Water in the Pacific

[atoll]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I can, it’s called finances most likely, it’s one reason we are not all sailing large Swans or carbon fiber high performance Cats or whatever.

checkbook sailors will soon have priced all other sailors out of the market,already places like the galapagos,seychells.maldives ,mallorca,ibiza,croatia etc are beyond the average cruisers price range.

a sad fact of life

[zboss]

Buy a rainman portable and sell after your cruise at a $1500 loss or buy a cheap engine driven watermaker.

http://sunpurewatermakers.com/estima...n-water-maker/

This is the first year we have owned a watermaker and I wonder why we did without for so long. Unlimited showers several times a day and the ability to wash clothes in fresh water and not having to carry 100 gallons of water in our forward tanks. It makes cruising in heat at anchor bearable.

We also collect rain water but it’s not reliable. The rain shower can pass right by your boat and hit your neighbors boat!

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I can, it’s called finances most likely, it’s one reason we are not all sailing large Swans or carbon fiber high performance Cats or whatever.

So true, and I should have qualified my statement as: 'Someone who can afford to own and maintain a Beneteau 50' . . . . Also I must remind myself that although I enjoy a fresh water shower every day, not all folks think that is really necessary for a good life.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Well the pump says 39 amps on it, so figure 1 more for the boost pump gets you to 40. 40 X 24 gives you 960 Watts. So no you could not run it off of a 300W inverter. I’d want at least a 2 KW to give me some fudge. What I did was got an inverter / charger so I get a back up charger as well, it’s a Magnum and I am well pleased.
Depending on house loads of course, you may can get by without the generator, however my bet is you’ll still have to run it, just can pick when you run it of course.


Little off topic, but not really much, cause of course if you have a Watermaker, you need to consider how your going to power the thing.
Without adequate power, they aren’t very useful.

Sorry typo , I have a 3000w/70a/24v Victron Combi invertor

What I don't know is what the startup load on a DC motor is??

But I do have a better fudge factor than you calculated, but that was not the reason to go with DC motor on HP pump

I no longer use a gas stove inside. (Induction stove top and electric Turbo Roast).
So along with a kettle/toaster, laptops, appliances etc, I thought it best to reserve the Invertor for mostly galley appliance needs.

My experience with 4 on board, I need to make up the water tank every 3-4 days running for about 4 hours, the same time laundry is being done.
I also like to arrive at anchor with full tanks so we can wash off the salt.

Before, the Gen was needed daily to bulk charge house bank from 70-80% and we would make water

Now I'm not sure with my new Solar, what the "at anchor" needs are, but I'm guessing when they are doing a major meal, I will turn on the Gen and maybe the galley AirCon and top up batteries for the night

I have a Weber gas BBQ on the stern which we prefer to use for cooking when weather is goid

So, am I still crazy?

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by 2big2small

There’s also something to be said for keeping your boat simple. I once met a couple who were sailing the world with the means to do so in an entirely custom built boat, but they didn’t even want to own a fridge...

That's totally a personal choice and I neither admire nor laugh at someone who wants to go minimalist.
Its just not my choice after a lifetime working and living on the water.

I also think making your own drinking water is a wise health decision.

As Atoll lamented, checkbook sailors have heated up the economics of sailing....but only if you choose to avail yourself of the dramatically increased support services that those checks fund.

Moving to different anchorages catching your own food and restocking at local 3rd world markets for basics is when I am at my happiest.....

BUT, I only drink water I trust and wash everything I buy at those markets with my water.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Moving to different anchorages catching your own food and restocking at local 3rd world markets for basics is when I am at my happiest.....

BUT, I only drink water I trust and wash everything I buy at those markets with my water.

Great minds think alike

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Sorry typo , I have a 3000w/70a/24v Victron Combi invertor

What I don't know is what the startup load on a DC motor is??

But I do have a better fudge factor than you calculated, but that was not the reason to go with DC motor on HP pump

I no longer use a gas stove inside. (Induction stove top and electric Turbo Roast).
So along with a kettle/toaster, laptops, appliances etc, I thought it best to reserve the Invertor for mostly galley appliance needs.

My experience with 4 on board, I need to make up the water tank every 3-4 days running for about 4 hours, the same time laundry is being done.
I also like to arrive at anchor with full tanks so we can wash off the salt.

