sailboat water desalination

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Do You Need a Watermaker for Your Sailboat?

• By Jen Brett
• Updated: October 2, 2019

I remember, in the not too distant past, when having a watermaker aboard a cruising boat seemed to be the ultimate luxury. Plenty of sailors considered them too expensive and complicated. Fortunately times have changed. With improved technology and a range of price points on the market, now even average cruising boats of modest means carry a reverse-osmosis system. And really, is there anything that feels better after a day spent sailing and swimming than a hot shower? The freedom and security that come with full water tanks are also a nice bonus, particularly if you’re cruising in an area where fresh water is difficult to come by and pricey when you do.

Choosing a Watermaker

As with any major system, there are many factors to consider when you choose a watermaker. You’ll need to figure out your freshwater needs, the space you have available for the system and how you’re going to power it . Generally speaking, in a reverse-osmosis desalination system the raw water is run through a series of pre-filters, and then a high-pressure pump moves the water through one or more membrane housings. The wastewater, or brine, is released overboard and the product water goes into your water tanks.

Since all of the watermakers that are currently available for cruising sailboats use this process for desalination, the major differences between the systems are how you power the high-pressure pump and the user interface. Powering options include 120/220-volt AC, 12- or 24-volt DC and engine/belt driven. All have their pros and cons.

“The first question I ask a potential customer is ‘Will your boat have a ship’s generator?’” said Rich Boren of Cruise RO Water. “If they plan to have a generator, then the decision to go with a 120-volt high-output watermaker seems natural. While running the generator for battery charging and other loads two to three times per week, they can keep their water tanks full without having to make generator runs just to make water.”

A 12-volt system, such as the Spectra Catalina 300 Mk II or the Horizon Reverse Osmosis Seafari Quest, makes a lot of sense for smaller cruising boats since they don’t need a generator to run and have fairly miserly power consumption. On a breezy, sunny day, a solar panel and/or a wind generator will likely keep up with the demand. “The only difference between 12-volt DC low-output and 120-volt AC high-output watermakers is how the high-pressure pump brings seawater up to the 800 psi needed to drive fresh water through the reverse-osmosis membrane,” Boren said. “The membrane and support equipment, like pre-filtering and plumbing, are the same.”

These systems typically produce anywhere from about 6 to 16 gallons per hour, and some units can do so for about a 1-amp-per-gallon power draw.

“Many smaller sailboats, under 45 feet or so, often utilize solar panels,” said Berkeley Andrews of Parker Hannifin, which produces Sea Recovery, Horizon Reverse Osmosis and Village Marine watermaker systems. “Their entire electrical backbone consists of 12-volt or 24-volt. So they must have a watermaker that can operate on low voltage. These customers have limited amp hours on their batteries, so all of their equipment must be suited to handling this.”

In choosing a watermaker, Bill Edinger, owner of Spectra Watermakers, said to be realistic about water needs. “When helping customers decide which system is right for them, first we like to determine their approximate water usage with questions like ‘How many people are aboard normally? Are you going to be living on the boat full time? Do you have a washing machine? Any children? Are you going to be cruising full time or leaving the boat for extended periods?”

A common error people make is choosing a watermaker that is too small for their needs. “The most common mistake I see cruisers making in their watermaker purchase decision is underestimating how much water it will take them to cruise comfortably,” Boren says. “I’m not talking about the minimal amount of water it takes for the crew to stay alive, because there is a big difference between staying alive and comfort. Selecting a watermaker that will only meet their minimal drinking-water needs but not keep up with the comfort needs of the crew can lead to crew tensions and feeling like camping rather than cruising.”

Remember that “watermakers are rated in gallons of production in a 24-hour period,” Edinger said. “So a 300-gallon-per-day watermaker system sounds like a lot of water. The important thing is that it produces about 12 gallons per hour. Normally a system like this will be run three to four hours per day if power is not a critical issue, in this case producing 36 to 48 gallons of water. It’s better for a system to run for a few hours every few days than an hour every day.”

Watermakers for Small Boats

If space is at a premium, consider purchasing a modular system instead of an enclosed one. In a modular system, the components, such as the membranes and filters, can be mounted separately. Another power source for the high-pressure pump is the boat’s diesel engine. In these engine-driven setups , the pump and an additional pulley are mounted on a custom bracket next to the engine. The watermaker can then be run while motoring or using the engine to charge the batteries.

While engine-driven watermakers can produce a large amount of water, 20 or more gallons an hour on average, the downside is that the installation can be more complex than for other systems. “Unlike the 12-volt DC or 120-volt AC watermakers, where you simply bolt the high-pressure pump down and then run the wires and plumbing hoses, the hardest installation aspect of an engine-driven watermaker is finding space. Some boats simply have no room in the engine compartment to mount the 5-pound pump with a 7-inch pulley on the engine while still leaving access to other engine parts that need to remain serviceable,” Boren says.

A relative newcomer to the marine market, the portable watermaker is a good solution for cruisers who want the convenience of a watermaker but don’t want to permanently install one. The Rainman is one such system that is available as a self-contained unit driven by a gasoline-powered Honda motor, or as a 115-volt AC-powered unit. “The bulk of our gasoline-powered system customers are sailing yachts between 30 and 50 feet,” said Ron Schroeder of Rainman Desalination. “Our customers seem to prefer to have a simple and somewhat manual system over one that relies on control panels, software and solenoid valves. We are also attractive to those customers who have had bad experiences with the installation process of an installed system.”

The Spectra Passport is another portable system. Edinger said it has already proved popular with offshore race crews and cruisers who need a watermaker for only a limited time.

Maintenance for Watermakers

Watermakers have long had a reputation for being difficult to maintain, but the equipment has improved over the years and overall, routine maintenance isn’t more challenging than with other onboard systems. “The best rule of thumb is to operate the watermaker in water that looks good,” Andrews said. “There are a few factors in the feed-water condition that come into play. Operating a watermaker in dirty harbors will most certainly result in repeated pre-filter changes and a clogged sea strainer. If you have extra filters on board, you can get by, but it’s not recommended. The environment in the open ocean and remote anchorages is much better. Also consider how shallow the water is where you’re anchored. Sometimes there can be a lot of tidal movement, which can kick up fine particulate and sediment. This too can also contribute to more frequent filter changes and even damage other components. A nice option is an automatic freshwater flush, which will rinse the watermaker’s membrane element after use. It helps keep the membrane vessel housing free of any biological growth that could foul the membrane and reduce your ability to produce fresh water.”

Whatever system you choose, with proper use and maintenance you can expect years of service from your watermaker. And plenty of hot showers.

Jen Brett is a CW associate editor. This article first appeared in the February 2015 issue of Cruising World.

Aqua Marine: www.aquamarineinc.net

Blue Water Desalination: www.bluewa​terdesalination.com

Cruise RO: www.cruiserowaterandpower.com

Dometic Marine Sea Xchange: www.do​metic.com

ECHOTec: www.echotecwatermakers.com

FCI Watermakers: www.filtrationconcepts.com

Horizon Reverse Osmosis (HRO): www.hrosystems.com

Katadyn: www.katadyn.com

Rainman: www.rainmandesal.com

Sea Recovery: www.searecovery.com

Schenker Watermakers: www.schenkerwa​termakers.com

SK Watermakers: www.skwatermakers.net

Spectra Watermakers: www.spectrawater​makers.com

Village Marine Tec: www.villagemarine.com

Watermakers Inc.: www.watermakers.com

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Home » Blog » Gear » Watermakers: a guide to marine desalinators and making water on a boat

Watermakers: a guide to marine desalinators and making water on a boat

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: March 23, 2022

There’s something magical about a watermaker—at least that’s how I felt after we installed one on our boat. That may sound overblown, but think about it: watermakers transform salt water into fresh water, providing a near-endless supply of potable water for drinking, bathing, and cleaning! THAT my friends is an amazing piece of technology!

(If you don’t share my enthusiasm, try going without a shower for a few days and you’ll begin to see my point).

Having experienced living on a boat and cruising, both with and without a marine desalinator, I can attest that it’s a game-changing piece of gear. However, you definitely don’t need one to go cruising. There are plenty of low-tech ways to collect and make water on a boat.

Marine desalinators do offer some major benefits: there’s more water for showers, it’s easier to travel farther afield, you can spend more time in a remote location. However, these benefits have to be weighed against the drawbacks: namely a hefty price tag and ongoing maintenance.

Deciding whether a watermaker is right for you will come down to the type of cruising you’re doing, how much water you need, and your budget. Read on to learn about the pros and cons, costs, and key features of marine watermakers.

Table of contents

• 1 How does a watermaker work?
• 2.1 Benefits
• 2.2 Drawbacks
• 3.1 Powered or handpump
• 3.2 Electric or engine drive
• 3.3 Energy recovery watermaker
• 3.4 Modular, self-contained, and portable watermakers
• 3.5 Automatic flushing systems
• 3.6 Automatic Pressure Regulation and adjustable pump speed
• 3.7 Remote control panels
• 4 Top watermaker brands

How does a watermaker work?

A watermaker on a yacht converts seawater into fresh water through a process known as reverse osmosis (RO). A high-pressure pump pushes seawater through a semi-permeable membrane that filters out salt, organics, and bacteria. The fresh water is pumped into your water tanks while the remaining brine bi-product is discharged over the side of the boat, back into the ocean.

Marine watermakers: the benefits and drawbacks

Less water rationing.

When we started our 13,000 mile trip across the Pacific, we didn’t have a watermaker. We were on a tight budget and decided to prioritize other pieces of equipment like a life raft and wind vane.

As a result, we became experts in conserving water on a boat . We would carefully ration out water for washing dishes, taking showers, and even brushing our teeth!

After getting a watermaker we became far less meiserly because we knew we could always make more water if we needed to. It was a relief to not be constantly thinking about how much water we were using over the course of a day.

That being said, we couldn’t relax completely. We had to keep our tanks topped up, so as not to run the pump dry. We also always carried potable water in reserve, in case our watermaker broke in the middle of a long passage.

More luxuries

Can’t live without a proper shower? A boat water maker can make water-intensive luxuries like freshwater deck washdown, freshwater flushing heads, laundry, daily showers, and even baths, a possibility.

As great as this sounds in theory, we were surprised to find that we didn’t indulge in more showers after we got the watermaker.

We continued to use a hand pump pesticide sprayer to shower on deck despite having a watermaker and shower below. While some of this came down to habit, we also disliked running our engine (and consuming diesel) just to run the watermaker.

No hauling water

For us, this was by far the greatest benefit of having a watermaker!

While cruising in the US and Canada, we could refill our water tanks at a dock or marina. This was a minor hassle because it involved pulling up the anchor and docking the boat.

In Mexico, it was more challenging to get water. We would fill 5-gallon jugs at the local water purification plant in town and wheel them back to our boat on a collapsible dolly.

It often took a couple of trips with the dolly and dinghy to fill our water tanks. Oh, and we broke our dolly, twice!

We realized that if we wanted to spend more time exploring, and less time hauling water, we would have to invest in a watermaker. When we reached La Paz, Mexico we bought a refurbished watermaker, and we were so glad we did!

Our sailboat water maker gave us the gift of time, especially in places like Mexico and the South Pacific, where there were limited opportunities to fill water tanks up at the docks. It also saved us paying docking and water fees.

We estimate that our boat water maker saved us anywhere from four to six hours every week, time that we could spend exploring the wonderful places we were visiting.

A clean, safe water source

In places where the drinking water may be suspect, a boat water maker can be a reliable source of safe drinking water (assuming it’s in good working condition!).

More time in remote locations

A watermaker is a great tool if you’re drawn to remote locations where you might be the only boat in the anchorage.

It wasn’t until we reached Los Frailes, a secluded village on the Baja, that we really began to think about buying a watermaker.

There we were in an idyllic anchorage, surrounded by spectacular hiking and fishing. There was only one problem—every two days we had to walk 10 miles into town with our water jugs and hope that some kind samaritan would give us a lift back to our boat.

Before having a watermaker, we’d often leave a place we loved just because we needed to fill up our tanks. With a watermaker, we were more self-sufficient and could stay an extra few days, or as long as we wanted!

The number one drawback is the cost. We were able to find a refurbished water desalinator for $3,000, which was a great deal but also a considerable slice out of our cruising kitty.

How much does a watermaker cost?

Powered desalination systems for your average recreational cruising boat range from around 3,500 USD to 11,000 USD, with the more expensive options offering higher production (gallons of fresh water per hour).

Ongoing maintenance

Watermakers are yet another piece of boat equipment that needs to be maintained.

The majority of watermaker problems are caused by not using it enough or not using it properly.

If a watermaker is not used for a few weeks, the planktonic organisms in the seawater will die, rot, and clog the membrane and filters. This can eventually damage the reverse osmosis membrane in the watermaker.

For this reason, boat water makers should be used frequently and regularly flushed with fresh water.

Watermaker flushing

Check your manufacturer’s instructions on how to flush.

Rainman recommends flushing the seawater out of the system with fresh water if you are not using the system for more than a day or two. After another week, you need to freshwater flush the system again or pickle it for long-term storage.

Of course, it’s easy to forget, so we made it a rule to freshwater flush our watermaker after every use.

This is one good reason to choose a watermaker with an output that will meet your water consumption needs but not exceed them. If you’re using it every second day, you won’t have to try and remember whether you’ve flushed it or not.

Flushing a watermaker is relatively simple but it does involve a bit of work. We used a system with buckets of fresh water to flush our system and it generally took about 5 minutes.

You can also buy systems that automatically flush your watermaker at pre-determined times—even when you’re away from the boat (more on autoflush systems below).

