Watermaker necessary for Greece?

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We're currently having our first experience of Greek sailing, cruising Corfu to Rhodes and back. The boat has a watermaker and the owner feels this 'necessary' to allow 4 people a shower/ day and domestic consumption. There do seem to be some issues regarding filling up.
As I'm thinking of bringing my watermakerless boat down next year (tankage =270l) what are people's views on this?

 

[sailaboutvic]

After years of sailing around greece , I not yet had one problem with finding water , most quays now have water , and looking around before we left greece this year more and more are being put it ,
What I have learned about water markers is they a good way of keeping you busy. Has everyone I know who's got one seen to be repairing them more then useing them .

 

[vyv_cox]

We have managed perfectly well without one for the past 11 years in the Mediterranean, 5 of them in Greece. Our main water tank is the same size as yours and we have a 45 litre container in the aft locker that is used for showering at anchor. If the four people want to shower using amounts of water that they are accustomed to at home then a watermaker is no doubt essential. We have learned over many years of sailing and camping to be very frugal with water, allowing us to spend two weeks or more at anchor without topping up our small supplies.

 

[alexsailor]

Depends of how much water you want to use and how many times you want to tie up in the port.
Getting water inGreece is not a problem and we have a brita filter so we drink it from the tanks

We (two people) use 500l and we have it for 10days (so we decided).
I would not mind having a watermaker but it is really a question of maintenance, price

 

[duncan99210]

We have 250 litre on board and with the two of us that'll last about ten days or so. We top up either by mooring to a quay with water on tap or from a tanker or by taking folding water carriers ashore to fill when we're at anchor. We also have a sea water tap for washing up and washing down the decks. So no need for a watermaker. However, with visitors on board, we do start to get 'issues' with water. For this reason, guests are encouraged not to do the washing up and are reminded about how long they can shower for. We find that after the first time where we have to change cruising plans to get water after they've used too much, the issue seems to go away......

 

[affinite]

We have 450l tanks but that can support up to 6 of us board in-between top-ups.
As has been said, there are plenty of places to fill up in Greece and also in Turkey where we are now.
We dont feel hard done by when it comes to showers but as Vyv said, if you or your guests want to take lots of long showers on-board and are prepared to pay the price then a watermaker is one solution.
What hasnt been said is that the (drinking) quality does vary, particularly on the islands, and some people dont like the taste of some of the water thats available.
(BTW - Vyv has a secret supply of springwater on Leros)

I will not add to Greece's plastic rubbish disposal problem by buying bottled water so we simply have a decent filter in the drinking water and, with only one exception, we have been perfectly happy to drink the water for our past 12 years of cruising in the Eastern Med.

I personally would prefer to spend my cruising budget on Mythos or Efes than a watermaker

 

[Carmel2]

And when you just can't be arsed to move, or go out of your way, it's rather nice to make 70lt an hour at the flick of a switch. Its not necessary but nice to have.

 

[BobnLesley]

"And when you just can't be arsed to move, or go out of your way, it's rather nice to make 70lt an hour at the flick of a switch. Its not necessary but nice to have."

Conversely, we've just spent a couple of months anchored in Miami, collecting water (free) in cans from the nearby dinghy dock, whilst a nearby yacht upped anchor and made the 10M return trip to open ocean once or twice a week to run his watermaker; go figure?

I'm with Affinite, spend the purchase/maintenance/power generation cost on beer instead; a watermaker is not 'neccesary' to sail anywhere and they seem to be surpassing fridges/freezers as the most likely item to break

 

[Carmel2]

"And when you just can't be arsed to move, or go out of your way, it's rather nice to make 70lt an hour at the flick of a switch. Its not necessary but nice to have."

Conversely, we've just spent a couple of months anchored in Miami, collecting water (free) in cans from the nearby dinghy dock, whilst a nearby yacht upped anchor and made the 10M return trip to open ocean once or twice a week to run his watermaker; go figure?

I'm with Affinite, spend the purchase/maintenance/power generation cost on beer instead; a watermaker is not 'neccesary' to sail anywhere and they seem to be surpassing fridges/freezers as the most likely item to break

How filthy was that Miami Marina?

 

[mobeydick]

Not having a watermaker, I have always assumed you would need to go some ways off-shore to get water clean enough to use without clogging the membrane. In the Med this would put you well outside mooring depth. It would also mean you would need to go for a long sail (or moot really) every few days to run the w/m.

Am I wrong in my assumption?

MD

 

[BobnLesley]

"How filthy was that Miami Marina?"

It gave me an ear-infection. Almost all US east coast water south of Cape Cod appears 'brown' though I think that it's mainly soil/peat run-off. I don't know much about the capabilities of watermakers regarding prurification, but have noticed many yachts don't like to 'make' their water in anchorages. We were several weeks in the Georgetown (Exumas) anchorage too where the water was crystal clear, but had 200-300 boats anchored/moored in the bay, where similarly a lot of yachts made a longer run out to sea to make water than it was for us to go and jerry-jug water from the free spigot at the dinghy dock.

 

[Carmel2]

"How filthy was that Miami Marina?"

It gave me an ear-infection. Almost all US east coast water south of Cape Cod appears 'brown' though I think that it's mainly soil/peat run-off. I don't know much about the capabilities of watermakers regarding prurification, but have noticed many yachts don't like to 'make' their water in anchorages. We were several weeks in the Georgetown (Exumas) anchorage too where the water was crystal clear, but had 200-300 boats anchored/moored in the bay, where similarly a lot of yachts made a longer run out to sea to make water than it was for us to go and jerry-jug water from the free spigot at the dinghy dock.

