PDQ OWNERS FORUM

I'm considering a watermaker, specifically the Spectra Ventura 200T for my 32. I'm wondering if anyone here has installed one and where they installed the various components?

The only PDQ 32 that I know of that had a water maker was Zero to Cruising. Although they sold the boat and are no longer active sailing or on this forum, the information should be in their blog. The home page is about bikes and Canada, but search and you will find PDQ stuff. The blog was very active when they were sailing and I recall their were many posts on the water maker.

http://www.zerotocruising.com

I have a 32 LRC and am contemplating the same thing. It looks like ZTC located theirs in a under a cabin berth locker, not the best option on an LRC because the engines are in that compartment, and from what I've read I would not want to install a watermaker in an engine compartment except as a last resort. I'm currently thinking the best place to put it is in the port cockpit lazerette. There is room to install it along with the filters, easy access, and convenient access to power, salt water intake and discharge. (The PO installed an A/C which has a filtered inlet in the port engine compartment, I can "T" off that for the input with a valve (I doubt I'd ever want to run the A/C and watermaker at the same time), and I can route the discharge to the engine exhaust port with an adapter). It might be an issue to get the fresh water output tube to the tank, but I think it will route easy enough under the stairs and thru the galley. Since it is in the cockpit, its convenient for initial flow, testing water quality, system cleaning, etc., without worrying about making a mess inside the boat.

The other alternative might be to put it under the dining area setee. Port side next to the galley would make more sense, you can T off the sink drain for the discharge. Power wouldn't be a big problem, and the water output run would be easier. But access to the unit would be more difficult, and I'm not sure about the salt water intake source. I'm also not sure the filters would fit in that area vertically.

Please post what you decide. Our installation will probably later this year.

My port cockpit lazerette has 2 starting batteries, the house bank is in the starboard lazerette. Although it is in a relatively protected cockpit, it is still more exposed to the elements and possible corrosion. I would be concerned about mounting the watermaker there. I was also thinking of locating the membrane housing /high pressure pump assembly under the salon seats. My boat has a mystery through hull and seacock in the port bilge under the galley. I don't know what it was designed for, possibly a salt water pump for the galley sink. But I plan to use this for the watermaker. My problem is in where to locate the lift pump/filter assembly. In the Spectra Ventura, the lift pump is attached to a module containing the primary filter. The manual says that this should not be more than 3 feet above the waterline. Anywhere in the galley, this would take up valuable galley storage space below the countertop.

What about under the fridge (layouts vary)? that is where I put the intake plumbing for my AC.

The starting batts in my boat are located one each in each engine compartments. It probably wouldn't be that big a job to relocate them if you wanted to do a lazerette installation. I thought about corrosion as well, but the well in the lazerette in the cockpit is covered and protected from salt spray, and probably not a much more of a corrosive environment than anywhere else on the boat, if at all.

I measured the lazarette and I know the pump and filters will fit. I have not measured under the salon settee specifically for the water pump, but I measured the area under the fore section (I was thinking of adding a 30 gal tank there) and it had about 13" vertical clearance. If it is the same at the sides, it would be big enough to fit the pump, but I just don't think you'd be able to cram the filters in there.

Under fridge might be an option if you have the swing door type fridge. Our is an in-counter type.

Maybe you could mount the clark pump under the settee and mount the filters/pressure pump under the sink in the galley. You'd have to take out the trash receptacle and use something else, but it would be accessible, located lower in the boat, and close to the salt water intake.

Hi All,
I have a 1998 Altair (outboards) #32037 and installed a Spectra 150 a few years ago when we spent several winters in the Bahamas.

I installed most of the parts under the nav table and the Clark pump under the middle settee. I did have to cut out a piece of the fiberglass liner under the nav table and replace it with a mounting board on hinges for valves and plumbing. I also made a new nav table to allow for a little more clearance but probably no necessary. The plumbing was then easy to run to the clark pump, the water tank, the supply and the discharge line. I did have to drill a few holes in some areas behind the liner but nothing structural.

I T’d the seawater from the thru hull for the head in the forward lazarette. I know that your are supposed to have a dedicated thru hull but I didn’t want to make another one. We just don’t use the head while using the Spectra. Never had a problem with insufficient seawater and does not draw water from head with check valve.

I T’d the discharge brine into the head sink drain below the the sink, it was tight but worked well and no overflow into the sink. The product water was first directed to a dedicated spigot in the sink and then when the TDS was OK after a few minutes I switched it to the main water tank with a valve on the panel.

Another mod was to use the same filter on the main water tank as is supplied with the Spectra so that all of the water used on the boat is safe to flush the unit so did not need to use the water filter attached to the Spectra. I hinged the medicine cabinet panel so I could easily open to access the water tank and change filters and access storage under the settee.

The Spectra does like 13.5 volts better than 12.5 so we would usually make water every few days with the Honda generator running while we charged the batteries. Our stock solar of 150 watts and our Air-X didn’t always keep up with our refrigerator thirst for amps and we never let the batteries get below 50%.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Greg Z, Easton, MD
32037

Nice install and info, thanks Greg

Thanks