Whatever you do, don’t use chlorinated water to flush as it will destroy reverse osmosis membranes. It’s possible to buy a carbon filter to remove chlorine from water sources at the dock.

Pickling a watermaker

If you don’t plan on using your watermaker for a while it needs to be “pickled” with a special biocide to prevent growth and buildup which could render your reverse osmosis membrane totally useless.

A watermaker should also be pickled every so often to chemically cleanse the membrane.

In addition to flushing and pickling, you will also need to clean out and replace the raw water pre-filters.

Operating costs

When properly cared for, a membrane should last five to ten years. If you don’t properly flush or pickle your watermaker, it can be a lot sooner and membranes aren’t cheap, generally costing in the range of 200-700 USD.

You’ll also need to purchase pre-filters and pickling solution, which are generally quite affordable. It’s also a good idea to carry spare parts

Power consumption

Watermakers can be real power hogs. When Practical Sailor tested a dozen DC watermakers they found they could draw anywhere from 12 to 48 watts per gallon, a huge range in efficiency!

According to Practical Sailor, “for maximum efficiency none of the systems drawing 15 amps or more should be operated without running the engine at the same time.”

We had to run our engine for hours to fill our tanks, which was annoying (and loud) when we were hanging out at anchor and also used up another finite resource—diesel fuel.

In our view, this was the single largest drawback to having a watermaker aboard.

Keep in mind that your power supply will determine what type of watermaker you buy. You may need to upgrade your electrical panels, get a generator or high-powered alternator, add solar panels, or increase battery capacity to supply the demand.

You can’t make water everywhere

While watermakers offer great flexibility and freedom, you can’t just make water in any old spot. If you make water in a polluted marina or anchorage, you’ll risk clogging up your filter. Most cruisers will head out to open water to ensure the saltwater they’re using is as clean as possible.

Key features to look for

Powered or handpump, handpump watermakers.

Handpump watermakers tend to be small and portable, the perfect thing to keep in your ditch bag in the event of an emergency. They’re less expensive than powered watermakers and produce far less water, usually around one gallon per hour.

Though I do know cruisers who have used a handpump watermaker for everyday use, they typically tend to be kept aboard for survival situations.

Powered watermakers

Powered watermakers run off your electrical supply or engine and can produce tens of gallons of water per hour. They tend to be a lot more expensive, but they’re productive enough to replenish your tanks.

Electric or engine drive

Powered watermakers can be electrically driven, by AC or DC, or run off the boat engine.

AC watermakers

AC models can produce in the range of 20-60 gph and are ideal for cruisers with an AC generator or alternator on board. They can also be used on boats with ample solar or wind sources and an inverter.

DC watermakers

DC watermaker systems typically produce in the range of 10-30 gph and are ideal for boats with solar power or 12V battery power.

Engine-driven watermakers

On an engine-driven watermaker, the high-pressure pump is belt-driven. These can produce a considerable amount of water, even on small engines. For instance, engine-driven units produce between 20-60gph, twice what a DC unit can produce.

Energy recovery watermaker

DC watermakers have become more efficient in recent years thanks to energy recovery systems (ERS). When the water leaves the watermaker it is still under pressure. ERS uses a set of valves to make use of this excess pressure to help drive the pump, which can reduce energy consumption by as much as 80 percent.

Modular, self-contained, and portable watermakers

Watermakers can be bought as modular, self-contained, and portable units. Choosing the right one may depend on your boat size and layout and whether you’re comfortable installing the watermaker yourself.

Modular units

Modular units come as several separate components that you can mount and connect yourself. This obviously offers a lot more flexibility and is particularly useful on smaller vessels where you may not have a lot of space. The downside is that these systems will take longer to install.

Self-contained units

Self-contained units arrive pre-assembled. While easier to install, they’re often bulkier and best suited to a bigger cruising sailboat with a large engine room.

Portable watermakers

Portable watermaker systems, like the Rainman watermakers, are entirely self-contained. Their compact design makes them easy to move and stow and you can completely avoid a permanent installation.

Simply put the intake and brine discharge hoses overboard, the freshwater hose in your water tank and you’ll be making water in no time.

If you race, have multiple boats, or plan on selling your boat, a portable watermaker is a great option because it can be easily moved from boat to boat.

If we were to buy another watermaker, we would probably opt for a portable one.

Automatic flushing systems

Automatic flushing systems use your boat’s freshwater supply to flush the watermaker for several minutes every few days. These systems require additional components (e.g., a timer, carbon filters, and a motorized valve) and installation but they take a lot of the maintenance out of having a watermaker onboard.

Automatic Pressure Regulation and adjustable pump speed

Your watermaker’s efficiency will be affected by the temperature and salinity of the water you’re cruising in. Cold and highly saline waters (e.g., in the high latitudes) will be more work for your watermaker, so it will take longer to purify.

Some units feature Automatic Pressure Regulation (APR) and adjustable pump speed which can help compensate for fluctuations in water temperature and salinity.

Remote control panels

Some watermakers have the option of a control panel which allows for easier access and remote control. Control panels tend to have a fairly simple interface with just a few gauges but may include a salinity sensor—so you can keep tabs on water quality—and auto-flush integration—so you can flush your watermaker with the flip of a switch.

Top watermaker brands

If you’re considering buying a watermaker for a boat, here are some of the top brands to consider.

• Cruise RO Watermaker
• Echotec watermakers
• Horizon Reverse Osmosis (HRO)
• Sea Recovery watermakers
• Schenker watermakers
• Spectra watermakers

Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.

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5 Best Watermakers for Sailboats

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

With the right Watermaker, the ocean becomes an almost immeasurable supply of fresh and clean drinking water to keep you hydrated during your offshore sailing adventures.

Many sailors do spend a lot of their time and money on various parts of the sailboat including the sails, engine, electronics, and generators especially when preparing for long-distance voyages.

While there's absolutely nothing wrong with this, they often overlook one crucial part of general human survival: having an ample supply of fresh drinking water.

Whether you have freshwater drinking tanks on your sailboat or planning to cruise in areas where you can easily access clean drinking water, the hassle involved in having to come to the dock to fill the water tanks can be quite overwhelming.

This is exactly why you need to find the best watermakers for sailboats.

Like many other nautical technologies, watermakers have significantly advanced in the last few decades to become very efficient and more reliable. They're no longer a luxury on your sailboat but a necessity. Better still, watermakers have become relatively affordable and are meant to keep you hydrated as you explore areas that do not have clean and fresh drinking water.

In this article, we'll take a look at how watermaker systems work, highlight its benefits, and highlight the best sailboat watermakers on the market right now. At the end of this read, you should be able to choose the best watermaker for your sailboat.

Table of contents

Benefits of Having a Watermaker on Your Sailboat

The freedom and security that come with having full water tanks on your sailboat are of immense importance, especially if you're cruising in an area where fresh drinking water is hard to come by and quite expensive when you do. As such, having a watermaker aboard your sailboat is no longer a luxury like it used to be in the past. With a steady supply of fresh and clean water, your life on the sailboat will be a lot better. This is because you'll have enough clean water to drink, cook, wash, and shower, which is beneficial if you want to enjoy your sailing adventures.

Honestly speaking, many sailors do not actually need a watermaker. Well, if you're planning to sail just near the shores, then there's a chance that you can easily access fresh and clean water by the dock. But this can be limiting if you've been dreaming of going off the grid and sailing to some exotic and unknown places in the world.

With that in mind, a watermaker makes a lot of sense to most sailors. You won't have to worry about having to carry aboard gallons of fresh water for cooking and drinking during your voyage. You won't have to treat freshwater as a precious commodity that must last until you can refill at the next port. With a watermaker, you can simply go ocean crossing without worrying about running out of water.

A watermaker allows you to have a steady supply of fresh and clean water to keep everybody well-hydrated and healthy. You can clean the water anytime you feel like and all you have to do is replace the filter once in a while and you'll be good to go. In essence, a watermaker is probably one of the most important equipment to have aboard your sailboat, so installing it is of great importance if you're a serious sailor.

The Basics of Modern Marine Watermakers

Modern marine watermakers essentially follow the principle of reverse-osmosis to produce pure, drinking water from seawater. During this process and through very high pressure, seawater is forced through a semipermeable membrane that only allows freshwater molecules to pass through it but not salt, bacteria, or any other organic material. The newly made pure, drinking water is then piped to the sailboat's water tanks while the leftover (brine) is discharged overboard.

Even though marine watermakers may differ in the type of pump that's employed and how it is driven, this is one of the most important features in every watermaker. In most cases, water can be electrically pumped or powered directly off the boat's engine. If you have an AC generator or alternator on your boat, it would make much sense to use the AC output to drive the watermaker directly. You can also choose the DC-powered models if you rely on renewable energy from solar or wind. Alternatively, you can still go for AC-powered watermakers but you'll have to buy an inverter.

All in all, DC-powered watermakers are more efficient since they integrate a power-saving energy recovery system (ERS). You must, however, keep in mind that your energy consumption levels might be quite high if you're sailing in colder and saltier areas. This is because the water purification process might be a bit slower in such areas. As such, you should consider investing in a more high-powered watermaker system if you will be sailing in colder and saltier areas than if you're planning to sail more in warm and less salty areas.

As far as an engine-driven watermaker is concerned, you should mount the high-pressure pump on the engine so that it can be belt-driven using an automatic clutch. An engine-driven watermaker should be your first option if you want large quantities of fresh drinking water. This is more productive than AC or DC-powered watermakers. Even with a relatively small engine, this setup has an automatic regulator that constantly pumps the water. With that in mind, engine-driven watermakers are ideal if you want to reduce your energy consumption. To put it into perspective, an engine-driven watermaker can lower energy consumption by an enormous 80%, especially when compared with conventional AC or DC-powered watermaker systems.

How to Choose the Best Watermaker for Your Sailboat

There are many factors to consider when looking for the best watermakers for your sailboat. Here are the most important things to consider.

Your Freshwater Needs

One of the most important things to consider before spending your money on a watermaker is your freshwater needs. What quantity would be enough to keep you going on your sailing adventure? While the quantity might differ from one sailor to the other or from one boat to the other, you should consider the number of gallons that a particular watermaker can produce per day. This will help you in choosing the ideal watermaker; a model that will ensure that you never run out of water. Do not underestimate your water needs, especially if you're planning to sail with your children or if you're planning to stay on the boat for an extended period of time.

Do you have enough space on your vessel to accommodate the type of watermaker you're looking to buy? While most watermakers are designed to fit in the smallest of space, you should consider the actual size of the watermaker and find out whether you have enough space on your vessel to fix it.

Watermakers can run on electricity, renewable energy such as wind and solar (if you have them on your vessel), or both. When looking for the perfect watermaker, you should consider how to power it and whether or not the watermaker has low-energy consumption, which is definitely a great feature. Again, there are also engine-driven watermakers, so it's important to know exactly what you're going for.

Maintenance

Watermakers have a reputation for being difficult to maintain. Fortunately, the equipment and components have improved in the last few years so you should go for a model that's easy to maintain. You should use the watermaker in water bodies that look good, You should avoid using the watermaker in dirty harbors as you may have to change the filters every so often or even damage your watermaker altogether.

Best Watermakers for Sailboats

Let's take a look at the best watermakers available on the market right now.

The Ultra Whisper

Engineered by limited electrical options that can run on either DC or AC, THE Ultra Whisper by Sea Recovery is one of the best watermakers currently available on the market. In addition to being very quiet, this watermaker features an automatic operation that requires very minimal operator adjustment.

This watermaker is ideal for small powerboats and sailboats since it can serve as an efficient water supply. This model boasts about a 75% reduction in power consumption, especially when compared to other models.

• ‍ Smooth and quiet water production
• Can produce up to 2,280 liters per day
• Ideal for small boats
• It is energy efficient
• ‍ It might not be perfect for large boats

Echotec Watermaker

If you want a watermaker model that can produce 60 liters per hour flawlessly and with no maintenance apart from changing the filters, look no further than the Echotec Watermaker. This model is designed for ultra-reliable performance and easy customer installation.

This watermaker is made from high-quality components that can withstand the continuous harsh marine environment, making it one of the most durable watermakers on the market. This is essentially a series of modular watermakers ranging from 12-volt to 24-volt DC-powered models. They bring forth energy efficiency, a computerized energy recovery system, and ultimate reliability to ensure that you never run out of fresh drinking water while out there on the sea.

• ‍ Energy efficient
• Cost-effective
• ‍ Comes with a very low speed
• Not ideal for large boats

Spectra Katadyn PowerSurvivor

As a compact and energy-efficient watermaker, the Spectra Katadyn PowerSurvivor is arguably the most affordable watermaker currently available on the market. We are talking about a model that only requires 4 amps to desalinate water for your sailboat. It can produce 1.5 gallons of fresh drinking water per hour, which is an excellent return for a watermaker of its size.

It is also one of the most portable watermakers around. You can choose to either install it permanently or temporarily in case you want to take it somewhere else. This portability is also essential if you're looking for a space-saving model that can fit in the smallest of compartments. Its simple but rugged design is essential in ensuring that it can perform at its best even in harsh marine conditions. In terms of its power capabilities, this is the only model on the market that will convert to a hand-operated system or manual power if there's a power shortage.

• ‍ Portable and lightweight
• Rugged design to withstand harsh marine environments
• Efficient and reliable
• Can revert to manual power if there's a power shortage
• Perfect for off-grid sailing
• ‍ Gasoline or diesel can easily damage the semi-permeable membrane

Village Marine - Little Wonder Series

Whether you're looking for a watermaker for your small sailboat or looking for a watermaker that can efficiently serve those huge yachts, the Village Marine Little Wonder Series provides everything. This model is meant for experienced sailors who are looking for various capacity options. This watermaker weighs just about 69 pounds but can produce nearly 180 gallons of fresh drinking water each day.

