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Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard

Posted By: Pearson

Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 03/30/2019 01:33 AM

CYOA seems like an attractive charter option over flying/ferrying to the BVI's from the US. You guys n gals definitely seem to give them glowing reviews and I note many of their Cats have watermakers.

My question is, have you chartered a CYOA yacht with a watermaker and was that a discriminator for you? My 2nd charter is this coming July, but I'm thinking down the road, with a bigger boat, bigger crew, a watermaker would sure come in handy.

Anyone care to share experiences?

Thanks.
Posted By: CaptainJay

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 03/30/2019 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Pearson
CYOA seems like an attractive charter option over flying/ferrying to the BVI's from the US. You guys n gals definitely seem to give them glowing reviews and I note many of their Cats have watermakers.

My question is, have you chartered a CYOA yacht with a watermaker and was that a discriminator for you? My 2nd charter is this coming July, but I'm thinking down the road, with a bigger boat, bigger crew, a watermaker would sure come in handy.

Anyone care to share experiences?

Thanks.



We started putting water makers in the cats three years ago. Cuvee hull number 2 of the Saba 50 was the first. Baard insisted on it as the owner because he wanted to reduce the number of times that people banged his brand new cat into docks. The feedback was immediate and decisive. Our long term guests started seeking out the boats with water makers after the first trip with one.

Every single cat in our fleet now has a water maker. The feed back has been terrific. It is literally like the first time you rented a boat with Air Conditioning. No one wants to go back. We also have three mono hulls with water makers.

No more waiting in line or taking time out to go to the dock for water. No more stress and cussing docking every two or three days. This makes it easier to get your damage deposit back as the ocean is only dangerous around the edges. Also no more fighting with your wives and daughters over showers.

In addition we have a larger cruising ground, St Thomas, St John, Culebra, Vieques, St Croix and all of the BVI's. Some places have no access to water this also was a deciding factor for us in installing them.
Posted By: agrimsrud

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 03/30/2019 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by CaptainJay

We started putting water makers in the cats three years ago. Cuvee hull number 2 of the Saba 50 was the first. Baard insisted on it as the owner because he wanted to reduce the number of times that people banged his brand new cat into docks. The feedback was immediate and decisive. Our long term guests started seeking out the boats with water makers after the first trip with one.

Every single cat in our fleet now has a water maker. The feed back has been terrific. It is literally like the first time you rented a boat with Air Conditioning. No one wants to go back. We also have three mono hulls with water makers.

No more waiting in line or taking time out to go to the dock for water. No more stress and cussing docking every two or three days. This makes it easier to get your damage deposit back as the ocean is only dangerous around the edges. Also no more fighting with your wives and daughters over showers.

In addition we have a larger cruising ground, St Thomas, St John, Culebra, Vieques, St Croix and all of the BVI's. Some places have no access to water this also was a deciding factor for us in installing them.


While all true, I think Jay isn't discussing this from the charter guest point of view. Quality of the trip is just so much better. We've probably all been on a boat with a water hog. Newbies tend to really not understand this idea that you only have a rain barrel (or two) worth of water. We've sailed with several folks new to sailing. Even after explaining that they need to wet, soap, and rinse they can't (or wont') follow instructions. I hear the water pump running and after a handful of minutes I'm getting unhappy. With the water maker.... no problem! Just hit the green button and make more. It's just a completely different mentality and something you get used to pretty quickly. Quality of life on board is just so much better given boundless fresh water.

Full disclosure - I'm the owner of one of the CYOA monohulls with a watermaker. It's been installed for about a year. It's been a very practical and useful addition.
Posted By: rfrimmel

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 03/31/2019 10:36 PM

Our last trip, July 2019, our boat from CYOA, S/V Dream Machine, had a water maker. Loved it. No issues about working, no issues about not enough water, no issues with having to find water to fill tanks. Is it necessary to charter, No, but makes for a much nicer charter.
Posted By: rhans

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 04/01/2019 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by rfrimmel
Our last trip, July 2019, our boat from CYOA, S/V Dream Machine, had a water maker. Loved it. No issues about working, no issues about not enough water, no issues with having to find water to fill tanks. Is it necessary to charter, No, but makes for a much nicer charter.