Before, the Gen was needed daily to bulk charge house bank from 70-80% and we would make water

Now I'm not sure with my new Solar, what the "at anchor" needs are, but I'm guessing when they are doing a major meal, I will turn on the Gen and maybe the galley AirCon and top up batteries for the night

I have a Weber gas BBQ on the stern which we prefer to use for cooking when weather is goid

So, am I still crazy?

Start up load should me minimal, because the pump is unloaded. Would have been easy to run it off of the inverter if AC, especially with a soft start motor like a stock Cruise RO has.
You need to not top up the batteries at night with the generator, although I see that done often.
You need to charge with the generator in the morning when you can put some serious amps into the bank, and ideally before Solar really starts putting out, use Solar for the top up, not the generator.

[Mr B]

This is the 10 HP motor and pressure washer I bought to run my Watermaker,
$320-00 AUD delivered.

It has a 2 metre suction on it so I can throw the intake over the side and I dont need to make a hole for a thru hull to run it through,
It eliminates the 12 Volt DC motor and pressure pump I already have, The 12 volt motor I for it have is dead,
The high pressure gauge and valve on the pressure vessel I have should control the water flow, To make it work,
I need 800 PSI to make the water pressure vessel work,
This motor puts out 3000 PSI constant,
It should make around, 128 GPH, But thats purely theoretical, What it does make is another story, Just wait and see on that one,
I will need to make a new exhaust for it to make it quiet,
It will fit neatly inside my rear locker,
I will bring the pressure vessel and Membrane home today and try it out tomorrow or so when the motor gets delivered,
Its a good boat cleaner as well,
This eliminates all battery and invertor worries that may occur, As its not connected to any of them,
Its purely as a safety measure as there is no water across the Kimberlys,
Except from Waterfalls, In the wet season,
1000 miles of coast and water supply is dodgy,
Two people on 60 gallons, Tankage I carry, Not enough to just rely on rain,
Its a good safety factor,

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You need to not top up the batteries at night with the generator, although I see that done often.
You need to charge with the generator in the morning when you can put some serious amps into the bank, and ideally before Solar really starts putting out, use Solar for the top up, not the generator.

Yes, I won't really know the charging profile required until we live back on board and the girls start using the new induction cook top and appliances. Plus how the 2 new Ozefridge top load units will cycle when in use.

[a64pilot]

Pressure washer water makers. Be careful, cause the pump likely won’t last long pumping salt water.
Output will be membrane dependent of course

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Yes, I won't really know the charging profile required until we live back on board and the girls start using the new induction cook top and appliances. Plus how the 2 new Ozefridge top load units will cycle when in use.

Just 99% of the time, you wake up to your lowest SOC, cause of course overnight nothing is putting back, unless you have wind.
The lowest SOC time is when you should run a generator, cause of course that is when you can get the most bulk charge, and usually a generator is by far your largest charge source.
If cooking really hammers the bank, maybe you will be running it twice daily?

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Pressure washer water makers. Be careful, cause the pump likely won’t last long pumping salt water.
Output will be membrane dependent of course

Thats a point, but all the other pressure pumps are pumping salt water as well,
They seem to last a long time,
The actual pressure pump is worth about $100-00, So a change over is not a problem, Its four bolts,
Cleaning it out after pumping with fresh water should cover that aspect of it,
Its trial and error,
It may not even work,
I may need another pressure gauge and valve to control the pressure before it gets into the membrane,

Its a 2.5 inch by 40 inch pressure vessel,, But I need to pull it apart to measure it, It may only be a 38 inch long Membrane inside it,

Its a lot cheaper than a new one,

[a64pilot]

Many others have used pressure washers, your not nearly the first. It will work, just the pump likely won’t last long, carry a spare.
Your other pressure pumps are not usually made from metals that quickly corrode in salt water, most pressure washer pumps are.
I believe a lot of pumps made for watermakers are nearly identical to pressure washers, except the pump body may be 316 SS and the pistons ceramic.
Don’t quote me, but I think that is the case. Then of course there are watermakers that spec and build their own proprietary pumps.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

If cooking really hammers the bank, maybe you will be running it twice daily?

Or timing extensive cooking sessions concurrent with the daytime genny runs.

[a64pilot]

We have found cooking in the morning to be better, and using the grill, buy one of those flat plates that fit the grill too. By late afternoon, adding a whole bunch of heat inside of the boat just isn’t appealing.