Designed with a low RPM high-pressure pump, this model remains one of the most efficient and economical watermakers on the market. That's not all; this watermaker is designed with corrosion-resistant features and is one of the most serviceable watermakers in the game. It is reliable, quiet, and portable; all factors that make a watermaker great.

• ‍ Easy to operate
• Corrosion-resistant
• Easy to maintain
• Quiet and versatile
• ‍ It doesn't have automatic adjustment controls

Ventura 150 Watermaker

This is one of the most versatile watermakers on the market. It can use both electricity and renewable energy. This model is engineered to be lightweight and energy-efficient and its compact and modular design makes it a great option if you're looking for a watermaker that's easy to use and install in confined spaces.

The Ventura 150 watermaker is highly efficient as it can produce over 6 gallons of water an hour, which makes it quite perfect for small vessels. This sailboat watermaker features a controller that allows you to operate and monitor the device remotely. It also has the auto store button that will automatically flash the system after every five days.

This watermaker is quiet and surprisingly compact despite its ability to produce about 150 gallons of water per day. It also gives you the option of going for the automated manual or manual model.

• ‍ Very versatile
• Can use both electricity and renewable energy power
• It is smooth and quiet
• It is compact and lightweight
• ‍ The manual model has analog controls

To this end, it's easy to see that having an ideal watermaker aboard your vessel is one of the first crucial steps towards being self-sufficient and sustainable. With a watermaker, you'll be able to access fresh drinking water at all times when sailing even in far-flung places. Most of these models are well-constructed and incorporate some of the best technologies that make them efficient, reliable, and easy to install, use, and maintain.

So when it comes to choosing the best watermaker for your sailboat, it may all come down to what is ideal for you in terms of energy consumption, efficiency, the quantity of water produced, among many other things. With an ideal watermaker, you can remain off the grid for as long as you want without ever worrying about running out of water and this is of great importance in enjoying your sailing adventures.

Related Articles

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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Yacht Watermakers

#1 Authorized Rainman Distributor in the USA

We’re committed to offer the lowest Rainman prices in the US! Find cheaper anywhere else, let us know!

RAINMAN WATERMAKERS

Because making water, should not be so complicated.

Rainman watermaker systems can be purchased in a portable or installed system. Convert between configurations as to best suit your needs.

Worldwide shipping available –  

Portable Watermakers

Portable Rainman Watermaker systems are ideal for applications with AC or DC power onboard.

No Installation required, ready to go in 10 minutes!

Download Manuals

Operation Manual – Electric (AC or 12VDC) System v2.81

Quick Reference Card – AC Electric

Quick Reference Card – 12VDC Electric v2.1 

Rainman Mk1 Electric PSU Case Removal v1.2

Dow Filmtec SW30 RO Membrane Manual

Sodium Metabisulphite Material Safety Data Sheet

Installation Watermakers

Rainman Watermaker’s are ideal for installation, single motor configuration, hardware included.

Take the stress and expense out of installation.

Gasoline Watermakers

Gasoline Watermakers are ideal for true redundancy. Ideal for applications with no power.

Flexibility for taking it ashore.

Operation Manual – Petrol (Gasoline) System v1.7

Quick Reference Card – Petrol (Gasoline) v2.1

Honda GXH50 Motor Manual

Use the System Guide to help choose your Rainman Watermaker

ACCESSORIES (optional)

Miscellaneous (optional), spares parts & consumables.

• Pickle Solution
• (RO) Membranes

Your new Rainman watermaker comes with 5 prefilters (one fitted and four spares). Depending on the source water, each filter should last between 5 and 50+ hours. They are non-proprietary and readily available around the world.

Your new Rainman watermaker comes with a 1 kg (2.2 lb) tub of food grade sodium metabisulfate.    You only use 3 tablespoons when you store the system for extended periods, so this tub should last quite a long time.    We normally do not recommend extra pickle solution mix at the time of purchase.

The impeller requires changing every year or two.    We use standard sized impellers that can be sourced from Jabsco, Johnson, Oberdorfer, etc. They are inexpensive and small, so it may be worth keeping a spare on hand.

If you have this system, there is a drive belt that should last for many years. Although it is generally unnecessary, some customers prefer to keep a spare. The electric watermakers do not use a drive belt.

When properly taken care of, your RO membranes should last between 5 and 10 years. We do not recommend customers carry spares. Rainman utilises DuPont Filmtec membranes, which we believe are the best in the world. They are non-proprietary sized and readily available. The TDS (total dissolved solids) readings of your product water will increase over the years, so most people look to change membranes when it climbs near 800 ppm (parts per million) of TDS.

Total System Overview

RAINMAN WATERMAKER

Desalination systems.

There’s Water Everywhere Demand for fresh water has increased dramatically in recent decades.

Many of us now expect daily fresh water showers with pressurized plumbing and unlimited drinking water. Having an operational desalination system available provides independence and flexibility.

Rainman watermakers provide clean, reliable and convenient fresh water regardless of your location. Onshore, Rainman Watermakers provides rescue teams, property owners, survivalist and off-the-grid facilities with a clean and reliable source of fresh drinking water for personal or operational use.

Until now, the only option has been a complex built-in desalination system. The high expense, complexity and maintenance of such systems have been daunting, often requiring downtime and technician call outs for maintenance or repairs.

Introducing the worlds first easy to use, low maintenance and inexpensive watermakers that doesn’t need to be installed and is built to operate as a fully functional primary system. Providing an uninterrupted water supply, and peace of mind that won’t break your bank.

With our range of portable and installation Rainman Watermakers and Desalination systems, these simple to operate watermakers are capable of producing up to 37 Gallons/hour, and if the requirement to permanently or partially install your Rainman Watermaker into your vessel, the system can be integrated at will, without a complex installation.

Rainman Watermakers are available in Portable and Installed configurations. Each can be converted to the other for maximum flexibility! Portable and installed systems allow for you to choose the best fit for your application as your preference changes.

PORTABLE WATERMAKER

The Rainman Watermaker portable configuration comes ready to go right out of the box. With set up of your portable desalination taking as little as 10 minutes, you can benefit right away from a fully functional, and extremely robust portable desalination system without the cost and downtime of complex installations.

INSTALLATION WATERMAKER

Rainman watermakers can be installed within there sturdy cases, or as a traditional installed module. This gives you the flexibility should you choose to install your watermaker immediately, or if even you decide to in years from now. A range of accessories are available to help you install your Rainman watermaker in our parts store.

Rainman Watermakers are solid, robust portable desalination systems designed for the extremes of a maritime environment and built with ingenuity, with the most popular of our systems needing only a small portable generator to operate, and our gasoline systems being completely independent and backed by the global and prestigious Rainman Honda warranty. Check out the videos below to watch out most popular portable desalination systems in action and why you too will fall in love the Rainman Watermakers.

ELECTRIC WATERMAKER

Rainman watermakers are quick and easy to setup, yet very simple and reliable to operate. Our 115V rainman desalination systems are the most popular system on the market.

GASOLINE WATERMAKER

True portability, our gasoline systems require no external power, and are the icon of true efficiency. 1 gallon of gasoline equals 140 gallons of water. No Power, No Problem.

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Salt Creek Marina and Yard Rules & Regulations (DIY & Storage)

“Common Sense, Compliance with Laws, Consideration Toward Others” (January 1, 2023)

This agreement shall be effective on the date hereunder by and between the undersigned Owner or Agent of the vessel(s) hereinafter (“Vessel Owner”) described below and Salt Creek Marina, Inc. and The Yacht Rigger LLC located at 107 15th Ave SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

8/21/2023 UPDATE – If a hurricane system becomes a named storm and your boat is in one of our wet slips you MUST move it back to its original berth. The boat is not allowed to stay. The owner is responsible for planning with their preferred captain, or The Yacht Rigger has two captains on staff.

1. Fees: The Yacht Rigger and Salt Creek Marina reserves the right to change its rates upon one (1) months’ notice.

• Monohull DIY Dry Storage will be $900 monthly or $225 weekly, with a minimum of 1 week required. After the first 4 weeks, the rate will increase by $50 per week, for the remainder of the boat’s duration.
• Monohull Wet Slip will be $1,100 monthly or $275 weekly, with a minimum fee of $100.
• Catamaran Wet Slip will be $2200 monthly or $550 weekly.
• Haul / Block / Relaunch – One Time Charge $12 per foot
• Emergency Haulout – $25 per foot
• Short Haul – – – Special Haul to be scheduled by The Yacht Rigger or approved contractor only + $175 contractor fee (includes normal haul out rate)

2. Insurance: Vessel owners must provide insurance with Salt Creek listed as additional insurer on their vessel before arrival. Vessels must always be insured.

3. Hurricane & Summer Storm Season: June 1 – November 30 Haul out boats for storage or DIY work on the hard during this time are required to remove all canvas (including but not limited to Bimini, sail covers, dodgers, e.g.) as well as all sails on the boom or furlers. Remove all moveable equipment: canvas, sails, dinghies from davits, cushions, water toys, grills, biminis, roller furling sails, etc. Canvas and sails must be stored below and not on deck. Lash down everything you cannot remove tillers, wheels, booms.

4. Live Aboard – Wet Slip Only (Yacht Rigger Only Rule): Starting January 1st, 2024, customers may NOT stay on their vessel during electrical refit work or other major modifications or upgrades down below. Due to the nature of these projects requiring major upheaval down below within your living space and the need for our teams to work efficiently. Rigging and “above deck” type work will permit liveaboards. As much as we would love to accommodate liveaboards during this time, it is simply too inefficient for us and expensive for you, the customer. For vessels with excessive items on board preventing efficient work, we will provide on-site storage pods at market rates.

5. Third Party Warranties: This includes any warranty claim that is to be made against the original manufacturer or seller of the vessel or product. Should a warranty claim arise, The Yacht Rigger will estimate the job accordingly. It will then be up to the customer to obtain approval from the applicable 3rd party (boat manufacturer, spar manufacturer, etc.). If approved & immediately upon completion of the warranty issues, the customer is solely responsible for the payment of the work completed. It is then the responsibility of the customer to be reimbursed by the applicable 3rd party.

6. Yard Hours: The boatyard hours are 8:00am to 6:00pm, Monday- Sunday. The boatyard gate locks at 6:00pm. You may come check on your vessel, re-secure rigging, canvas and pump out water during business hours. Please check in with the office if you are near closing hours.

7. Utilities: Boatyard provides power & water to vessel owners as a part of their agreement so long as the owner fully adheres to all Rules and Regulations. When you are finished with the water hoses, turn them off and place them back neatly in the area you found them. Please ask a Salt Creek Marina Boatyard Employee for access to either option.

8. Outside Contractors/ Subcontractors With Management approval (determined individually) contractors may work on a storage vessel for a fee of $40 a day in addition to monthly storage/dockage fee. The owner shall be responsible for informing the office of any subcontractor working on the vessel for any purpose whatsoever. The subcontractor shall submit insurance before any work can commence. Salt Creek Marina and/or The Yacht Rigger reserves the right at its sole discretion to stop unsafe work practices and if deemed necessary to order the offending worker(s) to leave the site at the Owner’s/Skipper’s sole risk and expense.

9. Supplies: All paint including but not limited to, bottom paint, primer or barrier paint, haul or topside paint, varnish or otherwise any paint being applied to your vessel must be purchased through the Boatyard or approved by Management. This policy is for safety and environmental protection purposes of all persons operating in the Boatyard. Paint will normally arrive within 24hrs of purchase.

10. Paint Spraying: There shall be no spraying in the Boatyard under any condition. Any person spraying any paint will be immediately expelled and fines levied.

11. Cleanliness: All vessel owners shall be responsible for keeping their area clean and professional. The Boatyard reserves the right to charge the vessel owner for any cleanup required to comply with RR. All debris associated with boat repair activities must be disposed of daily. A dumpster is located near the parking area.

12. Disposal: There is a designed disposal station of 55 gal drums for oil and one for oily rags and filters located near the office door. PLEASE DO NOT PUT GASOLINE IN THESE DRUMS.

13. Facilities: Bathrooms are provided as a courtesy to all Customers. We will make our best efforts to keep it clean but reserve the right to limit access any time. Please use the outside sink for heavy clean up and use the indoor head/sink for bathroom purposes only. The Yacht Rigger has its own set of facilities to be used by its staff and customers. Please do not use SCM facilities.

14. Parking: Park in the designated parking area. Vehicles should be parked clear of travel lift path, not in storage areas, on the seawall or blocking boats. Salt Creek Marina and/or The Yacht Rigger is not responsible for vehicles that are damaged by equipment or conditions in the yard

15. Regarding noise outside of the scope of work not being completed, i.e., radio/stereo volume, please be respectful of neighboring boat owners’ tenants.

16. Salt Creek Marina and/or The Yacht Rigger is not responsible for any theft or loss of items left on or around the vessel.

17. The yard takes no responsibility for accidents, injury, or death to any persons in or working within the yard at any time. All people wishing to enter the boatyard for any reason do so at their own risk.

18. Failure to comply with these rules and conditions can result in additional charges if Salt Creek Marina and/or The Yacht Rigger personnel are required to do site cleanup operations and/or will be asked to remove your boat from the marina.

