We have had several inquiries about how we like the new water maker we put in, a Cruise RO system. It’s been almost a year since we installed it so we have had a chance to really get comfortable with it and put it through the paces so I thought I’d share our thoughts.
The super short story-we love it.
First, simply on having any large output system onboard:
The water maker is probably the system that has the most dramatic positive effect on our daily living comfort. We shower whenever we want, and for almost as long as we want, often more than once a day if we go swimming. We almost always go swimming. We have a furry little pup who takes great joy in getting as sandy as possible so he gets showers too. (He, however, might not agree with us about it being a plus.) Everyday chores are simplified too. Washing dishes is no longer a struggle to conserve every drop-we just get them clean and move on to something more fun. We now do most of the laundry onboard too. At $5.00 a wash and $5.00 to dry here, it is a perk. The boat and our gear gets rinsed regularly now as well. It swings the balance from camping to living and this is our life. The water maker goes a long way in making it a comfortable, clean, un-salty one.
Beyond just improving daily comforts (which, at least for us, is BIG) it also gives us freedom. As I write this right now we are in the Jumentos a little island chain in the Bahamas that has only one tiny settlement of maybe 50 people in the whole chain. There is no water to buy here anywhere. Making our own gives us the freedom to enjoy these beautiful uninhabited islands for almost as long as we like. It also frees us from being dependent on less than ideal water sources. And, big perk, we don’t have to find it or lug it!
^^ Pre Bath.
^^ Post Bath. Okay, maybe Kai isnt always thrilled that we have so much freshwater.
Second, how do we like the unit we chose?
Not one complaint. We haven’t had any issues with the unit since installation. Keith has been impressed with the quality of all the components, we’ve not seen any wear or corrosion on the pump or any of the parts. Our water quality is fantastic. Really there isn’t much more to say than we are happy with our choice. (To read more about WHY we chose this unit click here, to read about the INSTALLATION of the unit click here). Would we do anything different? Maybe. There is an option to add a second membrane to the unit we have, converting it to a 30gallon/hour unit and if it were not for money we might add it. Not that 20 isn’t enough, it is, but we could run it for even less time increasing the efficiency even more. It also provides you with a built in back-up membrane.
Wright Away Sails Away 
Very timely post. Installing a watermaker is on the project list for this summer. I think it will transform my life. I hate not being able to do a freshwater shower each day after swimming, especially with my hair.
It does make a world of difference!! Good luck with your instal project.