Portable Watermaker Blog

How 12V Marine Desalination Units Work (Real-World Guide)
A 12V marine desalination unit is one of the simplest ways to produce freshwater on smaller boats without a generator. Here’s how they work and what you can realistically expect on the water. How Reverse Osmosis Works All portable watermakers follow this sequence: A high-pressure pump draws seawater. The pump forces water through a reverse osmosis membrane. Salt is rejected. Freshwater flows into your tank. Brine is discharged back overboard. The process is simple, reliable, and ideal for small boats with limited power. Real-World Power Draw A typical 12V unit... Read more...
Portable Watermaker for Boats: 2025 Australian Buyer’s Guide
Looking for a portable watermaker for boats? This 2025 Australian buyer’s guide compares output, power draw, durability, and key features. Includes Scout SW20 specs. Read more...
How Much Water Do You Actually Need?
Many buyers comparing marine watermakers fixate on one number: litres per hour. The bigger the better, right? Not necessarily. The real trick to comfortable, sustainable cruising or off-grid living isn’t maximum output — it’s balance: enough fresh water for your needs, at a power level your solar or battery system can handle. That’s exactly where the LEDI Scout shines. The Myth of “More Is Better” Some portable watermakers boast 40 – 100 litres per hour. That sounds impressive until you realise how much power they draw — often 400–1,200 watts,... Read more...
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... Read more...
How Much Water Do You Actually Need?
Many buyers comparing marine watermakers fixate on one number: litres per hour. The bigger the better, right? Not necessarily. The real trick to comfortable, sustainable cruising or off-grid living isn’t maximum output — it’s balance: enough fresh water for your needs, at a power level your solar or battery system can handle. That’s exactly where the LEDI Scout shines. The Myth of “More Is Better” Some portable watermakers boast 40 – 100 litres per hour. That sounds impressive until you realise how much power they draw — often 400–1,200 watts,... Read more...
Watermaker Myth-Busting: The Facts Behind Common Misconceptions
Spend five minutes on a sailing forum and you’ll meet someone who swears watermakers are loud, power-hungry, and cost as much as a small car. Many of those opinions were true twenty years ago — but technology, efficiency, and design have moved on.Modern compact reverse-osmosis systems like LEDI’s Scout are changing the game, making self-sufficiency at sea affordable and easy. Let’s debunk a few of the biggest myths still floating around. Myth 1: “They take too much power.” Early desalination units from the 1970s and 80s often ran off petrol... Read more...
Watermaker Selection: What Actually Makes Sense on a Small Cruiser?
Choosing a watermaker is really about matching output to your power budget. High-output AC units like Rainman work for generator boats, but they’re noisy, heavy, and burn huge amounts of energy. Spectra systems are efficient but expensive and tied to proprietary parts. The LEDI Scout stands apart for small cruisers: 10–20 L/h on just 19 A, lightweight, solar-friendly, and built from standard components you can service anywhere. For 7–12 m yachts, it delivers daily water independence without the noise or cost of big systems, making it the most practical choice... Read more...
The Evolution of Fresh Water at Sea: From Rain Barrels to Reverse Osmosis
From Wooden Barrels to Boiling Seas For most of maritime history, fresh water has been the Achilles’ heel of voyaging. Ancient sailors set out with wooden casks filled from rivers or wells, sometimes topping up with rainwater caught in sails. But wood leaks, time spoils, and bacteria thrive. In the Age of Sail, foul water and dehydration killed more crews than storms or shipwrecks—often through dysentery, scurvy, and fever.¹ Steam and Salt: The First Desalination Attempts By the 18th century, whaling ships and naval vessels began carrying distillation stills that... Read more...
Beyond the Horizon: Creative Uses for the LEDI Scout Off the Boat
Most people first encounter portable watermakers like the LEDI Scout on sailboats — a compact, robust desalination system that quietly turns seawater into fresh, drinkable water wherever the wind takes you. Yet the same technology can transform life far beyond the marina. From deserts to disaster zones, the Scout is redefining what off-grid means. Overland Expeditions Fresh water is heavy — a single litre weighs a full kilogram. On remote overlanding trips or desert rallies, carrying hundreds of litres adds enormous weight and limits range.With a Scout onboard, travellers can... Read more...
Sail Further on Solar: The 12-V Watermaker for small Cruisers
Sail Further on Solar: The 12-V Watermaker for small Cruisers
A compact 12-volt watermaker changes the game for 7–12 m yachts where every amp-hour counts. Read more...