19. Additional Rules:

• Owners are not permitted to test engines, run water for AC or other purposes while on the hard. All electricity and water shall be for the sole purpose of working on their vessel and disconnected when unoccupied.
• There are to be no mobile AC / Heater Units or Refrigeration Units to be run on the hard.
•  No unfurling of sails will be permitted at any time, under any circumstance.
• There is to be no hot work, flame cutting, welding etc. to be done in the yard.
• Jack stands and blocking may only be used and moved by employees of Boatyard.
• Boatyard reserves the right to move vessels when needed without permission or notifying owners.
• Any trailer, dingy, mast, or other personal property not directly attached to the vessel must be pre-approved, additional charges will apply if approved.
• Packages – you are welcome to send packages to our address here, but please make sure they state your name and “CO The Yacht Rigger” and limit your packages to 5 a week.

Any modifications outside of these rules will be determined individually by Management. REMEMBER THESE RULES & REGULATIONS ARE FOR EVERYONE’S BENEFIT. PLEASE HELP KEEP THIS BOAT YARD A CLEAN & SAFE WORKPLACE. ** Salt Creek reserves the right to change these rules at any time.

Use coupon code to activate discount. Add to coupon code box on your cart page.

Our Systems

Echo tec. watermakers desalinators for boats, homes, and hotels.

ECHOTec  manufactures the most rugged and easy-to-operate desalinators/watermakers or desalination systems for yachts, commercial vessels, offshore installations, and land-based applications such as small communities, hotels, and beach houses. Designed for customer installation and ultra-reliable performance, far from factory-trained service centers, the wide product range covers modular AC, DC, and belt-driven watermakers from 8.4 GPH / 32 LPH to self-contained desalination systems with a production of 14.000 gallons or 53.000 liters per day.

More than 5,000   ECHOTec  desalination systems operate dependably and cost-effective throughout the world, many of them on continuous duty. Only the highest quality components, proven to withstand continuous operation in the harsh marine environment and comply with industry standards including NEMA, ASTM, API, NSF, and BSI are selected for safe operation and ultimate product life cycle. 

ECHOTec Watermakers are globally available directly from the manufacturer and through a fast-growing net  of factory-trained distributors.

Our Featured Desalinators

2400 GDP Series with Energy Recovery

115/230v AC Pro Series (Semi-Modular/Self-contained)

AC Powered Reverse Osmosis Watermaker

Testimonials.

After 8 years experience with our ECHOTec watermaker on “Lindisfarne”, we chose an ECHOTec 260-DML-1 for our next boat “Moon

Annika & Björn

We upgraded many systems on our 10.8m sloop Tryphena for our trip from the east coast to the Kimberley. The ECHOTec 260-DML-1 water maker was probably the best investment we made. It is a beautiful piece of engineering and lived up to our every expectation.

Peter Giller

I have had 3 watermakers on different yachts over the years and I know that I need a robust, simple and efficient machine. My Echotec 260-DML-1 is all those things. In recent voyages to the Louisiades, the Solomons, New Caledonia and Vanuatu, I have enjoyed reliable, easily made water. In the Solomons, where the sea water is very warm, I was getting a litre a minute from my 260-DML-1! I had a couple of queries when installing the unit and was greatly helped by Peter from Blue Sea Machines. I unreservedly recommend both his service and the product.

Lawrie Gubb

After one year in use, I can confirm that ECHOTec was the right choice for our Island Packet 380. The 12V-unit produces a vast amount of freshwater with minimal (service) effort. We particularly appreciate that we can get competent and fast support directly from the manufacturer – even a year after the purchase. We highly recommend this watermaker.

The Habibi Crew

Just to give you some feedback on our watermaker, I must say that I am really impressed with the unit. Having a fair amount of experience with RO units, although normally much larger than this one, I am surprised at the quietness of it. It runs much quieter than expected.

Your service in getting the unit to us before departure was great as was the way it was packaged and shipped. The unit is well put together and I am very pleased with the workmanship and the fact that you supplied everything needed to do the installation.

I am happy that I bought an Echotec watermaker and will be recommending it and your company to anyone who asks.

Matt Lansdown

This was our first attempt at changing our membrane since we installed the ECHOTec 260-DML-1 all by ourselves six years ago in Malaysia. Thank you for your prompt and helpful replies! We previously had a Xxxxxxx system that failed miserably in the middle of the Pacific, repair was complicated and expensive. We love the simplicity of the ECHOTec system. We had zero maintenance, except for the occasional gear oil and filter change, in the past six years! We just have installed new solar panels and are now able to run the watermaker on solar power only during high sun. It’s really great to be able to do this! Great product and outstanding service, thanks again! Kind regards

Denis & Maria

Since 3 years we have an ECHOTec installed like most cruisers we know. After more than 25.000 liters produced, we as well as all our friends have no problems with our desalination system. Therefore, we have decided to use an ECHOTec 260-DML-1 again on our new project: The 100% solar-powered catamaran “Solarwave”, without sails and any fossil fuel.

Michael Köhler 

Just wanted to let you know how pleased we are with our new watermaker and the service we have received from your company. Thanks to everybody for their help and patience and prompt service. We will certainly recommend you to others.

Jim and Paula

Having the Echotec 260-DML-1 on board and functioning superbly was of great assistance to our efforts during the Newport to Bermuda Race. Thanks for providing such exemplary service – which has impressed me along the lines of your pragmatic and efficient watermakers.

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•   909-548-4900

• Ampac USA-Seawater Desalination
• Marine Seawater Desalination

AMPAC USA integrates advanced marine-grade Seawater Desalination Watermakers with a master craftsman’s extreme attention to detail.  The result is a reliable, super-duty, long-lasting fresh watermaker trusted by the marine industry worldwide. We design a wide variety of seawater desalination fresh watermakers that work on high-pressure Reverse Osmosis technology and can be used for varying amounts of use.

Our Seawater Desalination Fresh Watermakers are also available in modular configurations for smaller vessels that are lacking sufficient space or partially mounted in a compact frame offering an easier installation. 

For further details on our Marine Seawater Desalination Fresh Watermaker Systems , fill our contact form now, we will get back to you soon Or you can also call on our toll-free number  877-611-8530. 

Items 1 - 12 of 13

Seawater Desalination RO Watermaker 100 GPD | 380 LPD

Marine Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 100 GPD (380 LPD ) by AMPAC USA are sold at less than market prices. 

Seawater Desalination RO Watermaker 200 GPD | 750 LPD

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 200 GPD by AMPAC USA is best for every application. 

Seawater Desalination RO Watermaker 300 GPD | 1135 LPD

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 300 GPD by AMPAC USA provides pure water anywhere you are. 

Seawater Desalination Watermaker 600GPD | 2270LPD

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 600 GPD by AMPAC USA is perfect for boats and small ships. 

Seawater Desalination Watermaker 800GPD | 3000LPD

SW800, Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 800 GPD by AMPAC USA is perfect for meeting your pure water needs. 

Seawater Desalination Watermaker 1000GPD | 3780LPD

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 1000 GPD, SW1000 is a marine-based water purifier. 

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 1,500 GPD | 5,670 LPD

Seawater Desalination RO Watermaker 1500GPD, SW1500 provides pure water to boaters. 

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 2,000 GPD | 7,500 LPD

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 2000 GPD, SW2000 by AMPAC USA meets all water purification standards. 

Twin Redundant Seawater Desalination RO Watermakers 2 X 2,000 GPD | 2 X 7,500 LPD

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 2000-4000 GPD, SW2000-LC by AMPAC USA meets all water purification standards.

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 3,000 GPD | 11,350 LPD

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 3000 GPD, SW3000 makes boat rides safe by providing you pure water anywhere. 

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 4,500 GPD | 17,000 LPD

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 4500 GPD, SW4500 offers pure water anywhere. 

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 5,000 GPD | 19,000 LPD

Seawater Desalination Reverse Osmosis Watermaker 5000 GPD is offered by AMPAC USA for large water needs. 

• Ampac USA Seawater Desalination Systems Brochure 13 item
• Ampac USA 12 item
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• Ampac USA-Reverse Osmosis 100~1200 GPD
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• Custom Solutions
• Iron Removal
• KDF GAC Filtration
• Nitrate Removal
• Sulfur Removal
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Seawater Desalination
• Lead Removal

+64 (0) 98849735

Desalination For A Sailboat

Enjoy convenient fresh water with desalination on your sailboat.

Do you ever find yourself wishing that you had a convenient option for desalination aboard your sailboat? Having a pleasure cruise cut short by the need to stop off somewhere and refill the water tanks makes it difficult to plan longer excursions. For those who truly love challenging themselves for more extended periods when sailing, bringing along enough fresh water is always a major logistical hurdle. If you could only convert the seawater available all around you into potable water, you'd be good to go — but modern setups are often bulky, difficult to maintain, and on the extreme end of the cost spectrum.

At Water Makers New Zealand , we open the door to a different path: convenient and cost-effective desalination system for boats, designed from the ground up to deliver better value and performance in a wide range of operating conditions. With user-friendly features and kits capable of producing up to 240 litres of water per hour, these highly customisable solutions are ideal for many kinds of applications. With domestic systems, too, we cover all the options for self-sufficiency. Take a moment to learn about these solutions and how we can help you walk away with the best option possible.

What You Should Know About a Desalting Water Machine

Starting with some basic information about desalination and how these kits work is advisable. Understanding what solutions you have available, and whether they're suitable for the boat you have, begins with investigating specs and performance. What are some of the key things to keep in mind about our desalination machine for your boat?

There are three steps to the operation of a desalination water maker. First, a pump draws water up from the sea. Second, it goes through a two-step filtration process to remove large and small particulates from the water. Finally, a high-pressure pump forces the water back through a reverse osmosis screen, trapping ocean salts and producing fresh, clean-tasting water.

We have three types of pumps available to choose from, ranging from the budget-friendly to the high end. The appropriate pump depends on your available funds and the number of litres per hour of water you want to produce. Learn more.

Choosing the right output capacity is essential. Remember, the average person uses about 60 litres of fresh water per day. We've made it simple to estimate how many litres you consume per day, so selecting a pump at 80, 160, or 240 L/h is easy.

From universal fittings to highly cost-effective pumps and overall low maintenance requirements, it's apparent that our solutions start with value for your money in mind. 

Signs You Should Invest in a Compact Desalination Unit

How can you be sure that this is indeed the right choice for your boat? Sure, there is the undeniable aspect of its convenience, but is there any other reason you should consider purchasing a system for producing freshwater this way? Watch out for some of the signs that say ‘yes’:

You have smaller water tanks that require frequent replenishment, severely limiting the range of your sailboat when you might otherwise take longer excursions. 

You want to plan to make your vessel more self-sufficient for hosting larger groups of friends and family. 

You've experienced a water emergency in the past or have run out of potable water at a very inopportune time. 

Still unsure whether or not this is the right idea? Give us a call today for a friendly chat about your boat, your water needs, and how our solutions may align with your requirements. 

What to Expect from Our Domestic Desalination Plant

Did you know that Water Makers New Zealand provides more than options for boats? We supply off-grid systems for home and commercial use as well. These custom-designed and built systems can rely on solar or mains power, depending on your location and plans. What kind of performance can you expect from such a setup?

Our domestic setups deliver the same excellent results through a similar three-stage pumping and filtration system. This water is perfectly suitable for drinking or using in commercial contexts, such as in a dairy. 

We provide custom design and fabrication services to ensure that our clients receive an off-grid desalination setup that perfectly aligns with their needs and available space.

Years of reliable operation with 24-month warranty coverage on non-consumable parts, so you can trust in your investment as you bring it fully online.

About Water Makers New Zealand

After years of seeing marine desalination options priced through the roof, we determined there must be a better way to approach the problem. After hard work and consistent efforts, we've produced a range of options suitable for all kinds of needs — and our partnerships only continue to grow. First in class in cost-effectiveness, we're proud to provide sailors, homeowners, and business operators alike a better solution for producing clean, fresh water for many uses. To learn more about purchasing a desalination home system or a boat kit, please contact us.

• Portable and Installed Watermakers
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Rainman Portable Water Maker

Why portable.

The origins of Rainman established our reputation as the “Portable Watermaker” in the blue case. Although many customers will prefer to install their Rainman, many benefits exist for keeping your system portable.

• You don’t need to install the system. Ten minutes after receiving the system, you can be making fresh drinking water.
• If you are a cruiser and a racer, you can easily offload about 2/3 of a crew member in weight by putting the watermaker ashore.
• No extra holes in your hull.
• If you are space constrained, you can remove the system for more people and gear on shorter trips.
• If maintenance is required, you bring the system to a technician rather than a technician to your boat.
• When you upgrade your boat, the system goes with you. Installing a system in your boat will not add much value to your boat.
• You can loan it to a friend.
• Reduced initial cost due to no expensive installation process.
• You can fill up your neighbour’s tanks with our product water extension hose.
• Moving the system around is easy if you have an RV, live near water, or have another boat.
• You can easily resell the system if you are no longer getting use out.
• Minimise risk to your vessel during storm season by leaving your Rainman ashore.

System Types Available

You have maximum flexibility in power sources if you wish to keep your system portable. Any of our three platforms can be used as portable. In order of popularity, these include:

AC powered watermaker The primary design principle in the AC Rainman is that it must start and run using a Honda 2kVA portable generator. The ubiquity of this generator has helped make it the most popular system in our range. It can also run on a good quality 2kVA inverter. Higher capacity generators and inverters are commonly used as well.

Petrol (gasoline) powered watermaker   An update of the original Rainman, this system can run without any external electricity source. Just add fuel and salt water. We designed this with a Honda GXH50 motor and a simple belt drive system.

12-volt DC powered watermaker This system was designed with lower power and lower flow rates. Simplicity and low maintenance is retained by utilising a simple triplex plunger pump. Due to the lower productivity and requirement for a shorter power cord, this system is more commonly installed than kept portable.