Ditto, same boat but January 19. Take a great yacht, add a water maker Life is Good smile
Posted By: Pearson

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 04/01/2019 02:25 PM

Thanks very much, excellent responses all, and right on point. My first charter, the water lasted just fine, but 1/2 our guests departed mid-way and I was able to top off half way through. The idea of not having to pull alongside to fill water makes absolute sense to me, the newbie charterer for all the reasons cited.

Our crew includes 4 wives/daughters, and is excited about the prospect of chartering Dream Machine.

See you in about a year Captain Jay!!
Posted By: rfrimmel

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 04/01/2019 07:41 PM

Another cool thing about s/v Dream Machine is the cooling plate in the cockpit table. Toss in your drinks for the day and they stay cold, no need for the bulky cooler. Again, not essential but nice feature.
Posted By: BaardJ

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 04/02/2019 11:50 AM

The watermaker also makes freshwater electric flush toilets a more practical option particulary with 8 on board. I do not miss the days of hand pumping a smelly saltwater toilet.
Posted By: Annoddddd

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 04/03/2019 11:47 AM

Water makers make all the difference in the world! Post hurricanes you have to buy water everywhere so why not make it yourself.

In March we had a group of 9 and it was awesome to always have water and no worries with finding a place to fill up. Every time the engine was on we made water.
Posted By: CaptainJay

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 04/03/2019 11:52 AM

We also have a water filtration system on all of our water maker equipped boats. That has a sediment filter, charcoal filter and a UV light. No more plastic trash. You can drink from every tap in the boat.

The Water Fixer Filter
Posted By: Pearson

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 04/04/2019 05:29 PM

Every one of these replies reminds me of a compromise we made during our last charter (arguably, they were mostly minor).

I'm sold.

These are all so helpful. I truly appreciate it.
Posted By: capndar

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 04/08/2019 04:40 PM

We've used CYOA's boats and have been very pleased all the way around. The watermakers are not automatic but well worth a little monitoring in the evening to get a great supply.
Posted By: RickG

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 04/13/2019 11:34 AM

The biggest change for us was water filtration. Being able to drink from all the taps is a game changer. We used to carry 1/2 gallon of water per person per day for drinking. Without a watermaker and ten people on a CYOA Helia 44, we had to stop for water every other day unless I literally turned the water off during each shower. Watermaker? Yes!



Cheers, RickG
Posted By: Twanger

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 05/21/2019 05:52 PM

Love the water maker, and if you have an ice-maker too you're freed from the chore of finding and hauling ice aboard every two days.
Posted By: agrimsrud

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 05/23/2019 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by Twanger
Love the water maker, and if you have an ice-maker too you're freed from the chore of finding and hauling ice aboard every two days.


An ice maker would of course be nice. But lacking this we place two bags of ice in the freezer and one bag in the yeti cooler. The ice in the cooler will last a couple of days. And of course the ice in the freezer will last until it's consumed. With our sized crew we can usually go five or six days without looking for ice.
Posted By: UncleLuff

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 05/23/2019 02:02 PM

Just finished a 8 day charter in the Grenadines out of Grenada (Cat - FP Saona 47) with 4 couples. First day the water maker wasn't working (water pump had seized). We had gone through half of our fresh water in a day! No problem though as the charter company had a tech in Carriacou and it was fixed while I checked out without a loss of a minute. No problems the rest of the way, not sure if I would charter again without a water maker it is absolutely liberating!