I made 140lt this morning in Vathi Ithaca Greece, 2 showers one load of washing up and no one is dead, and the watermaker is fine. and the pasta was very nice! All this offshore stuff is cobblers.

Like I said not necessary but nice to have. We have a EcoTec, I believe they were made for the US charter market...........So go figure on the hammer they take.

 

[geem]

I made 140lt this morning in Vathi Ithaca Greece, 2 showers one load of washing up and no one is dead, and the watermaker is fine. and the pasta was very nice! All this offshore stuff is cobblers.

Like I said not necessary but nice to have. We have a EcoTec, I believe they were made for the US charter market...........So go figure on the hammer they take.

We use our simple watermaker at anchor. We make 130 litres per hour on a very similar unit to the Echotec. I made mine for second hand eBay parts. We run a Cat pump and 1500w 240v motor off the generator. We normally make hot water at the same time from the immersion heater and do a wash. I like not having to go and search water out ashore. I like not having to worry much about water consumption. I like that I know where my water has come from. We could manage without out it as we have an 800 litre water tank but the watermaker is nice to have. I wouldn't choose to be without it but we could survive without one it just wouldn't be as convenient.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I rather have a freezer then a water maker any day of the week , topping up one a month isn't a problem , but having to only buy meat , chicken or ice cream every day is .
we learned very quickly how to use water wisely , not letting the tap run. Turning off the shower between soaping up and rising ,
So far this years we spend 5 euros buying water the rest of the time we found it free , last year 10 months on the go and we spend no more then 35 euros and four of them months we was sailing in an area we never sailed before . The only time we spend any some of money buying water is when we in the Marina over winter , and even if we did have a water maker useing it in a Marina when people are pumping out for months on end wouldn't be a good idea any way .

 

[geem]

I rather have a freezer then a water maker any day of the week , topping up one a month isn't a problem , but having to only buy meat , chicken or ice cream every day is .
we learned very quickly how to use water wisely , not letting the tap run. Turning off the shower between soaping up and rising ,
So far this years we spend 5 euros buying water the rest of the time we found it free , last year 10 months on the go and we spend no more then 35 euros and four of them months we was sailing in an area we never sailed before . The only time we spend any some of money buying water is when we in the Marina over winter , and even if we did have a water maker useing it in a Marina when people are pumping out for months on end wouldn't be a good idea any way .

We haven't been in a marina for 6 months. You don't need to be in marinas summer or winter if you are permanent live aboard in the Caribbean. You have to buy water in the Caribbean. Since diesel is only 50p/ litre in St Martin it is very economic to run the generator/watermaker. Slightly different I suspect to Greece. We make 130 litres/ hr and make hot water for about 2.5p per gallon

 

[BobnLesley]

"You have to buy water in the Caribbean..."

I wouldn't agree with that. I would accept that there are perhaps fewer 'free' taps around the Caribbean than we found in the Med, but during the couple of years that we've been in the eastern Caribbean and north to the USA, I would estimate that perhaps 2/3 of our water supply has been obtained free of charge and the cost of that which we have paid for probably hasn't amounted to much more than £60-70. As in the Med. you talk to other cruisers and someone will point you in the direction of where the free taps are located.

 

[temptress]

I made 140lt this morning in Vathi Ithaca Greece, 2 showers one load of washing up and no one is dead, and the watermaker is fine. and the pasta was very nice! All this offshore stuff is cobblers.

Like I said not necessary but nice to have. We have a EcoTec, I believe they were made for the US charter market...........So go figure on the hammer they take.

I'm with Carme. They are nice to have. We cruised for years without one. Getting water in the med was never a problem but often a hassle. Not so with awatermaker. You can run the watermaker is almost any quality of water. The 2 things they dislike are oil and chlorine. I do not find they need a lot of maintenance. Just need to clean the filters every month, or if in a mudy river every week. I made sure they were easily accessible when i fitted the system and it only takes 20 minutes to clean them. Even less time to replace. We go months now without ever needing a shore supply of water.

 

[temptress]

We use our simple watermaker at anchor. We make 130 litres per hour on a very similar unit to the Echotec. I made mine for second hand eBay parts. We run a Cat pump and 1500w 240v motor off the generator. We normally make hot water at the same time from the immersion heater and do a wash. I like not having to go and search water out ashore. I like not having to worry much about water consumption. I like that I know where my water has come from. We could manage without out it as we have an 800 litre water tank but the watermaker is nice to have. I wouldn't choose to be without it but we could survive without one it just wouldn't be as convenient.

Exactly, completely agree ��for the record we have a Spectra system without the computer so it all manually run and as easy ascan be, very reliable and very convenient. We have 750 ltrs in 3 tanks.

 

[charles_reed]

Having been in Greece the last 6 years there have been some occasions when a watermaker would have been desirable but none when it would have been essential.
There are some islands in the Aegean where potable water is in very short supply, but plenty of water in the Ionian.
I get by on 12.5l/day/person, some boats I know have to budget for x2 that consumption. I'd rate a watermaker in the E Med as inessential as an SSB radio.

 

[sailaboutvic]

We haven't been in a marina for 6 months. You don't need to be in marinas summer or winter if you are permanent live aboard in the Caribbean. You have to buy water in the Caribbean. Since diesel is only 50p/ litre in St Martin it is very economic to run the generator/watermaker. Slightly different I suspect to Greece. We make 130 litres/ hr and make hot water for about 2.5p per gallon

That may be but the OP is asking about the Med .