Two Components – One Watermaker

The system is made up of a pressure supply unit (PSU) and a reverse osmosis unit (RO). Both parts are required to make a complete watermaker. The PSU lifts the seawater, filters out the sediment and puts the system under high pressure, while the RO unit extracts fresh water from the stream of pressurised seawater. Most of the water goes out to waste as brine output, while about 20% of the volume is extracted as fresh potable water for your tanks. Different RO options exist for you to select with your AC Rainman system, each to achieve their own specific objective.

Flexibility for the Future

If you are uncertain whether you wish to have a portable or installed watermaker, the best option is to buy the portable version. You can then run it portable for a while and decide if you are happy with that configuration or wish to install it at a later date. It also gives you more time to determine where you want to install the system. Analogous to buying a pre-owned house, you live in it for a while before deciding what renovations you might require. It is easy to install a portable watermaker, but you do not want to uninstall a permanently mounted system.

Using the Watermaker

After a few uses, it will take about two minutes to set up your watermaker for use. More detail is available in the operations manual, but the steps are:

• Set the systems up. You may choose to leave the systems in a locker and only move the hoses around.
• Hook the black high pressure hose from the reverse osmosis case (RO) into the quick connect coupling on the pressure supply unit (PSU).
• Put the intake hose into seawater.
• Put the green waste brine hose overboard.
• Turn the system on.
• Slowly pressurise the system to 55 bar (800 psi) using the control valve. Fresh water will begin coming out of the white product water hose.
• Let it run for a short period of time, then put it in your tank.
• When tank is full, depressurise the system and put it away.

Maintenance Requirements

While there is limited maintenance on your Rainman watermaker, there are a few things that should be looked after to ensure a long life of your system.

When storing system:

• Fresh water flush and pickle the system when storing it for more than a couple days. This may sound complex, but it is an easy five minute process with no specialist knowledge required.

5-50+ hours of use:

• Change the non-proprietary prefilter after 5-50+ hours of us, depending on cleanliness of the source water.
• Change non-proprietary impeller in the lift pump after a year or two, depending on use.
• Change the high pressure pump oil each 300 hours of use, using SAE-30 weight oil.

5-10 years:

• Change the non-proprietary sized reverse osmosis membranes after 5-10 years.
• If your system starts losing performance, the non-proprietary pump seals may eventually require replacing.

Spares and Consumables

Your new Rainman system will arrive with enough spares and consumables to keep you going for a while, so most customers do not need to order more with initial purchase. There are a variety of items you will need over time to keep your system running for many years.

» Rainman Watermaker spare parts and consumables

call +1 (714) 432-9996

+1 (714)432-9996

+1 (844)309-7501

[email protected]

Reverse osmosis & water treatment systems

• Expertise >
• Engineered Solutions >

Desalination System for Boats

Access to continuous production of freshwater while on a boat by means of a desalination system like reverse osmosis is a prime solution to many of the inconveniences water tanks impose. This process is one of the most effective methods of supplying freshwater onboard. A desalinator will save the weight and space of water tanks while producing freshwater on a boat or yacht on demand. As the weight on the ship decreases, the ship will simultaneously save energy and fuel during the venture. Additionally, the space that is normally used by water tanks and can be occupied for other purposes like added cargo or maybe more room for comfort. Having an unlimited amount of water supply also removes the restraining boundary of travel that freshwater supply requires. With a desalination system, there is no range that can possibly bind a travel venture as the need to refill water tanks or worrying about a limited amount of water supply would not exist. The freshwater that is produced can also be used for maintaining the boat itself. The usage of freshwater on the exterior leaves a much more flawless finish and will result in an immaculate exterior.

Since the majority of people utilize their watermakers for at least 5 hours per day, you will need one that produces a sufficient amount of fresh water by the hour. The conventional thought is that if your watermaker is running for 2 hours a day, then it should be generating more than 50 gallons of fresh water per hour.

Summary The desalination process  has been used in some form for thousands of years with the first seawater reverse osmosis plant being constructed and running in the 1970’s. As further advancements in desalination systems for boats continue to enhance production capabilities, it has become the primary water treatment solution in many developing countries near the ocean. Reverse osmosis has even made the use of a deslinator a realistic option for users of small to large ocean vessels. It is imperative that the right desalinator is chosen for your boat, which can be done through simple questioning. The process will be easier if you are aware of the right questions to ask. Our engineers at Pure Aqua will be more than happy to answer any questions regarding the right desalination system to use on boats. 

[custom-specifications]

Seawater is the most abundant source of water available for purification. Within the boat industry, freshwater is a major necessity. It is required for almost everything in terms of preparation, washdowns, and general water usage while onboard. Although freshwater is carried aboard for general applications, it also takes up quite a bit of space and inevitably weight that can be easily replaced with a water filtration system to additionally prevent the necessity of refill water tanks. A desalinator for boat would make an efficient alternative to water tanks for freshwater supply aboard. [/custom-specifications]

[custom-features]

Seawater Reverse Osmosis System:

Seawater Reverse Osmosis system is a desalinator that can produce freshwater from the seawater source. Through the process of reverse osmosis, water is pressurized via semi permeable membrane filters that only allow water molecules to pass; leaving behind all contaminants including salts. This process generates a permeate stream of freshwater and a reject stream of concentrated salts and contaminants that are disposed of overboard. Since the feed source of the system is seawater, the system is able to function continuously and produce fresh drinking water throughout transit. RO systems are comprised of advanced technologies that enable seawater to be not only suitable, but one of the most purified forms of water quality.

Related Projects:

• Commercial Watermaker Systems 8 X 4,700 GPD - Mexico
• Commercial Seawater Reverse Osmosis Filters 2 x 2,100 GPD - Peru
• Commercial SWRO Kit 3,000 GPD - Saudi   Arabia [/custom-features]

[custom-usage]

• Mobilized desalination system for boats
• Lighten weight  on board
• Saves energy + fuel
• Saves money in foreign ports
• Extends travel range
• Saves space
• Continuous production of freshwater
• Improves maintenance by using freshwater for  wash downs
• 99.4% Stabilized Salt Rejection

Visit our benefits of desalination page for more information. [/custom-usage]

Pure Aqua, Inc. designs and manufactures water treatment syste...

Reverse Osmosis Brackish Water Treatment for Cosmetics 115 GPM...

Commercial Reverse Osmosis Systems 100 x 3,000 GPD - Sri Lanka...

We have a seawater water treatment system for the country of S...

SWRO Equipment Location: Maldives Capacity: 24,000 GPD Applica...

Posted by Jonathan B. on Apr 10th 2020

This was a fun read.

Desalination Watermakers：Making Water on a Boat

• Easily programmable and installed
• Portable and Modular Water Generators
• Lowers fuel consumption
• Energy efficient
• Convert seawater into fresh drinking water

NEWater: Desalination of Water Expert

Do your ships/yachts have desalination plants? If you are a sailor, working in the nautical industry, owning your own fishing boat/yacht, then you must be troubled by one thing: How to get potable water on board in an easy way? Marine desalinators can turn seawater into freshwater with one button. We have a wide range of high-quality desalination systems for boats that can support your business. Send us an inquiry today for professional desalination advice based on your vessel type and size!

NEWater Brings for You Yacht Watermakers & Marine Desalinators

We manufacture portable desalination units for boats that are compact are customizable for use on smaller vessels.

Our 12-volt marine water maker is suitable for general onboard freshwater production, which can effectively remove salt and other impurities in brine.

We manufacture small desalination units for boats that are easily programmable and simple to install, providing consumable and potable water.

Here at NEWater, we produce compact desalination plants for boats that provide fresh water for the people on board for all forms of use.

Our fresh water system for boats purifies and treats saline water by removing contaminants and salt, producing healthy usable fresh water.

Our reverse osmosis water maker marine uses advanced reverse osmosis technology to remove 99% of the pollutants in seawater.

Your Best Sailboat Desalination Solution Provider

NEWater makes sailboat desalination easier! We manufacture the highest quality seawater manufacturing machines for ships and yachts and guarantee the quality of the equipment. We rely on complete product testing to ensure that the quality of our marine desalination system products is stable and reliable. These devices can also be designed as modular, customizable components to suit your boat.

Our products are used worldwide in both commercial and domestic vessels, allowing these boats to be independent of large and bulky water tanks, thus reducing their fuel intake, while also increasing the quality of life on the vessel as it increases the availability of fresh consumable and potable water for a variety of uses.

NEWater Desalination System for Boats Details Display

1. Automatic operation, automatic cleaning. 2. Emergency stop button, professional electric control cabinet, water and electricity separation, safe and reliable. 3. Full polished stainless steel frame, safe and solid, elegant appearance. 4. High-quality coconut shell activated carbon filter, to remove odor and improve the taste of water quality. 5. Imported high-quality desalination RO membrane can remove salt, organic matter, bacteria, microorganisms, etc. The output water meets the drinking water standard. 6. All high-pressure metal parts are made of SS316 material, which can withstand 7MPA pressure, is safe, and anti-corrosion.

NEWater RO Technology

Reverse osmosis is a membrane separation technology driven by pressure difference, with high separation, no phase change, simple and efficient characteristics.NEWater adopts the world’s advanced and energy-saving and effective RO membrane separation technology, filtration precision 0.0001 microns. It can thoroughly filter out all particles of sediment, colloid, rust, bacteria and viruses, limescale, heavy metals, etc., with a removal rate of 97-98%, effectively avoiding secondary pollution. The water produced can be directly consumed, sweet and delicious.

NEWater Marine Desalination Systems Applications

NEWater’s desalination system for boats is designed to transform seawater into clean, healthy water suitable for direct human consumption. It is used in islands, individuals, sailing, yachting, fishing, disaster relief, etc. The equipment is small, easy to carry, less weight, and at the same time less costly to invest in.

We also offer suitcase desalination units that can be customized to your needs. Solar energy supply is optional, and the equipment uses energy recovery devices to fully reduce energy consumption.

Related Parts

NEWater Mission：Bring New Life for Water

• Manufacturing
• Product Details
• System Data Sheet
• More Products

NEWater has an independent large-scale production workshop, which is convenient for the control and supervision of product production quality. Strictly abide by production standards and provide detailed guarantees for all projects.

NEWater establishes SOP standardized operation process and strictly implements the work process. The professional project installation team, implement 5S on-site management. Equipped with standard safety facilities, investigating access conditions, and short construction time.

The safe transportation process does not have to worry about product damage and extends the construction period. NEWater has provided system equipment to thousands of companies around the world, which guarantees absolute product transportation.

How Long does the General Production Cycle Need to Wait?

NEWater’s treatment types of equipment are divided into a large system and a small system according to the water volume. The equipment is divided into portable water-making equipment, small modular equipment, skid-mounted equipment, and container-type equipment. According to different water volumes and customer requirements, we provide customized services.

Conventional small equipment takes 3-7 days, and large equipment takes 2-3 months. This is based on your requirements and water volume.

If I Need to Customize Equipment, What Data Need to be Provided?

• As the voltage and frequency of different countries are different, we first need the local voltage and frequency of electricity.
• How many gallons the water requirement per hour is
• The water quality of the source water and what requirements need to be met
• If you need to provide on-site installation services

Does the Equipment Need to be Installed On-site?

• Portable and small equipment — This is plug and play, it doesn’t need to be provided installation services. According to our instructions, you can install by yourself.
• Small modular equipment, skid-mounted equipment, and container equipment-we will reserve the interface for docking. If there are installation workers, we will provide installation instructions and installation instructions. If necessary, we can also send someone to install it.
• How to provide installation instructions —— We have installation instructions and installation videos. If necessary, we can provide free remote software to help you with remote video installation instructions.

How to Charge for Installation Service ？

• We provide free installation instructions, with instruction manuals and installation videos
• Remote video installation guidance. If it is a large piece of equipment and the customer needs to install it by himself, then we will also provide free remote installation guidance service, but we need to plan a good time, within our working hours. Our working hours are from 9 o’clock to 18 o’clock Beijing time
• We send workers to install it. This needs to be based on the size of the project. If we have been designated to install it in the early stage, the installation service abroad will belong to our scope of work, and no additional charge is required.
• If we need to send someone to install it temporarily, we need to provide different charges according to different countries, installation technical requirements, and different types of technical work. Welcome to inquire.

How to Transport the Equipment?

There are several types of transportation, sea, air, and express

• If it is a small device and requires fast speed, we can provide door-to-door service by air and express, the normal transportation cycle is 5-10 days.
• If it is skid-mounted or container equipment, it is more appropriate to use the shipping method. The normal transportation cycle is 20-40 days.

What ’ s Your Payment Method ?

Small equipment needs payment to delivery

For skid-mounted equipment and container equipment, 50% is prepaid, 30% is charged after video inspection, and 20% is charged before shipment.

Of course, we provide you with flexible ways of cooperation. Become our agents, and have more flexible support. Welcome to contact us.

D o You Provide Maintenance Services ?

Absolutely.

• NEWater provides free installation guidance and a one-year product warranty service. During the warranty service period, if there is an equipment problem, we provide free equipment repair or replacement services. If it is a manual operation, a fee will be charged. We can provide the required equipment replacement.
• We provide life-long after-sales service. NEWater has a full set of equipment and accessories, which can be replaced. Don’t worry about the failure of after-sales and maintenance.
• During the warranty period, NEWater provides all kinds of professional technical support, and if necessary. We also provide remote video guidance services.
• After the warranty period, NEWater also provides life-long after-sales maintenance, which requires a certain amount of manual service. There are also many matching accessories that can be replaced, so there is no need to worry about the later operation of the equipment.

