Watermakers for boats 52 to 65 feet.
Above about sixteen metres the electrical system stops being the limit. There is a generator, there is 24 or 48 volts, and the watermaker is one load among many. What matters instead is output, unattended operation, and whether it can be serviced without stopping the trip.
The electrical reality at 52–65 ft. Typically 24 or 48 V with a generator as standard. A generator is standard at this size, so mains systems are practical. Output and automation matter more than watt-hours per litre — though the energy is still real.
What matters at 52–65 ft
Fill the tank inside one genset run
The useful target is the whole day's water during the evening generator hour. That points at output, and at a system rated to run at full pressure for that long without attention.
Automation earns its keep
Start, flush and stop without anyone in the engine room is most of the premium on a framed automatic system, and at this size and crew it is usually worth paying.
The energy is still real
A generator makes the watt-hours easy to supply, not free. Diesel and engine hours have a price, and a thirstier system runs the genset longer for the same tank.
Plan the service, not just the install
Larger systems mean larger membranes and heavier parts. Confirm the technician can get to it and that spares are held in Australia before you commit.
Shortlist for 52–65 ft boats
The 10 best matches of 28 that suit a boat this size, ordered by litres per hour. Run time and energy are for 180 litres a day.
| System | Power | Output L/hr | Draw W | Wh per litre | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame AC 240L Torrent, auto Rainman | AC 240V | 180–264 | 2,800 | 12.6 | $15,089 |
| Frame AC 240L Torrent, manual Rainman | AC 240V | 180–264 | 2,800 | 12.6 | $12,089 |
| Zen 150 Schenker · spec unconfirmed | 12/24/48V DC or AC | 150 | — | not published | on request |
| Portable AC 140L Rainman | AC 240V | 100–154 | 1,250 | 9.8 | $5,329 |
| Portable Petrol 140L Rainman | Petrol | 100–154 | — | petrol | $6,731 |
| Portable 48VDC 140L Rainman | 48V DC | 100–154 | 1,250 | 9.8 | $6,240 |
| Modular AC 140L Rainman | AC 240V | 100–154 | 1,250 | 9.8 | $5,460 |
| Frame AC 140L, auto Rainman | AC 240V | 100–154 | 1,250 | 9.8 | $11,168 |
| Frame AC 140L, manual Rainman | AC 240V | 100–154 | 1,250 | 9.8 | $7,685 |
| Frame 48VDC 140L, auto Rainman | 48V DC | 100–154 | 1,250 | 9.8 | $12,115 |
Common questions
- What size watermaker for a 60 foot boat?
- Six aboard at 30 litres each is 180 litres a day. Something from about 100 litres an hour fills that inside a two-hour genset run, which is the pattern most boats this size settle into.
- Should a large boat have two watermakers?
- Some charter and expedition boats do, for redundancy rather than output. A cheaper approach is one system plus a stocked set of spares — seals, valves, prefilters and a membrane — and a technician who has seen the boat.
Not your size?
Before you shortlist
Length is a proxy, not a measurement. 180 litres a day is 6 aboard at 30 litres each — a planning figure for boats of this size, not a claim about yours. Two people cruising frugally on a 45-footer use less than a family of four on a 38. The shortlist is filtered to systems whose power source and output suit a boat this size and ordered by litres per hour. Watt-hours per litre is rated draw divided by rated output. Methodology.