If you are planning a long-range offshore passage, a watermaker is not a luxury. It is the single piece of equipment that removes the need to ration water, hunt for marinas, or carry jerry cans that eat into your freeboard. The right unit for long-range cruising runs reliably off your existing 12V or 24V system, produces enough water for your crew every day, and can be serviced in an anchorage with parts you can carry onboard.
Why a Watermaker Changes Long-Range Cruising Completely
Before a watermaker, offshore sailors managed water by rationing: short showers, no rinsing dishes in fresh water, careful top-ups at every port stop. A watermaker removes that constraint entirely. Make 20, 40, or 80 litres per hour from the sea around you, and fresh water becomes the one thing you never have to think about. Anchorages that were off the itinerary because they had no shore facilities become fair game. Islands with no marina become attractive stops. That freedom is what long-range cruisers are actually buying.
How Much Output Do You Actually Need Offshore?
A comfortable allowance for drinking, cooking, and basic hygiene is around 5 to 8 litres per person per day at a minimum. Add rinsing, deck wash, and the occasional proper shower and a couple onboard easily uses 20 to 30 litres daily. A small crew of two or three on a trailer sailer or 30 to 40-foot cruiser can usually manage well on a 20 LPH unit run for 1 to 2 hours a day. Larger crews, catamarans, and liveaboards with showers underway need more. The honest starting point is to estimate your daily demand, then pick a unit that covers it comfortably within 1 to 3 hours of run time, leaving margin for the days when conditions are rough or water demand is higher.
- 1 to 2 people, coastal to offshore passages: 20 LPH covers most needs comfortably
- 2 to 4 people, longer passages or regular showers: 40 to 60 LPH starts to make sense
- 4 or more people, charter, or liveaboard: 60 to 80 LPH for genuine water freedom
Power: Running a Watermaker off Solar and Battery
Long-range cruisers rarely have the luxury of regular shore power. That is why the 12V DC draw of a watermaker matters as much as its output rating. The LEDI Scout draws 16 to 18 amps at 12V, which a standard house bank with 200 to 400 watts of solar handles comfortably without running a generator. The LEDI Nomad runs on 12V or 24V DC (and is compatible with a 240V mains adapter), giving you the flexibility to match it to your existing electrical setup on larger boats. Neither unit requires a dedicated generator. On a passage with reasonable sun, your solar panels replenish the draw during the same hours you are running the watermaker, leaving your battery bank effectively neutral over the day.
Choosing Between the Scout and the Nomad for Offshore Use
The LEDI Scout is available in 10 LPH and 20 LPH outputs and is priced from $4,899 AUD. It weighs 18 kg, requires no installation, and is ready to make water in minutes by dropping the stainless intake over the side and connecting the supplied hoses. It suits trailer sailers, cruising yachts from 20 to 50 feet, and catamarans where crew size is modest. Output is consistently under 800 ppm TDS (typically 250 to 300 ppm), with built-in UV sterilisation that meets Australian drinking-water standards.
The LEDI Nomad is a step up for bigger boats and more demanding daily use. It produces 40, 60, or 80 LPH, runs on 12V or 24V DC, and comes with an integrated control panel including a TDS monitor and flow meter as standard. The Nomad uses a Cat Pumps 2SFSEEL high-pressure plunger pump in 316 stainless, is autoflush-compatible, and is supplied with two-stage pre-filtration and DEFLOK fittings throughout. It is now available to order from $9,899 AUD for the single-membrane configuration. If you are doing longer passages, have four or more people onboard, want proper showers underway, or are running a charter vessel, the Nomad is the right tool.
For those wanting a permanently mounted, below-deck solution, the LEDI Modular kit suits refits and new builds and can be configured from roughly 10 to 80-plus LPH with a remote control panel and auto freshwater flush. Contact the team for a configuration and pricing conversation.
Reliability and Serviceability Far from Home
One of the most important questions for long-range cruising is: what happens when something goes wrong in Vanuatu, Fiji, or the Marquesas? The answer should be that you can fix it yourself, with parts you carry onboard or can order anywhere in the world. Both LEDI units use commercial marine-grade, non-proprietary components. The Pumptec 107SS pump in the Scout and the Cat Pumps plunger pump in the Nomad are fully serviceable with standard tools. Every wear part is field-replaceable. LEDI posts spares Australia-wide and internationally, generally within one business day from the Gold Coast. The pre-filter cartridge (a 5-micron 2.5"x5" on the Scout, replaced every 10 to 40 hours depending on water quality) is the main routine consumable and is inexpensive and universally available. The RO membrane lasts several years with proper care.
You can browse the full spares and accessories range to put together an offshore spares kit before you leave. Carrying a spare pre-filter, a service kit, and the correct membrane chemicals covers most scenarios you are likely to encounter on a long passage.
Membrane Care on Extended Passages
The most important maintenance habit offshore is flushing the membrane with fresh water after each use. This removes salt from the membrane pores and prevents biological growth during storage. If the boat is going to sit for more than a few weeks without the watermaker being run, pickle the membrane using the correct preservation solution. Pickling effectively pauses any biological activity and protects the membrane during long stops in port or cyclone layovers. For a detailed walkthrough of both processes, see the articles on watermaker flushing and pickling a watermaker. Staying on top of both tasks is what makes the difference between a membrane that lasts several years and one that fails mid-passage.
For pre-filter maintenance specifics, the watermaker pre-filter guide covers when to change it, what to watch for, and why it is the first line of defence for your membrane offshore.
What to Carry in Your Spares Kit
Long-range passages call for a modest but targeted spares kit. You do not need to carry everything, just the items that cannot be sourced remotely and that matter most to continued operation:
- 2.5"x5" pre-filter cartridges (carry two to four, depending on passage length and water quality)
- Maintenance chemicals for membrane preservation and cleaning
- A pump service kit matched to your unit (the Pumptec Service Kit A for Scout owners)
- A spare stainless intake filter
- Basic push-fit fittings and a length of tubing for hose repairs
The team at LEDI can help you put together the right kit for your specific unit and planned route. Contact them at info@ledi.com.au or call +61 494 562 668 before you leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a 12V watermaker handle seawater on a long offshore passage?
Yes. Both the Scout and the Nomad are designed for seawater up to 35,000 ppm TDS, which covers open-ocean salinity on any offshore passage. Output TDS is typically 250 to 300 ppm, well under the 800 ppm maximum for safe drinking water.
Do I need to run the watermaker every day on a passage?
Not necessarily. Most offshore crews run the unit once daily for one to two hours, producing enough for the day and topping up the tank. How often you run it depends on your crew size, tank capacity, and daily water use. Running it little and often is generally better for the membrane than infrequent long sessions.
What happens if the pre-filter blocks mid-passage?
Carry spares. A blocked pre-filter is the most common cause of reduced output offshore, and it takes two minutes to swap. If feed pressure rises or output drops, that is your cue to check and replace the cartridge. It costs around $25 per cartridge and protects the much more expensive membrane downstream.
Does LEDI ship spare parts internationally for offshore cruisers?
Yes. LEDI ships spares internationally from the Gold Coast, generally within one business day. Contact info@ledi.com.au for a shipping quote to your location or your next port of call.
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