Do You Provide Design Services?

Yes, we do.

For conventional small equipment, NEWater has standardized equipment. For large-scale skid-mounted and container equipment, we can design a process that meets the needs according to different water quality requirements.

At the same time, we carry out three-dimensional drawing designs according to different requirements and then communicate with customers to confirm.

After the design confirmation is completed, we then proceed to custom processing. So you don’t have to worry about our design and production capacity. We will provide you with the most professional technical support.

NEWater – Your Best Manufacturer of Desalination Systems for Boats

NEWater is your trusted marine water desalination systems manufacturer in China. We manufacture a complete range of desalination systems for boats for continuous services or heavy-duty within off and onshore applications.

Our desalination system for boats is manufactured with a compact design. It makes them suitable not just for boats but also for cruise ships, yachts, and resorts. The NEWater sailboat desalination is designed to produce fresh, clean drinking water from seawater. It also eliminates frequent marina stops in order to refill water tanks.

Our team uses reverse osmosis (RO) technology in the desalination machine for boats to treat any seawater source into safe, fresh water. As a result, it can be used for bathing, drinking, deck and exterior wash-downs, food preparation, and a wide variety of other uses.

There are many benefits of desalination systems for the boat could bring for marine applications. Some of the benefits are:

• great tasting water and beverages, high-quality
• carry less weight
• improve the quality of onboard
• improve boat maintenance

Whether you need a full-automatic or semi-automatic marine desalination system, NEWater desalination system manufacturer got you covered! We have a wide range of different varieties of desalination for boats that carry capacities ranging from 380 to 10,000 GPD.

The Ultimate FAQ for Desalination System for Boats.

Water travel is presently conducive and boundless thanks to desalination systems for boats. Carrying large water containers is a thing of the past as boat desalinators supply high-grade potable water on a need-basis. Their exploitation of seawater as the basic raw material translates to cost efficiency.

At present, they are the dominant freshwater source for yachts, fishing boats, cargo ships, and passenger ships. Underneath, we provide answers to your burning questions on boat desalination systems.

• What is a Desalination System for Boats?
• What are the Primary Features of Boat Desalination Systems?
• Which Processes are Used in Desalination Machines for Boats?
• What are the Benefits of Boat Desalination Machines?
• Where are Boat Watermakers Mainly Used?
• Are There Different Types of Boat Desalination Systems?
• What Considerations Should I Look at When Buying a Boat Desalination Machine?
• How Much Does It Cost to Desalinate Water Using Boat Watermakers?
• Do Desalination Machines for Boats Consume Much Power?
• What is the Maximum TDS Level of Boat Desalination Systems?
• What are the Advantages of Using Solar Boat Desalination Units?
• Is it Possible to Have a Personalized Boat Desalination System?
• What is the Production Capacity for Desalination Machines for Boats?
• What Percentage of Dissolved Salts is Eliminated by Boat Watermakers?
• What is the Role of Pretreatment in Boat Desalination Systems?
• Do Boat Desalination Systems Provide Drinking Water?
• Can Boat Desalination Machines Satisfy the Water Demands for Large Ships?
• What is a Turnkey Boat Desalination System?
• Where Should I Purchase Boat Desalination Systems?
• Do You Offer Delivery Services on Water Treatment Systems?
• Do Desalination Systems for Boats Have Warranty Protection?
• Does the Operation of a Boat Desalination System Require Skilled Labor?
• What Processes Can be Used to Polish the Product Water From Boat Watermakers?
• What Happens to The Brine Produced by Reverse Osmosis Boat Desalination Systems?
• How Durable are Desalination Machines for Boats?
• Where Can I Access Repair Services for Defective Boat Desalination Systems?
• What are the Limitations of Desalination Machines for Boats?
• Do You Offer Feed Water Testing Services?
• Which Payment Terms Apply to Boat Desalination Systems?
• Do You Provide Other Desalination Systems?

➣ What is a Desalination System for Boats?

A boat desalination system is a specialized water treatment unit deployed in water vessels to provide fresh water by desalting seawater. These systems make use of distinct desalination technologies to eliminate dissolved solids and other undesired elements from seawater. Consequently, a stream of high-quality water is generated to support distinct boat operations.

Boat desalination systems provide boat operators with a continuous supply of product water while consuming relatively lesser space. Customary boat watermakers are reliant on reverse osmosis technology, which is revered for its proficiency in seawater desalination.

➣ What are the Primary Features of Boat Desalination Systems?

The different types of marine desalination systems have distinctive attributes. Reverse osmosis watermakers , which are the chief desalination systems for boats, are characteristically dependent on semi-permeable membranes and pressure. Their maximum TDS level (often 35,000ppm) reflects the high salinity levels of seawater.

RO boat desalination equipment typically can operate unceasingly without diluting product water quality. For conventional water vessels, boat watermakers with a production capacity of 50 gallons per hour are employed.

➣ Which Processes are Used in Desalination Systems for Boats?

There are numerous desalination technologies for marine water desalination systems to exploit. Ideally, desalination is a multi-stage process that can utilize up to three different technologies. However, certain desalination processes are more suited to specific seawaters. Here we look at the distinct desalination technologies prevalently used in boat desalination systems.

Evaporation/distillation

By mirroring the natural course of rain formation, distillation water makers are able to provide fresh water for onshore and offshore applications. This process initiates the evaporation of water molecules through heating consequently condensing the vapor to generate potable water. Distillation takes advantage of water’s low boiling point to alienate freshwater molecules from dissolved salts and other impurities synonymous with seawater.

Reverse osmosis

Reverse osmosis is inarguably the most utilized and productive seawater desalination technology in existence. It is a membrane filtration process driven by pressure to enforce salt removal. The presence of pretreatment units in RO boat desalinators elevates their productivity scores.

Click on this link to watch a very informative video demonstrating the desalination processes employed by boats and ships.

➣ What are the Benefits of Boat Desalination Machines?

There has been a recent rise in the application of desalination systems for boats as water vessel operators seek alternative sources of product water. To users, the deployment of boat watermakers  has been a pleasant revelation with nothing but positive implications. Underneath, we explore the rewards boat desalinator users are continually earning.

• They lessen the weight of the ship and create more space for vital use.
• With a boat watermaker, the voyage range is boundless.
• They consistently eradicate huge chunks of salt (up to 99.4%).
• The product water generated maintains the aesthetic value of the water vessel when used for cleaning.

➣ Where are Boat Watermakers Mainly Used?

The use of desalination machines for boats transcends various offshore and onshore applications. As the name suggests, boat watermakers are desalination systems specialized to gratify the potable water demands of water vessels.

However, their centralized and mobile nature permits their application in onshore applications such as homesteads and beach resorts. Their application in water vessels cuts across passenger ships, cargo ships, fishing boats, and naval ships.

➣ Are There Different Types of Boat Desalination Systems?

Thanks to innovation and customization, you have a variety of boat desalination systems to choose your ideal solution from. The differences in boat marine desalination systems are compounded by variations in designs, dimensions, and desalination technologies. NEWater’s comprehensive list of boat watermakers includes:

Reverse osmosis boat desalination units

This classification of boat desalination units is principled on the inherent desalination technology (reverse osmosis). RO boat desalinators employ membrane filtration to eradicate up to 99.4% of seawater-dissolved solids. They are massively prominent because of their high rejection rates and efficient energy use.

Evaporator boat watermakers

These units majorly rely on the process of evaporation to convert seawater to usable product water. They necessitate a heating source, which can be a solar panel, boat engine, or generator to initiate the evaporation process. Evaporator watermakers remove dissolved salts and are quite affordable to operate.

Additional types of desalination systems for boats are;

• Boat desalination skids.
• Solar boat watermakers .
• Modular boat desalination units.

Back to the guide  ⇪

➣ What Considerations Should I Look at When Buying a Boat Desalination Machine?

We have discussed the distinct types of boat desalination systems and you are probably wondering, “How do I determine the perfect boat watermaker for my water vessel?” To make an informed purchase, you definitely need to grasp the technical aspects of boat desalinators or have a trusted expert to guide you.

At NEWater, we provide valuable information and technical assistance to aid potential clients to make the right purchase. Below is a summary of what you need to consider before buying a desalination machine for boat.

• The appropriate flow rate that matches the scale of your application.
• The configuration and concentration of your feed water.
• The quality of the product water your application desires.
• The desalination technology in use and power supply alternatives.

➣ How Much Does It Cost to Desalinate Water Using Boat Watermakers?

The collective cost of generating fresh water using marine water desalination systems encompasses numerous factors. Purchasing a boat watermaker is the first expense incurred. The different boat desalination systems command different prices given they bear varying specializations. For accuracy reasons, price quotations are provided upon inquiry.

The second variable in water desalination costs takes note of the operational expenses, which entail labor, energy consumption, consumables, installation, and maintenance. Although these variables keep wavering, the cumulative cost of desalinating seawater using an RO watermaker ranges from $0.70 to $1 per m3.

➣ Do Desalination Machines for Boats Consume Much Power?

Reverse osmosis machines  in general, have had a reputation that depicted them as high-energy systems. However, the incorporation of energy recovery technologies is contributing to the development of comparatively power-efficient RO machines.

The magnitude and quality of the output from boat desalination systems is the primary determinant of power consumption. Customary reverse osmosis watermakers use 2.9 kWh/m3 to 3.6 kWh/m3 to desalinate seawater.

➣ What is the Maximum TDS Level of Boat Desalination Systems?

A TDS score is an indication of the total dissolved solids harbored by the seawater. Typical seawater exhibits TDS levels ranging from 17,000ppm to 35,000ppm hence boat desalination systems are specialized to accommodate the high TDS concentrations. Our boat watermakers normally have a maximum TDS of 45,000ppm and support upgrades of up to 50,000ppm given certain seas and oceans have very saline water.

➣ What are the Advantages of Using Solar Boat Desalination Units?

The adverse climatic change that has resulted in water scarcity and aridification is partly a consequence of fossil fuels. The universal adoption of solar energy is inspired by environmental conservation efforts and solar desalination has emerged as a cost-efficient solution to water shortage. NEWater provides both evaporative and reverse osmosis solar desalination systems  for water vessels. The utilization of solar boat desalination units bears the following advantages.

• They are eco-friendly.
• The lower operational costs are given that solar energy is free.
• They are compact, lightweight, and portable.

➣ Is it Possible to Have a Personalized Boat Desalination System?

NEWater will provide you with a unique boat desalination system tailored to optimally gratify your unique demands. Whether you want a personalized power supply option, design, flow rate, or capacity, our engineers will deliver a precise solution.

Our proficiency in customized water treatment systems is evidenced by the over 2000 sales of customized systems we have made in the past 2 decades. Our customized boat watermakers are tailored to generate your desired product water quality and optimally desalinate your respective feed water.

➣ What is the Production Capacity for Desalination Machines for Boats?

The number of freshwater gallons produced in an hour or day (GPD) is the grading system used to grade the production capacity of boat desalination systems. The standard marine desalination systems have capacity ranges accommodative of small boats and high-volume water vessels.

Typically, regular boat watermakers have a production capacity of 50 gallons per hour. However, larger capacities are equally available. For larger water vessels, we manufacture boat desalination equipment with capacities of up to 3000 GPD.

➣ What Percentage of Dissolved Salts is Eliminated by Boat Watermakers?

Distillation and reverse osmosis processes are the primary desalination techniques utilized by boat watermakers. With reverse osmosis boat watermakers, 95-99.4% of the dissolved salts are removed. This is in addition to the vast amounts of bacteria, viruses, colloids, arsenic, and metals eliminated by the RO membrane filters .

Evaporator watermakers are equally proficient in removing dissolved salts. The desalinated water often depicts TDS levels of 1000ppm and below, which means the water is characteristically fresh.

➣ What is the Role of Pretreatment in Boat Desalination Systems?

Pretreatment is a preconditioning process used to reduce the corrosion threat and scaling effects of feed water. Reverse osmosis marine water desalination systems employ sediment and multi-media filters to eradicate seaweed, dust, and particulates big enough to clog the RO membranes.

A chemical dosing system is often utilized in boat desalination units to regulate the feed water’s pH, temperature, and turbidity. When water softeners are deployed, they eliminate water hardness hence mitigating the accumulation of scale on distribution pipes and the desalination equipment.

➣ Do Boat Desalination Systems Provide Drinking Water?

The quality of water derived from boat desalination systems customarily qualifies for use as drinking water for passengers and crew members aboard water vessels. The salinity concentration of desalinated water ranges from 300-1000 ppm, which is in alignment with recommended drinking water.

The deployment of a polishing procedure such as UV sterilization makes certain the product water is purified and fit for drinking. When remineralizing potable water destined for human consumption, the calcium and magnesium levels should be 30 mg/L and 10 mg/L respectively.

➣ Can Boat Desalination Systems Satisfy the Water Demands of Large Ships?

For large cargo ships and passenger ships, there are high-volume marine desalination systems, with daily capacity ranges of up to 3000 gallons per day. This is not the upper limit given that large reverse osmosis systems  for boats are manufactured upon request.

Boat watermakers are assured to gratify the demands of large ships given they can run continually and desalinate water when the need arises. In addition, they generate water suitable for customary boat operations, human consumption, and utility applications.

➣ What is a Turnkey Boat Desalination System?

Turnkey boat desalination systems are automatic desalination units that are delivered to the point of use ready for instantaneous use. These boat watermakers are assembled and their primary components are interconnected at the point of production.

They rarely oblige installation and their ingenious design permits immediate application. NEWater’s turnkey boat desalinators are preprogrammed thereby reducing the demand for skilled labor. They have a small footprint and facilitate cost-saving.

