Hello all!
Last week we installed the Electric Drive Modular Watermaker Kit from Aquamarine, Inc.
Although this is totally overkill for the Marlin, I had a good opportunity to put it in and it will come in handy on our extended trips into the Central BC coast. No more Costco cases of plastic water bottles! Among the obvious other benefits unlimited fresh water gives you.
The advantage of this specific system is the ability to mount panel, motor, pre filters, membranes, pump and hoses modularly if you don't have room in the bilge for a self-contained unit. In my case we put the control panel in a water protected spot under the removable bait box in the transom. We were able to stub out an overflow device under the port gunwale (spigot not shown, but the blue tube leaving the panel leads to it). Power was easy right there from the genny, as was access into the water tank, and saltwater supply from teeing into the saltwater washdown thru-hull. Hoses to the pump and pre-filters and membrane tubes. We epoxied a piece of marine plywood and affixed it to the overhead in the bilge under the swimstep so that the membrane tubes could be replaced without removing the fixtures from the transom. The only pictures I couldn't get are the 120V electric motor, (hidden behind the pre-filters), and the unit in operation as the boat is still on the hard having the mains annual service.
Each membrane tube supplies 20gal/hour in 71F water, less in colder water. I put in two tubes so should be able to pump my 40 gal tank from dry to full in a little over two hours of genny time. The panda is pretty quiet and I can imagine I'll be able to keep full tanks by running the genny during cocktail hour and trolling.
Downsides: The unit draws enough amperage that I shouldn't run it on the 3kw Panda while using another high-draw device like a pot-puller or air conditioning. Also membrane maintenance, must back flush during cocktail hour and if the unit is not going to be used for more than two weeks or in freezing weather it needs to be "pickled" with the pink RV antifreeze. The final downside is all my buddies wanting to stop by and fill up... although they usually bring ample liquid payment. But IMO unlimited fresh water is a game changer, and the additional maintenance required is well worth being one step closer to off the grid.
Next: the FuelMaker?????
Hope this helps ya'll.
Last week we installed the Electric Drive Modular Watermaker Kit from Aquamarine, Inc.
Although this is totally overkill for the Marlin, I had a good opportunity to put it in and it will come in handy on our extended trips into the Central BC coast. No more Costco cases of plastic water bottles! Among the obvious other benefits unlimited fresh water gives you.
The advantage of this specific system is the ability to mount panel, motor, pre filters, membranes, pump and hoses modularly if you don't have room in the bilge for a self-contained unit. In my case we put the control panel in a water protected spot under the removable bait box in the transom. We were able to stub out an overflow device under the port gunwale (spigot not shown, but the blue tube leaving the panel leads to it). Power was easy right there from the genny, as was access into the water tank, and saltwater supply from teeing into the saltwater washdown thru-hull. Hoses to the pump and pre-filters and membrane tubes. We epoxied a piece of marine plywood and affixed it to the overhead in the bilge under the swimstep so that the membrane tubes could be replaced without removing the fixtures from the transom. The only pictures I couldn't get are the 120V electric motor, (hidden behind the pre-filters), and the unit in operation as the boat is still on the hard having the mains annual service.
Each membrane tube supplies 20gal/hour in 71F water, less in colder water. I put in two tubes so should be able to pump my 40 gal tank from dry to full in a little over two hours of genny time. The panda is pretty quiet and I can imagine I'll be able to keep full tanks by running the genny during cocktail hour and trolling.
Downsides: The unit draws enough amperage that I shouldn't run it on the 3kw Panda while using another high-draw device like a pot-puller or air conditioning. Also membrane maintenance, must back flush during cocktail hour and if the unit is not going to be used for more than two weeks or in freezing weather it needs to be "pickled" with the pink RV antifreeze. The final downside is all my buddies wanting to stop by and fill up... although they usually bring ample liquid payment. But IMO unlimited fresh water is a game changer, and the additional maintenance required is well worth being one step closer to off the grid.
Next: the FuelMaker?????
Hope this helps ya'll.
Attachments
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Panel.jpg -
Pickup pump.jpg -
Prefilters.jpg -
GArmin.jpg