Watermaker Woes

by Betsy Crowfoot, Senior Writer, Quokka Sports on 30 Oct 2000 Isle of Man initiates rationing as watermaker problems erupt.




“Jan [Giffen] came up with a good quote the other day. Something about how ridiculous it is that we call our planet 'earth,' when so much of it's ocean,” wrote Isle of Man’s Rob Peake. “Miles of the stuff! Horizon after horizon of metallic, grey-blue heaving water. Awesome.”

Yet for all the water which surrounds Isle of Man, they may as well be in a desert. The team is rationing water after another serious breakdown in their watermaking equipment. During this second leg of the BT Global Challenge 2000/01, skipper Lin Parker has reported, “We have major problem with our watermaker, as we have developed a hole in the high pressure hose,” leaving the team with limited ability to produce H2O.
It could not have happened at a worse time: “slap, bang in the middle of the hottest stretch of earth this side of Hades,” Peake quipped.

As the Challenge fleet races from Boston, U.S. to Buenos Aires, Argentina they are nearing the equator. “Things are getting hotter as we speak,” pointed out Adam Tuffnell of Logica. With frequent sail changes in the steamy conditions, he said, “Everyone is sweating lots and trying to keep the fluid levels up.”

Aboard Compaq, Glenda Porter observed during a video conference, “the people on the other end of the line were drinking chilled bottled water. We had three crew volunteers at the communications suite, drooling … it was sheer torture for us all.”

“Keeping the crew hydrated is a priority,” added Stephen Wilkins, skipper of Spirit of Hong Kong –- which also suffered watermaker woes earlier this week. “We are all required to drink a minimum amount of liquids … primarily powdered juice added to water and topped off with a pinch of salt.”

Aboard Isle of Man, Parker attributed their damage to, “the pipe vibrating backward and forward against the floorboard where it comes up from the bilges to the watermaker unit in the oilskin locker.”

Gavin Macfadyen and Rob Tobin were given an arduous task: “hours in the airless, sweaty foul weather gear locker, where the watermaker is held, looking for a solution,” according to Peake. “They've found at least seven weak points in the pipe, but have had to suffer the frustration of fixing one hole, only to have another appear almost immediately.”

By Saturday afternoon Parker’s team had attempted a variety of fixes. “So far we have covered it in heatshrink (three layers) put on top of this a section of reinforced hose, followed by a layer of metal (a cut-up jam jar lid) and attempted to hold the whole thing in place by a series of jubilee clips.” However, she said, there was insufficient pressure to produce water.

As Challenge Business’ Alistair Hackett explained, the reverse-osmosis process relies on the application of pressure -- 800 to 1,400 psi -- to force the water through semi-permeable membranes which filter out salt and other contaminants.

Later in the day, Parker reported, “We are now on IOM adaptation Mark IV and have been successfully making water for three hours. ‘Cut some very thin strips of leather, bound them round the hole and then jubilee clipped tight shut. The leather seems to be absorbed in the hole and we can make water at two litres per minute.”

But that is nearly half of the standard capacity. On a given day, a Challenge yacht will run the watermaker up to four hours, producing enough potable water for the 18-person team. This water is stored in one of four 400-litre holding tanks.

Race Officer Lisa Wood explained, “This is the reason all the yachts have to keep the forward two water tanks full of water at all times. It is part of the race rules and is in place for just such an emergency. They will have to ration the water and use it just for cooking and drinking. ” Explained Wood, who sailed in the initial 1992/93 Challenge, “The water is vital for cooking as all the food is dehydrated.”

She also pointed out the team could collect rain water by rigging up a gutter along the boom. “As the rain water hits the main sail and trickles down it would fall into the gutter and funnel itself to the end of the boom,” to a waiting bucket.

Parker said they may resort to catching rain water, but predicted, “This repair might last all the way to Buenos Aires, even if it needs to be redone a few times along the way.” Her parting words in an email to RHQ were, “PLEASE CAN WE HAVE NEW HP HOSE IN B.A. AND ALSO A SPARE?”

Challenge Business is one step ahead of the 37-year-old skipper. Hackett said they will replace the high pressure pipe on each yacht during the Buenos Aires stopover, “whether they need it or not.”

“We have always said, ‘if the same thing happens on two boats, it’s a coincidence. If it happens on three, it’s a trend.” After the 11 other teams were alerted to the potential problem, Hackett said he received six reports of similar chafe. As added protection, the new pipes will also be sleeved in PVC. A number of yachts -– including Isle of Man -– experienced watermaker problems during Leg one as well. “It was quite a scare to find we were going into the first of the reserves,” wrote TeamSpirIT’s Tina Williamson, who described, “due to the boat's heel and speed … we get air bubbles into the system that stops the pump getting salt water in for purification.”

Hackett said the teams’ best form of protection is “vigilance” to maintain an adequate supply of water for the remaining 3,000 miles to Buenos Aires.