It's been two and a half years since we installed our SeaWater Pro watermaker, and it has been performing flawlessly. it has afforded us some well-needed and appreciated self-sufficiency throughout the Mediterannean (where marinas are super expensive), through ocean crossings (yeay for showers) and through covid lockdowns (where we had zero possibility to get water otherwise). We added a control panel in our galley which has been incredibly practical and have upgraded the membrane to the latest SeaWater Pro one. We've been buying filters and parts in hardware stores all over the World (way easier than having to order proprietary parts) and we produce 19-20 gallons (70-75 liters) of fresh water per hour. If you consider ordering a SeaWater Pro watermaker, we have just gotten an affiliate link, that allows us to receive a small commission on every purchase at no cost to you. We would be incredibly grateful if you considered using it! Thank you :) seawaterpro.com?sca_ref=1318773.3ThbpgMEbt
Hello very good video i have several question, do they ship abroad ? how many hours a day do you run the watermaker ? Do you have heating issue with the pump ? I dont see in their offer a feeding pump ? Did you install by yourself ? Thanks.
Hi. We definitely miss Ryan's technical projects and we hardly saw him during the introspective, drama driven and tiramisu spirit lifting recent transat. More of this please. Cheers
You explained that so well. I know nothing about living on a boat but I’ve found that in non live aboard boating that ppl place too much emphasis on saving space with things like electronics, wiring & engines. Sounds great for those who don’t do their own maintenance or repairs. Your system looks perfect because you can access the parts without hanging upside down after being lowered from a rope. Thank you very much for your insight.
Thanks! Very well done! I'm 72 and living alone on my 1981 42' Formosa twin diesel trawler in the Florida Keys... Am trying to move the boat to Guatemala to retire and restore the boat.. My 70 gallon freshwater tank has me looking at watermakers...thanks again! I'm inspired...
This is one of those rare videos that you could easily change a few bucks for viewing, great explanation, easy to understand, and combine with a installation part is a mini course.
Jeez Ryan, You are a bloody genius!!! 15 minutes ago, I knew nothing about water makers or desalination, now I am an expert. Your delivery and way of explaining things is second to none - You'e a natural teacher. I reckon I could tackle this job no problem. Thanks so much for this!
I used to operate RO's and Submerged element evaporates in the Navy, and I can say you have presented this in the easiest from I have come across, well done
Extraordinarily clear description of a water making system. Vanna White was a TV word game assistant who turned over letters to help contestants guess words or phrases. You aren’t expected to know this Sophie, having grown up in France. Arcane American pop knowledge. Great descriptive video!
I had to watch this a second time... I was too mesmerized by the cassette tape t-shirt!!! Joking. This was a very educational video, and when I finally am renovating, I'll go the DIY route based on this!!!
Very good explanation on how to make fresh water from sea water. As a salt water fish hobbyist I use reverse osmosis ionized to make pure water to which we add salt to make salt water for the reef tank. The process you show is very similar. The systems we use have several stages and can run at lower pressure than your set up at a lower production rate of gallons per hour. The kits for the reef tank hobbyist also contain inline TDS meters which make TDS testing a lot easier. Take care and happy sailing.
Wow thank you that was very informative I have to haul my water I have two dogs on board one of them alone will drink almost 1 gallon a day he loves his water if he doesn't have it he pick up his dish and start throwing it around banging it around on the bunks I planned on putting a larger tank in pulling a 50-gallon shiter tank out and replacing it with a freshwater tank I see no reason to haul 50 gallons of poop around and for some reason they only have a 25-gallon freshwater tank in the bow oh yeah your comment about washing your feet I totally agree I go up to the marina showers and fill up bagges to put my feet in and soak my feet them them while I I shower because I am barefoot all the time back to the point I think I can get by with about two and a half gallons a day both dogs and me dishes I have been able to take a shower using only one gallon of water was able to wash my hair twice and my body twice and still have enough for a cup of coffee not sure how clear I was but I was better hahaha again thank you very much very very informative I give you four thumbs up and again thank you🤪😜🤪☺👍👍👍👍💯
I dig your lessons for those of us that have never sailed before GREAT MORE LESSONS PLEASE I NEW THAT THOSE DEVICES MADE WATER BUT NOW I CAN KNOW FOR SURE HOW WATER IS MADE FROM THE SAILSHIP THANKS YOU FOR THE INFO
Ryan, you do a great job of breaking down the complicated and making the bite-sized elements easy to mentally digest. Thanks for doing this. Great video series!!!
