LEDI Scout Watermaker Review

As a solo cruising sailor along the East coast of Australia for the next couple of years on my Vande Stadt 40, Naijin, I wanted the independence that an onboard water maker would give me. However, most of the units I was looking at were way larger and demanded more power than I was able to provide. The exceptions being significantly more expensive than the Scout. I purchased it from Ledi Industries who have a history in desalination systems when it was first announced, then waited for it to be delivered and only recently was able to instal it. Apart from helpful support I have received no other benefit from Ledi and this review is my personal reflections.

My requirements were based on my estimated water use of 6 L/day as I use salt water where possible and that I would like to have enough to shower more regularly and washing clothes etc. The unit would need to operate within the constraints of my solar panels which deliver 20+ amps in direct sunlight. The marketing information stated that I could expect around 10 L/hr in saltwater drawing approximately 18amps at 12vdc. The Scout unit has so far meet my key requirements. Being a portable unit by design it would be relatively easy to instal although I did not understand the connections that it was supplied with or considered if the hoses, etc supplied would be enough for my installation. The unit is supplied with everything necessary to use it as a portable unit and with appropriate spares.

The unit is simple to operate and is supplied with clear operating instructions.

In my view, the most critical component is the high pressure pump, its reliability and efficiency. The unit has a 316 Stainless Steel pump with a ceramic plunger, full stainless steel body, brushless motor, oil free and fully serviceable. Maximum operating pressure 1,000 psi. I believe it was originally designed for the gas and oil industry.

The supply pump is a flexible Impeller pump self priming to 2m with 3 m head. The reverse osmosis membrane is a WSD 2514 or equivalent with replacements from LEDI for about $300.

There is no escaping the fact that water makers are noisy. Having said that mine is not excessive even though it is installed in my saloon being an ex-racing yacht layout which includes the engine just aft of the mast. This location actually made it relatively easy to connect into the existing raw seawater intake and to plumb the saltwater discharge into the galley sink negating any need for additional through hull fittings. The fresh water is currently feed into a drum but once I get a longer length of suitable hose it will feed directly into one of my fresh water tanks. 12 vdc is supplied via over rated cables which include a secondary Victron shunt which allow monitoring of the current draw separate to the rest of the boat’s electrical system.

Things that I learnt include working through installation requirements and talking with Ledi about the hose lengths actually required as well as PU fittings, a two way valve on the intake to allow for fresh water flushing, a 20mu prefilter prior to the unit’s 5mu filter and to have these supplied at the time of purchase.

In conclusion, the LEDI Scout was the right unit for my needs and if my research about the components is correct then I believe I should have few problems over the next few years. Finally, I like that I am dealing with an Australian Company! For more information see Ledi.com.au