Nikitas wrote:Kikapu,
I have been researching desalinators lately and so far there are two systems I have come across that show any kind of reliability. One is the reverse osmosis gear, which I presume you had on boats. The other is flash distillation which is not suitable for small scale use. Most companies that sell reverse osmosis gear are honest enough to stress the need for maintenance and the short life cycle of the membranes. It is tough but better than going thirsty.
In the course of the research I came across some neat ideas, like the greenhouse that uses sea water to cool itself in the summer and at the same time desalinates the water and uses it for irrigation, all done with clever physics and no membranes etc. It is an English idea being tested now in the Gulf and the Canaries.
Another clever idea is the combination of solar panels and a desalinator so as to avoid power costs. In fact the solar desalinator produces a surplus of power which can be sold via the grid. Seems just right for a sunny dry place like Cyprus.
Sailboats that had "fresh water makers" were as you described, the "reverse osmosis" type. Number of sailors who would be sitting in the docks waiting for parts to be shipped from their manufacturer of the device rather than sailing, was enough for us not to even consider having one aboard. It cost too much, used up power, and maintenance problems. We sailed as simple as possible, as far as gear went, that was a luxury. We did not even replace the auto-helm after a while, and was hand steered all the time, except when conditions where perfect, that setting up the Jib, the Main, and the Mizzen sails and tying off the Tiller, the boat will sail a good course all by herself, when winds were constant.
We had enough water, beer, soft drinks and booze and food that would last for 2 months. But we preserved water every chance we had. Collecting rain water to fill the water tanks were always a great relief, not to mention turning the deck of the boat into a
"nudist camp" by everyone and enjoying a great shower. I wish more people would conserve water in their everyday life. It is a very precious commodity. We have a lot of lakes and rivers here in Switzerland and the country's landscape is green all year round with water fountains running non stop most parts of the country for people and animals to enjoy with the best tasting cool water for drinking you can imagine, and still, we preserve from wasting water unnecessarily. It is time for the Cypriots to do the same.
