How to Make Safe-to-Drink Water with Marine Watermakers

Only roughly 3% of water on Earth is safe to drink. Of that, only about 1% is easily accessible – the rest is trapped in glaciers and snowfields. When you’re deep at sea enjoying a day of boating, it is impossible to find potable water short of any that you brought with you. Fortunately, technology exists in the form of boat watermakers that can transform the saline water surrounding you in the ocean into safe-to-drink water! Read on to discover how marine watermakers make this process happen.

First, water comes directly from the ocean through a through hull. As the name suggests, a through hull is an opening in the hull of the boat that allows you to accumulate saline water. Commonly, other features of boats also require through hulls, such as sinks, toilets, and engines. The through hull not only allows saline water to enter your boat watermaker, but it also provides the discharge with an avenue of escape.

After entering the watermaker via the through hull, saline water is then filtered through a strainer. This strainer serves to remove the big particulate from the ocean water before it goes through the pump. Next, the saline water will then pass through a series of filters that remove other smaller contaminants, such as waste from sea life. At this point, the water is slightly cleaner, but it is still very salty and dangerous to drink.

Then, the saline water will pass through a membrane where the process of reverse osmosis will be completed. In most cases, this dense membrane is designed to allow only water to pass through while preventing the passage of solutes, such as salt ions. This process requires that a high pressure be exerted on the high concentration side of the membrane, which is exerted from a high-pressure pump. Depending on the quality of the water (e.g., brackish water or ocean water), the pressure in the water may be taken up to anything between 400 to 1000 psi.

As reverse osmosis takes its course, salt and particulates will finally be removed from the water. The salty discharge will exit the boat via the through hull, while the fresh water stays inside. Then, before storing it in your tanks, you must still test the water to ensure that the purification process removed all the contaminants. Test the water for any traces of minerals. If the water is potable, then you can proceed with filling your tanks! If you are still picking up traces of contaminants in your water, then you may need to have your marine watermaker inspected.

The reverse osmosis membrane is a delicate piece of equipment that requires constant care. After each use of your watermaker, as well as once a week, flush the membrane with fresh water. Chemicals and contaminants can harm the membrane, so make sure to only use desalinated water.

With a boat watermaker, all it takes is one flip of a switch to fill up your tanks with safe-to-drink water. Yacht-Mate is your leading choice to find the ideal watermaker for your boat. For 20 years, we have provided the marine industry with the purest, highest quality drinking water. Just give us a call to learn more!

Marine Water Softeners: Is It Time to Get One for Your Boat?

Cruising across long distances can prove detrimental to the long-term health of your boat. This is because much of the water found along boating routes is hard water – that is, water that contains a large quantity of dissolved minerals and contaminants. Some of these minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, aren’t harmful to human health but they can cause inefficiencies or other types of damages to your boat. Fortunately, marine water softeners utilize several methods to transform this hard water, which saves you time and money! So, how do you know when it’s time to get one for your boat? Just keep reading to learn more!

Hard water is incompatible with soap, dries out skin and hair, and damages pipes and plumbing fixtures due to scale build-up. It does have its fair share of benefits – for example, it can reduce the solubility of toxic metal ions – but hard water will often do more harm to your boat than good. Soft water will preserve the exterior of your boat as well as its pipes and fixtures.

Hardness in water is usually caused by the presence of minerals that have become trapped. Certain regions of the country are especially notorious for hard water, including Florida. It’s not always evident that your boat is suffering from hard water buildup, but there are a few ways to check! Try measuring water hardness with the following suggestions:

  • Hard water produces noticeably less lather when it interacts with soap. Plus, it produces a white precipitate that is absent when using soft water. This is in contrast to soft water’s interaction with soap, which is sure to yield a much greater lather.
  • Some pre-packaged kits can indicate how many grains per gallon of mineral presence are in the water. There is no exact number that differentiates hard water from soft water but consider that 3 or fewer grains per gallon is considered slightly hard while anything over 14 grains per gallon is considered extremely hard water.

If you confirm hard water using either of these methods, then the time may be right to invest in a marine water softener for your boat! Eliminating hard water in favor of softer water will make your travels easier and preserve your boat’s finish for much longer, which also maintains your boat’s value. Not only will the water taste better without mineral contamination, but the lifespan of all your appliances and utilities onboard will improve as well. Contact Yacht-Mate Products today to learn more about our incredible selection of leading marine water softeners! All of our softeners include hardness test kits and are guaranteed to eliminate hard water stains, which saves you time and money on cleaning!

4 Reasons Why Boat Watermakers Are Essential to Long-Term Cruising

Imagine having a limitless supply of fresh drinking water no matter where or how long you’re boating. This is precisely what boat watermakers make possible for those cruising across the open sea! Through an intricate process of reverse osmosis, contaminants are removed from the very water we sail on to turn it into fresh water for everyone onboard. The benefits of this are crystal clear – just read on to learn four of the most important ones!

Good Boating, Great Health

Hydration is a vital aspect of boating. While spending so much time under the sun, we are more likely to become dehydrated which can result in fatigue, dizziness, and headache. A sufficient rule of thumb is to drink water every 15-20 minutes when you’re aboard your vessel, which can quickly deplete a finite amount of drinking water. With a boat watermaker, you will suffer no such shortage of drinking water, allowing all passengers to remain hydrated all day long.

Cut Weight and Add Space

Installing a boat watermaker eliminates the need to over encumber your yacht with bottled water. Consider that one gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds. For every 10 gallons of bottled water being stored onboard, you are adding 83 pounds of weight to your vessel! This results in wasted fuel and slower speeds. Boat watermakers make water at 1-5 gallons per minute, which can then be pumped out to distribution points throughout the vessel. In order to enjoy access to a fresh source of drinkable water in locations such as the galley, salon, or bridge bars, boaters should consider point of use filtration for their yacht, as well!

No More Pitstops

With the endless fresh water supplied by boat watermakers, you will no longer have to plan your routes around marinas and other places to stop for water. What does this mean for boaters? You can ship off and stay out in the open waters for as long as you’d like! With a boat watermaker, your cruising possibilities will truly become limitless.

Make Your Boat Shine Like New

Sea salt and other minerals permeate the water in the river and in the ocean. Because of these contaminants, it’s not advisable to wash your boat with it. However, boat watermakers remove all those contaminants, making it safe to use for washing! By using fresh water and boat-friendly soaps, you can polish your boat’s exterior which will keep it looking new and maintain its value – all thanks to the water filtered right onboard!

No matter your type of boat, Yacht-Mate Products has the perfect watermaker for you! We offer a wide variety of marine watermakers and can find the best one for your boat. With this useful tool onboard, you will sail with greater independence, safety, convenience, and pleasure each time you hit the open waters. View Yacht-Mate’s extensive line of products online and give us a call to purchase your watermaker!