God bless you guys. That was an awesome explanation for providing one of humankinds basic needs. I'm thinking how these DIY watermakers could be mass produced to help the developing world with their water needs.
Hi Sophie & Ryan! Thank you for creating & posting this video. We are coming to completion on refitting our 1984 Tayana37 to begin cruising for next 5yrs. One of last projects is water maker. This video is giving us hope we could build one ourselves. Appreciate the simplicity of video and thorough explanation. Oliver is French & I am American - we met on a dating site as well 4yrs ago and making the transition to living on our boat we purchased two yrs ago. Love watching your adventures and sharing your journey!
Great explanation. I have a rainman 115V A/C High output unit and it works just fine, but the major con for a live aboard vessel is it must be pickled after each use because you may only make water every two to 4 weeks. The automatic fresh water flush on your system is a great feature, and eliminates the need to pickle. To remove the pickling agent, the unit must run for a good 1/2 hour before making fresh water. Pro. I'm can easily sell my water maker.
This is probably the best description of the workings of a RO machine I've ever seen. I'm actually in the market for a sailing cruiser and the one I'm looking at right now has an RO system that needs a bit of work. I'll use what I've learned here to deal with this, if and when I buy the boat.
Great vid. I'm starting to put together a DIY water maker. Using a pressure washer (K4) that I bought for $160. The rest of the water maker pretty much is what you described. I expect the pressure washer to last two years but beat that against almost a thousand dollars for a motor/pump combo.
Ryan, I really enjoyed the clear, concise explanation of all of the pieces, how they fit together, and their function - great 'show and tell!' Thank you!
Thanks for these videos! You have come a long way being in front of a camera. As a 30+ year automotive electrical tech. I am impressed with the amount of research you have put into the repairs and upgrades on your boat. Electrical is intimidating to most people but not hard to work with ... But can be time consuming... The diy water maker video was well thought out and explained well. For me videos like this makes your channel stand out more. Thanks! Sometimes the how we got there are just as interesting as the adventure itself.
Hi Ryan and Sophie, this is a superb video! 👏 RU-vid is a wonderful place to learn skills and exchange knowledge with like-minded people across the world. Making this kind of video is a LOT of work, but the value they add to the sailing community is tangible and long-lasting. Keep up the great work and we hope to see you guys out there in an anchorage one day. Fair winds! Chris, Rossella & Emma 😊
A really good introduction for people . I may go DIY but have the Boat built ready to have a water maker for a future install so everything should have a right space in the right place for even easier DIY. One builder recommends having everything ready for a new I stall several years down the road, which I think is a nice attitude, saying improvements and lower costs are going to happen pretty much for certain. On to looking at the installation video. Best Wishes. Bob. 👍🙂🇬🇧🏴🇺🇲
I was just beginning research on water makers following the purchase of a Pearson 424. This was an excellent primer on the functional parts and operating characteristics of a water maker. Thank you so much.
Those Tech Corner videos are great! Kudos to Ryan for pulling all his teaching and technical skills. At this point, I'm taking all your videos to budget and get a notion on potential updates along, after buying my beloved future “blue water sailing offshore home” Cheers!
Canna White is a game show host that helps the game show host BUT SHE IS REALLY DOING EVERYTHING WITHOUT HER THE GAME SHOW HOST WILL NOT WORK BECAUSE SHE IS DOING EVERYTHING she is priceless behind the sceenes
Ryan you have a very good way of explaining things in a manner that even non-tech minded people can get their heads round. Love this Channel it is a inspiration and mind opener.
I will end up watching this video several more times. I am furiously taking notes. One very minor thing though (< means less than....> means more than)
As someone who spent five years on a couple of submarines working on water makers you did an excellent job explaining the process. So good that I subscribed to your channel 👍
Need to source a water maker for our boat, now feeling way more confident to be an informed buyer. Great video Ryan, and thanks also to Sophie who l suspect was behind the graphics.
