Dry-Fit of our Cruise RO Watermaker

One of the tasks to accomplish in the next couple weeks is to install our new Cruise RO Watermaker. A large part of why we selected this watermaker was due to the comparatively low cost of the high-output unit (among other things).  One of the ways they are able to keep their costs down is due to the fact that it's "cruiser installed", meaning we'd install the unit as opposed to paying someone else to do it.

As promised, our pretty new watermaker and all it's parts were waiting for us when we arrived in Florida.  Scott dug right in, busted out the instruction manual and laid out the various parts that we were working with.  While we do have quite a bit more room on this new boat, that does not mean we want to waste space.  Finding locations for components is always a challenge in spatial reasoning.  Simply finding a spot where these items fit would have been easy, but we needed to find a place where made the most sense.  Bang for the spatial buck, so to speak.  Luckily, Scott is an expert in this field.  The man knows how to efficiently store things so that we make the most out of an area!

The Cruise RO flow chart.  Literally.  Image courtesy of Cruise RO Water & Power.

The unit is modular, meaning we can mount each of the individual pieces in different locations.  While it might seem easiest to mount, say, the large RO membranes under a settee or put the high-pressure pump and motor on the floor of a large hanging locker - we did not want to lose or make void all that space in what we call "prime real estate" areas.  When Scott goes hunting for locations for things, he looks for places that meet the following criteria:

1. Easy access 
2. Can be "filled" (i.e little to no wasted space)
3. As little modification as possible (i.e not having to make excessive brackets and shelves)
4. Protected from getting bumped and/or hit by putting things away/taking things out

After a day of digging around the boat, Scott found a small compartment to fit both pumps and all the filters.  It's low on the boat, the primary motor/pump assembly will be mounted to the hull (tip: you should try to avoid mounting anything with quickly moving and/or vibrating parts on shelves or boards as they will create a ruckus!) and makes the most out of a little space that is not what we consider "primo real estate".  Check it out:

The main pump, pre-filters, carbon filter and boost pump will all be located in this one small locker located in our walk-through.  The pump will be mounted evenly on a bracket that will be glassed into the hull.

The two RO membranes are mounted vertically on the forward bulkhead of our aft hanging locker, still leaving us plenty of room to hang our clothes and providing us plenty of "floor" room for shoes, bins, etc.

We're hoping to do the final install and connect all the dots in the next couple of weeks, we'll tell you abou the final installation and show you pics when we get there!

Interested in our watermaker? Here are some more posts:

• Why we chose our watermaker
• How we installed it
• The first test run of the system
• Adventures in watermaking

* Full disclosure:  we are sponsored by Cruise RO Water and Power