➣ Where Should I Purchase Boat Desalination Systems?

In addition to quality products, buyers are ordinarily attracted to credible and transparent manufacturers/ suppliers. NEWater is one of the rare manufacturers that tick all the good boxes when it comes to the provision of boat desalination systems. Having manufactured and supplied over 9000 water treatment plants , we are a tried and tested manufacturer with a verifiable past.

We possess first-rate manufacturing equipment and exploit cutting-edge technologies to make certain our boat watermakers are resourceful, dependable, and cost-efficient. We have also adopted customer-centered services to elevate our clients’ shopping experiences. Use the contact details provided on our website to place your order today and enjoy exclusive discounts.

➣ Do You Offer Delivery Services on Water Treatment Systems?

Shopping from NEWater saves you the hassle of shipping your water treatment equipment thanks to our universal delivery service. As a renowned manufacturer of marine water desalination systems with a multinational clientele, we amply satisfy our customers’ demands by supplying our systems to over 200 countries.

By utilizing leading courier services, we manage to safely and promptly deliver your orders locally and abroad. The delivery of conventional boat watermakers averages 3-7 days when air transport is used while larger seawater systems average 2-3 months.

➣ Do Desalination Systems for Boats Have Warranty Protection?

Customers’ queries on product quality are often settled by trusted warranty policies. NEWater’s warranty protection policy is solely designed to reassure our clients of our boat desalination systems’ impeccable quality.

For a year after you have procured your boat watermaker, you can rest assured that any sort of mechanical mishap will be adequately catered for by the manufacturer. Ordinarily, our warranty policy does not provide for the mending of fabricated mishaps.

➣ Does the Operation of a Boat Desalination System Require Skilled Labor?

The operation of boat desalination systems is quite stress-free thanks to the use of uncomplicated user manuals. You can operate the boat watermaker by essentially understanding the attached user manual.

Turnkey marine desalination systems take a few minutes to prepare and get running. You can also request remote guidance from NEWater’s specialists. However, large seawater systems may necessitate a level of human input to oversee the continuous desalination process.

➣ What Processes Can be Used to Polish the Product Water From Boat Watermakers?

Although the grade of potable water generated by boat watermakers is ordinarily sufficient for numerous boat operations, an improvement in the quality is possible. For elevated microbial removal rates, ultraviolet sterilization can be incorporated as a post-treatment procedure of the RO permeate.

Post-activated carbon filters are also commonly utilized to polish product water from boat desalinators. They help reduce the chlorine concentrations in the permeate as well as eradicate VOCs, pesticides, and other objectionable chemicals.

The presence of CO2 and other dissolved gasses in the product water from boat watermakers results in elevated pH levels. Electrodeionization helps eradicate dissolved gasses as well as objectionable ionic pollutants.

➣ What Happens to The Brine Produced by Reverse Osmosis Boat Desalination Systems?

In desalination, the ejected contaminants are emitted as a concentrated solution referred to as brine in RO systems and concentrate in distillation systems. Special attention has to be accorded to this wastewater given reckless disposal could lead to water pollution and the destruction of marine life.

Recently, an efficient brine disposal method centered on reuse/recycling has been introduced. Due to the high salt concentrations, brine is utilized to produce useful chemicals such as hydrochloric acid. In other settings, the brine is first pretreated using wastewater treatment technologies before being discarded.

➣ How Durable are Desalination Systems for Boats?

Similar to typical desalination systems, boat desalination systems have life spans ranging from 15 to 20 years. In most cases, the difference between an underwhelming lifespan and an optimum one is attributed to maintenance and pretreatment practices.

The incorporation of a functional pretreatment process prevents premature damage of the RO membranes and also averts corrosion of equipment. Maintenance practices such as adequate cleansing thwart the accumulation of scales and contaminants on membrane surfaces. Consequently, this translates to extended lifespans and sustained optimal performances.

➣ Where Can I Access Repair Services for Defective Boat Desalination Systems?

NEWater is your all-inclusive manufacturer of boat desalination systems, repair components, and related products. We have a state-of-the-art production facility that empowers us to manufacture first-rate repair components for all our water treatment equipment.

In addition, we provide repair services to warranted boat watermakers and those that have expired warranty protection. In case of a malfunction, do not falter to reach out to NEWater for instantaneous action.

➣ What are the Limitations of Desalination Systems for Boats?

Boat desalination systems and other desalination systems at large have received criticism for emitting highly concentrated wastewater, which threatens marine life and the ecosystem. Additionally, boat watermakers discharge most of the seawater as waste. Only a small percentage of the intake water is converted into product water.

Investment and operational costs have perennially inhibited the widespread adoption of desalination units but recent innovations in energy recovery and membrane technologies have delivered solutions that are more economical.

➣ Do You Offer Feed Water Testing Services?

Prior to developing a water treatment solution for your project, our engineers need to comprehend the imminent feed water characteristics. To facilitate this, we have developed outstanding laboratories from which we undertake rigorous feed water testing.

Our water treatment systems are designed to offer unique solutions exclusive to the respective feed water and destined product water application. In instances where you are unable to access our feedwater testing services, we provide free technical consultations.

➣ Which Payment Terms Apply to Boat Desalination Systems?

Our payment conditions regulating payments for marine water desalination systems are constituted with the client in mind. You can settle the invoice on boat watermakers by making advance payments or opt for our installment plan. Typically, advance payments are obliged when the order is from a conventional small-sized boat watermaker.

Our favorable installment plan applies to high-volume water treatment plants. Essentially, you can make a 50% advanced payment, 30% post-inspection, and 20% before shipment. Moreover, we are open to discussing more flexible payment structures. For consultations on our payment terms, email our customer support team at [email protected] .

➣ Do You Provide Other Desalination Systems?

As a global manufacturer of water treatment systems with clients transcending various industries, we provide numerous desalination devices . Typically, we manufacture marine desalination systems suitable for distinct sources of feed water and varying application fields. Our desalination systems exploit different desalination technologies and often exhibit high desalination rates. Beneath is our diverse and high-efficient desalination systems.

• Seawater desalination systems.
• Desalination systems for homes .
• Industrial desalination systems.
• Commercial desalination systems.
• Brackish water desalination system.

There are many things to consider when choosing the right desalination for your boat. Nevertheless, our team, NEWater can help you find the right desalination system for your boat. Whether your boat is small or large, with a generator or without a generator, NEWater can handle the desalination system needed for your boat.

NEWater offers you a high-class desalination machine for boats guaranteed 100% high quality. We make sure that all of our desalination systems for the boat are delivered with reliable, durable, and long-life service. With NEWater, you rest assured that your desalination system for boats has the qualities to fulfill your market demands.

At NEWater, you can get a durable and compact design desalination machine for your boat. It allows easy installation in any size area. As a leading desalination system for boat manufacturers and suppliers in China, our team focused on designing marine desalination systems with many premium components. Our marine water desalination systems consists of the following:

• duplex SS centrifugal-type high-pressure pump (for corrosion resistance and high-performance)
• programmable computer controller
• 1000 psi fiberglass membrane housing
• High-quality seawater membranes

If your application requires commercial-grade water making or continuous-duty, the solution is very clear – NEWater! We are your efficient, extremely reliable, and budget-friendly desalination system for boat manufacturers and providers, based in China.

Let NEWater skyrocket your business! Contact us now!

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Building your own watermaker

Modern technology has brought us many new devices that make the cruising life much safer and easier. Since we are not interested in camping out while cruising, obtaining safe and clean fresh water has always been a major priority, especially overseas. The three most common ways of obtaining fresh water on a cruising boat are: 1) an effective rain collection system, 2) from shore via a hose, or 3) a watermaker. Given reasonable storage capacity and a good filtration system, a high-capacity watermaker is the most efficient — especially if you are a boonies cruiser.

A reverse-osmosis watermaker takes clean seawater and, by pushing it through a specialized membrane (special filter) at relatively high pressure, makes fresh water. This means that no longer do we have to carry hundreds of pounds of extra fresh water just to ensure we don’t run out. Also, we no longer must get up in the middle of the night to catch rainwater, or search out places ashore where we can jerry-jug water from sometimes expensive or suspect sources.

Watermakers suitable for use on a cruising boat can be obtained from a number of sources depending on your budget and tolerance for electronics gadgetry. But they all do the same thing: make fresh water from seawater. We think that if you are going to have a watermaker aboard, it should have bulletproof — and mainly mechanical — equipment with minimal electrical and electronic parts; use commonly available (not proprietary) components; make the most water practical in the shortest time (40 gallons per hour is our choice); and be repairable with onboard spares, tools and skills.

As an example, we use about 50 gallons of fresh water a week for daily cooking, drinking, showering and cleaning. A 40-gph watermaker with two 40-inch membranes can make that in one and a half hours with setup and flushing time included. Smaller units can take significantly more time to do the same work, thereby seriously affecting a cruiser’s free time. 

An engine-driven pump Because the power needed to run this volume through the membranes is more than 2 hp and a 12V motor won’t handle that, we have chosen to belt our watermaker pump to our main engine on our last two boats. This is similar to an alternator arrangement. You can drive a watermaker pump with a generator, but using only a generator puts another expensive, sometimes cantankerous and complicated piece of mechanical/electrical equipment between you and fresh water. If the generator fails, as they sometimes do, you are back to spending hours per week manually collecting fresh water from rain or shore.

We most often run the watermaker when underway and moving the boat. Infrequently, we run it at anchor and sometimes just flush it with fresh water to satisfy the once-a-week run requirement that prevents biologic buildup on the membranes.

We average less than 10 hours per year in the tropics using the engine just to operate the watermaker.

If you decide to make your own watermaker, there are several sources of information on the Internet, including my guide. Fifteen years ago, it took me quite a bit of time to engineer the specifications, develop a parts list, and then find and purchase the equipment. By that time, I had seen two successful DIY units, so I knew it could be done. I used a mix of some used and some new parts, mainly because I was on a tight budget. Since then, I have refined the unit somewhat, installed two units on our boats and helped several other cruisers do their own using my information.

Extensive engineering details are on our website under “CSY Workshop,” and we have a PowerPoint slideshow in our “Presentations” section. There is also a Seven Seas University webinar I did for SSCA a couple of years ago, with the slideshow narrated. 

Better than the WHO standard My first unit on Soggy Paws , our CSY, was still in service after eight years when we sold the boat in 2016. It had the original pumps, membranes and fittings, and was belted to our 60-hp Perkins. It was still producing fresh water that tested to about 250 ppm (parts per million solids content). The World Health Organization standard is 500 ppm.

Because I was careful never to run my watermaker in dirty or silty locations, in addition to having two pre-filters, I never had to clean the membranes in eight years.

The second installation on our catamaran is now belted to a 27-hp Yanmar 3GM30. It has a different mounting configuration, and after four years of use still produces water at less than 200 ppm.   There are many ways to mount a pump to an engine; you just need to be able to tightly tension the belt drive around the crankshaft pulley. You want to use an appropriately sized pulley to run the watermaker at near full rpm from an engine running around 50 percent of its maximum rpm.

Once you have all the parts, any competent cruiser should be able to install a watermaker in a week. It took me two weeks — but then I never claimed to be competent, just thorough.

As with ground tackle, we think bigger is better, within reason. So if you don’t have a watermaker yet, consider easing your cruising workload and making the crew happy by obtaining a watermaker. Then you can wash dishes in fresh water, take freshwater showers every day, and not worry about using too much water — just like normal people.

Dave McCampbell is a retired U.S. Naval diving and salvage officer with over 40 years’ cruising and eight sailboats’ worth of maintenance experience. He and wife Sherry, currently cruising in Southeast Asia, spent eight years crossing the Pacific via Easter Island, Hawaii and Micronesia. Prior to that, they circumnavigated the Caribbean over four years. Their most recent excursion was a 7,000-nm journey from the Philippines to the lower Solomons via eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Four years ago they sold Soggy Paws , their CSY 44 monohull of 19 years, and moved to the “enlightened side,” purchasing a new Soggy Paws , a St. Francis 44 catamaran. Their extensive website is at SVSoggypaws.com .

By Ocean Navigator

3 Best Watermakers for Sailboats (Reviews & Buying Guide)

With a boat surrounded by water, there’s surely no such thing as dehydration out on the sea. Right? Well, not exactly. There’s way too much salt in seawater, and your kidneys would have to work overtime to filter it out. And to do that, they would need more water, which explains why copious amounts of seawater is toxic to humans.

So before you take a sip of that salty brine, why not pass it through a watermaker? The best watermakers for sailboats can take seawater and turn it into potable drinking water, giving you an infinite water supply to keep you hydrated and healthy on extended excursions.

What is a Watermaker?

Otherwise called a ‘desalinator’, a watermaker takes salty seawater and passes it through a process called reverse osmosis. This happens by pushing the water through a semi permeable membrane that allows the water molecules to pass through, but restricts salt, bacteria, and other organic material.

The clean, drinkable water is then passed into a water tank where you can then collect water for use. The remaining brine that was left during filtration is then tossed overboard and discarded. What’s nice is that these machines don’t use any chemicals, so there’s no risk of water contamination or pollution.

Some machines also use a pre or post treatment of the water using things like filters, sand, activated carbon, remineralization, or microfiltration to guarantee safe drinking water.

The Benefits of Watermakers

Modern-day technology has made it possible for manufacturers to develop more compact, efficient watermakers than ever before. This has also significantly driven down prices, making them far more accessible to sailors of all backgrounds.

Today, watermakers are recognized as a sailboat essential, especially for people who frequent the waves for long periods of time. Some of the benefits of these machines include:

Efficient Speed and Fuel Consumption

Yes, you read that right. Consider this - just 1 gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds. If you’ve got 10 gallons on board, that’s equivalent to 83 pounds. A hundred gallons, and you’ve got an extra 830 pounds on board.