I agree an ice maker would be worth its weight in Diamonds!
Posted By: Pearson

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 06/03/2019 04:41 PM

Just have to gather the crew, get their commitment ($$) and book the boat! I did talk to a charter company in RT, and they were not sold on the idea and were not including them on future boats. Considered them too fussy, which is the exact same impression I had. My understanding now is, with a close eye, it's worth the effort.
Posted By: agrimsrud

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 06/07/2019 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by Pearson
Just have to gather the crew, get their commitment ($$) and book the boat! I did talk to a charter company in RT, and they were not sold on the idea and were not including them on future boats. Considered them too fussy, which is the exact same impression I had. My understanding now is, with a close eye, it's worth the effort.

If you are a charter company with boats without water makers you need to convince your prospective customers that they don't want one.
Posted By: GeorgeC1

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 06/10/2019 03:23 PM

Keep in mind that cats often have very different water capacities and boats with water makers even less. If you don’t have a water maker ask how many gallons the boat holds. The M4800 has 210 gallons and needs only 1 water stop for 8 people without any rationing. Some cats have only 100 gallons and that gets tough. Even if you do have a watermaker a bigger capacity is better in case it fails.
G
Posted By: Maria_and_Steve

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 06/10/2019 08:51 PM

The charter boats morphed into having generators running full time to power AC units. So the addition of a water maker is easy with the power available from the generator. Some water makers tend to be maintenance hogs so that will be a challenge for a charter company to keep them running. Yet the convenience of having so much water can be a positive game changer for many short term charter boats. What will they think of next!?!
Posted By: CaptainJay

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 06/11/2019 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by Maria_and_Steve
The charter boats morphed into having generators running full time to power AC units. So the addition of a water maker is easy with the power available from the generator. Some water makers tend to be maintenance hogs so that will be a challenge for a charter company to keep them running. Yet the convenience of having so much water can be a positive game changer for many short term charter boats. What will they think of next!?!


We are currently working with the US and British governments to develop self sailing boats that will steer around rocks and navigate. In addition the next generation will have dynamic positioning capabilities to avoid the race for moorings and the need to wake up in the wee hours of the morning just to reserve a ball. :-)

Uber has also reached out about designated drivers to tender folks back and forth to their yachts thus eliminating the need for tenders on board. This takes care of all kinds of problems. No pesky water in the fuel, no stolen dinghies, no lost dinghies, no one gets divorced for staying at the Willy T to long because they can't remember which tender is theirs etc. Uber eats delivered to the boat would be the next logical step. Then you would never need to leave the mother ship. :-) We will then install drones that can visit the beach of your choice and stream video back to the boats live to eliminate that pesky sand in the boat. You can watch the beach live on the big screen in the salon while running the AC units.
Posted By: LocalSailor

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 06/11/2019 02:14 PM

Hopefully these improvements will also include underwater video so no one has to actually get wet and salty in the warm Caribbean water.
Launch Service is not uncommon in many busy mooring areas already and a welcome convenience.
Posted By: Pearson

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 06/11/2019 05:50 PM

Hell, get a webcam and I can just wire you my money. I won't even have to leave home!
Posted By: agrimsrud

Re: Chartering w/a Watermaker Onboard - 06/13/2019 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by CaptainJay
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We are currently working with the US and British governments to develop self sailing boats that will steer around rocks and navigate. In addition the next generation will have dynamic positioning capabilities to avoid the race for moorings and the need to wake up in the wee hours of the morning just to reserve a ball. :-)

Uber has also reached out about designated drivers to tender folks back and forth to their yachts thus eliminating the need for tenders on board. This takes care of all kinds of problems. No pesky water in the fuel, no stolen dinghies, no lost dinghies, no one gets divorced for staying at the Willy T to long because they can't remember which tender is theirs etc. Uber eats delivered to the boat would be the next logical step. Then you would never need to leave the mother ship. :-) We will then install drones that can visit the beach of your choice and stream video back to the boats live to eliminate that pesky sand in the boat. You can watch the beach live on the big screen in the salon while running the AC units.


How about some active stabilizers so you can get rid of all the boat rocking while anchored?
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