit early, or cruising to them is a short trip to the Bahamas and stay in Marina’s etc.

Many end up selling the boat when the dream doesn’t work out, or keep it and let it fall into disrepair.

You see the same thing with airplanes, the old man can’t fly anymore, but won’t sell it, cause he just can’t bring himself to, he spent a large portion of his life wanting to one day own an airplane, now he does and as long as he owns it, he has the dream, but it quickly becomes unairworthy and very quickly, worthless.

Heck I even kept an old airplane, and keep paying hanger rent every month, cause one day cruising will end, and I’ll want to fly again.
I’m that old man that spent a large portion of his life wanting to be an airplane owner, and won’t give it up, but hope being stored correctly will keep it in good condition.

Boats are the same way, most just sit and aren’t used, but as long as you own one, you could, and one day plan to, just sometimes life gets in the way, you loose your health etc. and can’t.

The number of people that actually get to get out and cruise, are way less than the number that planned to.
So Watermakers don’t get installed in boats that plan to, mostly only in boats that are cruising, cause they need to be used, and most understand that.

[MrWesson]

Most of the active userbase here are far more adventurous than average and I think you guys sometimes forget that most people are weekenders at best.

Very informative about watermakers though and I would have one if I spent any extended time in the islands or living aboard.

[Olddan1943]

Water makers are like many things. You dont need one until you need one.

[Capt.Don]

Originally Posted by LoudMusic

...
Has anyone with a watermaker ever filled an anchor neighbor's water tank for them?

Yes, our friends gave us 10 gallons to cross from Cabo to Puerto Vallarta. That's when I decided I needed a watermaker on our boat

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Olddan1943

Water makers are like many things. You dont need one until you need one.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Yes. At Chesterfield reef, 400 miles from the nearest fresh water, a yacht anchored near us had a water leak empty it's tank into the bilge.

We gave them 120 litres of water.

Possibly more of an argument for not having all your water in a single tank.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Tellie

There's no greater pleasure at anchor when at 7am I hear a half dozed itty bitty engines. I pop my head out of the hatch and see little dingys full of blue jugs heading to shore. I go back to bed.

One of the joys of a bigger boat is a bigger dinghy.
We carry a 200 liter bladder in the bow of ours for supplementing our 5000 litre supply

[a64pilot]

The bladder is something I would adopt if I didn’t have a Watermaker.
However many places you go you either jug it or have a Watermaker, even built up places on the beaten path.
Last stop was Hatchet Bay, you jug it there from a gentleman who has a dock and a little business of supporting cruisers, he is talking about running water to the dock, but it’s not there yet.
Where I am now, Rock Sound. You jug it, and a pretty good distance too apparently, although Rock Sound is not the back country, has excellent well stocked stores, NAPA parts store etc.
But without a Watermaker, you jug it.
I like it here, will likely stay several days, I wouldn’t without the Watermaker though, I’d head out to where I didn’t have to jug water.

So a Watermaker has opened up places for us to visit, and stay, cause I doubt no matter how nice a place is that we will stay long without taking showers etc.
I’m making water right now, a Watermaker also means a washing machine on board, no having to find a laundry or paying someone else to do your laundry.

A Watermaker is like a refrigerator, yes of course you can do without, but once you have one, you’ll wonder how you ever went without a cold beer or ice in your drink or steaks etc.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

SNIP

I’d venture to say that most boat owners are in the same fix, that is they have a job that actual cruising just isn’t possible.

SNIP

My take is anything to do with "most boat owners" varies a lot. In BKH in particular and the Keys in general there are a lot of boat owners who basically use their boats as a last resort to avoid being homeless. For them the cost of even the cheapest watermaker would be more than the cost of the entire boat. I know one guy that bought a bag of ice and a 12 pack every day since he had no fridge on his boat.


Of course there are also folks who have real blue water cruisers (however you want to define it); not what I call condomarans and power boats with AC, dishwashers, hot water heaters, multiple heads with hot showers, satellite TVs on GEM mounts, and fuel tanks that cost six figures to fill; not to mention stuff I am aware of.

My Seawind has specs for 106 gallons of water and I have 5 6-7 gallon jerry cans. I left BKH and spent three months going to Dry Tortugas and back. After maybe a month in DT I had become friends with the rangers there. I had offered to volunteer there and the rangers said there was a six month waiting list. But one day a ranger said since I had been there for some time I must have a watermaker and I could volunteer to fix their watermaker. The ranger was shocked when I told him I did not have a watermaker.

When I got back to BKH I refilled my tanks and by my measure used 87 gallons of water in 85 days. I should add that I was able to take hot (solar heated) showers on the fastboat every day I wanted. By contrast in 1975 just before I started law school I too my Dad's Kenner Privateer from Marathon to DT, back to the Cay Sal Banks, then to Marathon and used 20 gallons of water in 21 days.


All that being said I have been looking at getting a watermaker. Problem for me is not so much the cost (even if they do seem overpriced) or the power requirements (I have a nice solar array and house bank and never seen lower than 85% battery level; not to mention a Honda 2000), but as I told the ranger in the DT I have no idea how to maintain a watermaker. Maybe it is just my old school attitude but I use so little water cruising that running one every day would mean I would need to dump water overboard.