Schenker Watermakers

Traditionally a yacht is restricted in time and distance to the amount of fresh water carried in its tanks. Thanks to a watermaker an unlimited quantity of water can be produced, increasing both time and distance achievable between harbours. Schenker watermakers are simple, quiet, compact, efficient and fully automatic.

Like few other things, they are able to improve your cruising and allow you to enjoy your boat. Just think of the independence of an unlimited supply of fresh water and long showers, consuming just a small amount of energy.

Racing crews don't need to carry volumes of water that may affect performance. No need to carry onboard bulk supplies of plastic bottled water. Now we can protect wildlife and reduce microplastics in the sea. Making our oceans plastic free!

They are watermakers based on a new functioning principle that remove the need for high pressure pumps, which were used traditionally. Schenker watermakers make use of a patented device (Energy Recovery System) that amplifies the pressure supplied by low pressure pumps and recovers most of the spent energy, thus enabling very high energy efficiency. The consumed energy used is up to 80% lower than a traditional system.

As a consequence, Schenker watermakers of small and medium capacity can also be powered directly from the vessel's service batteries. Moreover, a Schenker watermaker is easy to use, it does not require adjustments, is silent and vibration free.

The ERS is amazingly reliable. It doesn't make use of traditional o-rings and is basically a maintenance free device. The o-rings, in the latest 2.0 version, have been replaced with special "friction bands" made with a special material produced using nanotechnology. This material exhibits a very low friction coefficient, and an incredible resistance to abrasion, up to 15 times greater than that of carbon steel!

The ideal watermaker should provide the daily fresh water needs of the boat in about 3 - 4 working hours. The daily fresh water demand is based on the number of people onboard and the type of boat. Typical fresh water demand on a sailing boat is about 30 - 40 lit/day per person, whereas it is 50 - 60 lit/day per person on a powerboat or catamaran. For instance, on a sailing boat with a crew of 5 people the estimated daily fresh water need is 150 - 200 lit. Therefore the ideal watermaker capacity is 50 - 60 lit/h.

Schenker watermakers are available in 3 models - Zen, Smart and Modular. All units are fitted with an Energy Recovery System, reducing electric consumption to a minimum. Materials, quality and reliability of the 3 models are equivalent.

In the Zen, basically, all components are integrated in the main manifolds - there are very few external components such as fittings, hoses and valves. This makes the Zen very compact with a special ultra flat design.

On the contrary the Smart and Modular models are based on a more traditional configuration. Therefore the main components of the watermaker (ERS, membranes, valves, pipes) are separated, making the inspection and service of the parts very simple.

The Smart is mainly based on single, long membranes whereas the Modular makes use of split membranes. Therefore the external dimensions of the 2 machines are quite different, allowing the customer to choose the best option to adapt to the space available.

Finally the Zen is available with a basic remote control panel (this allows remote start/stop, flushing and timing options) whereas the Smart and Modular are available with 3 different control options, Basic, Analogic and Digital.

Good question. All Schenker watermakers are fitted with an Energy Recovery System, and the electric consumption is very low for both DC and AC systems. Smaller units, for instance 30 and 50 lit/h, are available in DC only. The power required is so low that it makes no sense to consider AC power.

For bigger systems, from 60 to 150 lit/h, both DC and AC power supply are available. If the boat is not fitted with a generator, the choice will be DC of course. If a generator is available but used rarely, the DC will be the better choice as well, whereas AC is recommended if the generator is used extensively. Even for an AC system, the low power consumption is a great advantage as it reduces the amount of load on the generator.

Installing a Schenker watermaker is easy because the seawater intake can be Tee'd from an existing inlet. It is very important as to where the inlet, if used, is located. It can be installed when the boat is in the water. The installation can be carried out by a shipyard or by a Schenker Assistance Centre. You can also install it yourself. Just follow the instructions in the operation and maintenance manual. Self-made installation does not affect the warranty, as long as it complies with the instructions in the manual.

Schenker watermaker produces very high quality fresh water. The fresh water produced is very pure (TDS of about 200-300 ppm) but doesn't need to be reintegrated with salts if it is used for a limited period of time (for instance some months). For longer periods consider fitting post filters that reintegrate the salt. The reverse osmosis technology moreover allows to reject up to 99.99% of bacteria, cysts, algae and mould spores. A good and safe fresh water.

Maintenance is very easy and affordable. The most important operation is the final flushing that has to be made, preferably after all working sessions. This operation can be performed automatically through the remote panel. The sea water filter has to be replaced regularly, typically every 4 - 5 weeks in average conditions. It is, anyway, a commercial low cost filter. The active carbon filter has to be replaced once per year. Finally, before long standstills it will be necessary to flush the watermaker with biocide to avoid growth forming in the membrane.

The reverse osmosis membranes are pretty expensive, but they last on average 6 - 7 years if the maintenance manual's instructions are carefully followed.

The Schenker watermaker's price is, on average, less than a traditional system and is certainly a lot cheaper to run.

Because your serenity is important to Mactra Marine & Schenker we provide an efficient, friendly and affordable after sales service - which is extended all over the world. A list of Schenker Service points is continuously updated on the Schenker website www.schenkerwatermakers.com. A service telephone number is also available to give assistance. Spare parts can be sent directly to your boat. A 3 year warranty is provided on the main parts, because your money has great value and customer satisfaction is at the forefront of Schenkers thoughts. A great product is always combined with a great service.