Watermakers allow boat owners to shave down their total weight. This lets you sail more efficiently, allowing faster speeds and lower fuel consumption which is important when you’re planning to sail long distances .

More Floor Area

Without a watermaker, you’d have to find room on board for the several tens or hundreds of gallons you need to bring with you. That also entails finding a place on your boat to store these water vats, which would obviously require significant room.

The watermakers of today are compact and lightweight. They can be either modular or self-contained, giving you different options to match your boat’s floor plan and use as little space as possible.

Safe Sailing

To ensure safe sailing, some studies have found that dehydration might actually be the reason for poor sailing performance. With dehydrated captains feeling lightheaded, achy, tired, and confused, it becomes increasingly likely to run into an accident that could endanger the lives of the people on board.

A watermaker guarantees that there will be fresh potable water at the ready any time you might need it. This doesn’t only curb the chances of dehydration, but also provides a solution for a variety of health conditions including diarrhea and various types of infections.

Extended Sailing Duration

You’ll only be able to sail for as long as your supplies on-board last. As your drinking water runs low, you’ll find yourself having to find the nearest dock to replenish supplies every so often. That’s if there are docks and shores you can access throughout your route. But what if there aren’t any?

Having the necessary equipment on board to extend your supply also means that you won’t have to rely on on-shore facilities to see you through your trip. This gives you more independence and flexibility as well as reducing the need to calculate complicated logistics.

Easier Boat Maintenance

Whether you’re underway or parked at the dock, your watermaker can help streamline boat maintenance by bringing freshwater straight to your vessel. With no need to collect buckets of water to lug back on board for a washdown, you can cut back the time and effort it usually takes to keep your boat clean.

Lots of boat owners even use their watermaker to give their boats a quick clean while they’re out at sea. This helps get rid of accumulated filth and dirt, reducing the need for a tedious deep clean once you get back to the dock.

The 3 Best Watermakers for Sailboats

Back in the day, watermakers were a luxury for the rich and the capable. But today, they’re incredibly affordable and easily accessible. Needless to say, manufacturers have also taken liberties with designing their own machines.

For you, that means an endless list of watermaker bets that could easily screw up your choice. So to help narrow down your options and lead you to the right one, here are our top 3 vetted picks:

1. Katadyn Power Survivor 40E Watermaker Desalinator

Small yet powerful, the Katadyn Power Survivor 40E is a reliable workhorse designed for boats with a small crew population of 2 to 3. This modular unit provides 1.5 gallons of water per hour, and draws only 4 amps from a 12-volt system, making it one of the most energy efficient desalinators out there.

This ‘Energy Recovery’ system works to desalinate seawater at just a fraction of the energy used by other watermakers in the same segment. Thus the device gets its name: Power Survivor.

Silent and lightweight, the machine lets you separate its primary system components so you can install the device seamlessly even in tight or awkward, irregular spaces. Most of its parts also come with a 3-year warranty, giving you that extra peace of mind versus damages and malfunctions.

2. AMPAC USA SeaPro Saltwater Desalination RO Watermaker

Able to produce 100 gallons per day, this watermaker was designed for use on small power boats or sailboats. Its super quiet automatic operation features intuitive controls that let you start and stop the desalination process with the push of a button.

Equipped with a noise pulsation dampener, the sounds produced during operation are negligible at best. This lets you run the machine in the evening to store up clean water for the next day without having to disturb your crew’s peace and quiet.

For boats with limited space, the SeaPro comes in a modular design that’s perfect for tight floor areas. It also comes in a partially mounted compact frame option that lets you fit the desalinator in place with little time and effort.

3. Rainman 12 Volt DC Watermaker

According to Rainman, their 12 Volt DC Watermaker consumes the least energy, able to filter 9 gallons of water per hour. The design touts a two-part system -- one pressure supply unit and another reverse osmosis unit. The former lifts the seawater from the source, while the other performs the desalination process.

What’s unique about Rainman’s watermaker is that the design gives you the option to install the unit directly to your boat, or to keep it handy as a portable watermaker system. This offers immense flexibility, allowing you to set up or take down your system as your situation calls for.

Aside from all of that, the Rainman Desalinator also features a streamlined control panel that makes everything easy to understand and operate at a glance. It also comes equipped with its own LED salinity sensor that tells you when water is good enough to store in your tank.

Choosing the Right Desalinator Watermaker

Not quite sure which one is right for you? Here are a few factors worth taking into consideration when buying a watermaker.

Size and Installation

There are two major options: modular and self-contained. The modular system lets you take the unit apart to install each part at a different part of your boat. This one’s ideal for boats with limited space. The self-contained system has the entire unit built together, which means it has to be installed as one piece.

Gallons Per Hour

How big is your crew? More people means you might need a watermaker with a higher GPH. Smaller machines capable of 1.5 to 2 GPH might be good for crews of 2-3 persons. But larger boats may need several hundreds of GPH to meet all of the crew’s needs.

* See: What size Yacht will Require a Crew?  

Non-Proprietary Parts

You’re going to make part replacements one way or another. See to it that you’re buying a machine that uses non-proprietary parts so you can purchase the necessary replacements anywhere online.

Warranty and Services

In case anything happens to your watermaker, who will be there to help you fix it? Check the warranty coverage and see how long the manufacturer is willing to cover it for damages and malfunction. It’s also important to make sure there’s a nearby service center to cater to your needs in case of damage.

Water You Waiting For?

The best watermakers for sailboats offer to give you a virtually endless supply of clean drinking water when you need it. But there are a ton of choices on the market, so it pays to know what you’re getting before you shell out that cash. Consider our bets for the best desalinators for your sailboat, and keep your crew happy, healthy, and hydrated all along the way.

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Cargo ship hit by Houthis sinks, spilling oil and fertilizer into Red Sea

Spill could have 'devastating' effects on marine life, food and water supplies, health expert says.

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Food, drinking water and marine life are at risk after a cargo ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels spilled oil and fertilizer into the Red Sea.

The U.S. military's Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said early Sunday the Rubymar, a Belize-flagged vessel carrying 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer, sank at 2:15 a.m. local time Saturday.

The ship was struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and had been drifting northward after taking on water. Before plunging, the vessel had already been leaking heavy fuel that triggered an oil slick through the waterway.

"It's really devastating," said David Rehkopf, associate professor of epidemiology and public health at Stanford University in California.

Rehkopf co-authored a study about a potential Red Sea oil spill in 2021, when the FSO Safer oil tanker carrying millions of barrels of oil was decaying and in danger of spilling. Researchers found a spill would have "catastrophic" public health ramifications for residents in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Eritrea.

Rehkopf is concerned about potential harm to marine life, which many residents rely on for food, as well as drinking water, given Saudi Arabia relies on desalination plants that filter sea water.

How the Houthis became major Middle East disruptors

Spill could have 'implications for the health of millions'.

"Worst-case scenario is that there could be implications for the health of millions of people from pollution, and food supply and water supply effects," Rehkopf said.

"This would be bad anywhere. I mean, if this occurred off the coast of Florida, it would be bad. But it's exponentially worse because of the difficulties that are already going on for folks there."

The Rubymar could leak 7,000 barrels, which is only a fraction of the oil carried by the Safer until its cargo was successfully transferred to another vessel last year. But that is still significantly more oil than was spilled by the Wakashio, a Japanese ship that wrecked near Mauritius in 2020, causing millions of dollars in damages and harming the livelihood of thousands of fishermen.

Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, the prime minister of Yemen's internationally recognized government, called the Rubymar's sinking "an unprecedented environmental disaster."

"It's a new disaster for our country and our people," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Every day, we pay for the Houthi militia's adventures, which were not stopped at plunging Yemen into the coup disaster and war."

U.S. Central Command has warned in recent days of an "environmental disaster" in the making.

Fish could become 'inedible,' researcher says

The Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, a critical waterway for energy shipments heading to Europe, since November in protest of Israel's attacks on Gaza.

The Red Sea is a vital source of food, especially in Yemen, where fishing was the second-largest export after oil before the current civil war between the Houthis and Yemen's Sunni government.

"The most direct effect is one of tainting or contamination, which means that the fish become inedible," said Peter Hodson, an oil spill expert and professor emeritus with Queens University's School of Environmental Studies in Kingston, Ont.

"The impacts are ultimately on a failure to reproduce, or a lower reproduction rate because fewer embryos and larvae survive."

Drinking water safety is of particular concern for Saudi Arabia, which for decades has been building the world's largest network of desalination plants. Cities like Jeddah rely on the facilities for almost all of their drinking water.

"If (oil) got into the intakes it would certainly start to affect the whole desalination process," Hodson said. "You might end up having to either shut down the purification process, or risk heavy damage that would completely destroy the desalination plant."

• Crew forced to abandon cargo ship near Yemen after Houthi missile strike
• Britain, U.S. hit 36 Houthi targets in Yemen, Pentagon says

Fertilizer 'could be the worst component'

It is difficult to gauge the risk from the fertilizer that the U.S. military's Central Command and port authorities in Djibouti, adjacent to where the Rubymar sank, said the ship was transporting.

Fertilizer can fuel the proliferation of algae blooms, resulting in the loss of oxygen, asphyxiation of marine life and the creation of so-called "dead zones."

Hodson said the effect will depend on how badly the ship has broken, which will determine how quickly the toxins spill out.

"The fertilizer could be the worst component of all this, but it really depends on how intact the ship is," he said.

The Red Sea is home to some of the world's most colourful and extensive coral reefs, which are also at risk. Several are major tourist draws and increasingly a subject of great scientific research, owing to their apparent resilience to warming seawater temperatures.

Concerns raised about future spills

Ian Ralby, founder of maritime security firm I.R. Consilium, told the Associated Press that the Red Sea's unique circular water patterns aggravate these concerns. The patterns operate essentially as a giant lagoon, he said, with water moving north toward the Suez Canal during winter and outward to the Gulf of Aden in summer.

"What spills in the Red Sea, stays in the Red Sea," he said.

Ralby said he worries that even if this spill is manageable, there could be bigger disasters to come.

• Analysis Houthis shoring up power in Yemen with Red Sea strikes in support of Gaza

He said most container ships stopped using the Red Sea shipping lanes since the Houthis began targeting ships in the area. What remains, he said, are poorly maintained vessels, oil tankers and bulk carriers that pose far greater environmental risks.

"With fewer and fewer container ships to target, the odds of another spill with massive environmental impact has increased enormously," Ralby said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Digital writer

Kevin Maimann is a senior writer for CBC News based in Edmonton. He has covered a wide range of topics for publications including VICE, Toronto Star, Xtra Magazine and the Edmonton Journal. You can reach Kevin by email at [email protected].

With files from the Associated Press

Related Stories

Rubymar cargo ship sinks in Red Sea after Houthi attack

A ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea.

The Rubymar cargo ship, which was attacked last month, is the first vessel lost since Houthi militants began targeting commercial shipping in November.

A Yemeni government statement said the ship sunk on Friday night and warned of an "environmental catastrophe".

The ship was carrying approximately 21,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulphate fertiliser, the US military's Central Command said, after  giving the cargo as more than 41,000 tonnes after the initial attack.

Yemen's Houthi militants have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea region since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Fishing industry and drinking water under threat

A vibrant fishing industry, some of the world's largest coral reefs and desalination plants supplying millions with drinking water are all at risk from the large amounts of fertiliser and oil spilled into the Red Sea.

Even before plunging to the ocean's depths, the vessel had been leaking heavy fuel that created a 30-kilometre oil slick through the waterway, which is critical for cargo and energy shipments heading to Europe.

US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, warned in recent days of an "environmental disaster" in the making.

Ian Ralby, founder of maritime security firm IR Consilium, said the environmental disaster had less to do with the size of the vessel's cargo than the unique natural features and use of the Red Sea.

Aggravating concerns over the Rubymar's sinking are the unique circular water patterns of the Red Sea, which operates essentially as a giant lagoon, with water moving northward, toward the Suez Canal in Egypt, during winter and outward to the Gulf of Aden in summer.

"What spills in the Red Sea stays in the Red Sea," Mr Ralby said.

"There are many ways it can be harmed."

Red Sea tensions rising

Italy's defence ministry said on Saturday one of the country's naval ships had shot down a drone flying towards it in the Red Sea.

The Houthi Transport Ministry, meanwhile, said there had been a "glitch" in undersea communication cables in the Red Sea due to actions by US and British naval vessels.

On Monday, a Yemeni government team visited the Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, Lebanese-owned cargo ship, and said it was partially submerged and could sink within a couple of days.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, which watches over Middle East waterways, separately acknowledged the Rubymar's sinking to the Associated Press.

The Rubymar's Beirut-based manager could not be immediately reached for comment.

Although the ship is owned by a Lebanese entity, it is believed the Houthis targeted it for UK links based upon a Southampton address for registered owner Golden Adventure Shipping SA. 

The US military previously said the attack had significantly damaged the freighter and caused a 29-kilometre oil slick.

The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, though plans had been made to try to tow the ship to a safe port.

The Iran-backed Houthis, who had falsely claimed the ship sank almost instantly after the attack, did not immediately acknowledge the ship's sinking.

A satellite image taken on Friday by Maxar Technologies showed new blast damage on the Rubymar not previously seen, with no other vessels around it.

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

'houthis will bear the consequences': us and british forces carry out additional strikes in yemen over red sea attacks.

US strikes Houthi weapons sites in Yemen with Australian support

US and UK carry out new strikes against Houthi rebels

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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