I have to say for a demenstration ur hands down very professional. This was one of the greatest walk through presentations i've ever seen on utube. Fantastic job to both of u.👌👍
The membrane is not a "filter " per say, it is actually an ionic separator.... TSD....No... it is actually called a TDS meter...Other wise, a rather good DUI explenetion..
Nice contribution! After living in SE Asia...I am a fan of collecting rain water, even on a boat. Requires filtering, of course, but little else. Our latest system, in order to rid the decks of ugly Gerry cans, went semi-direct into it's own holding tank, with the flow pre- filtered. That way, separate testing to ensure no potential cross contamination. Never had any issues. For cruisers with more than two people, or not enough water tankage, it can make a huge difference. Better than most dock water supplies! Thisrain water, in my mind should be in addition to a decent water maker.
Ryan great breakdown. Buying a water maker is a minefield for the uninitiated - so thanks for the detailed explanation, this really does help. Love your diagrams as well.
Ryan, that was a great explanation! We have a couple RO systems at home running on the taps at 60psi. I was floored that you need ten times that pressure! Holy cow! I guess just because of the density difference. That was really fun to see how it works on a boat. Thanks!
I went the easy way and fitted a Spectra Cape Horn extreme to my cat. I do like the 12v feed pumps with the Clarke pump needing no power to run. You just have to feed 12v to the dual shurflow feed pumps. I pickle mine when not cruising and just use city water in my tanks which is available at my marina but from next year it will run full time while cruising. Nice video with good info. A watermaker makes life soooooo much more comfortable. You will see this yourselves for sure.
And radars,winches ,electronics ,gauges,,,depends on the neighborhood,,,in Key west,,we have a free wall,where we share our garbage or treasures,,,people throw away some valuable hardware,,even hydraulics,,I like your video,,very helpful,thank you
What a great video. I hope other sailors can make their own. I hold back about 8 gals of water for the flush ... great to let people know that dock water contains chlorine most of the time... kudos my friend
Ryan, Thank You SOOO Much! This was the Very BEST vid I've seen on Watermakers! Now I know How it Works, and I can Build One MYSELF! The Hardest Part is figuring out Where all the parts can fit, as you said. Hell, I thought they were COMPLICATED.....
Vana White. Very poised, elegant, professional, and beautiful. High praise to be likened to her. I would recommend flushing the saltwater out of the high pressure pump as well. The valves in that pump like to stick in the seated position when they sit for more than a week or so with hard water. The salt will make that happen even more quickly. I also would get a spare valve kit for it. Should be less than $150us and come with the O-ring seals. Good video. Can't wait to watch the second one. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Ryan (and Sophie). Thanks for posting this informative video. We are in the process of fitting our own water maker and this information has been so helpful. We have a website where we are documenting the restoration of our classic motor boat and I have signposted your video on our website because of how helpful it was. We follow your adventures and love them !! Carol and Patrick.
Very nice explanation overall. Osmosis, though, is a process involving fluids in two spaces separated by a membrane, where the "stuff" in the fluids travels through the membrane, from higher concentration to lower concentration. In Reversed Osmosis, the fluid goes through the membrane from high to low concentration. This is actually a three way process where the fluid after the filter, with the increased concentration, is dumped, e.g. into the sewage. Three: input, clean output, dirty output. In many smaller (home) systems, the clean water is stored in a tank pressurized with a bladder. As a tank has a limited capacity, at certain point when the tank is full, these systems then continue to input water into the RO filter, but dump everything through the dirty output. This wears your RO filter out faster. I am aware there are some automatic valves (simple mechanic) that would close the input of the RO filter once the pressurized clean water tank is full. As to the carbon filter, I would like that in the chain with filtered sea water as well. Just personal. Big problem, indicated elsewhere too, with RO water is it is very unhealthy. With a pH of around 5 it is acidic and in a system with normal osmosis its zero concentration causes substance to flow out of tissue into the water. You get demineralized quickly and become very unhealthy. Experience.
