Watermaker Rebuild

Our cherished Spectra Cape Horn Extreme 330 watermaker decided that it had suffered enough abuse at our hands and went on a work stoppage somewhere between the Galapagos Islands and Rapa Nui. All of our attempts to revive it failed, even under the tutelage of our veteran Spectra installer and dealer J.T. Halden of Halden Marine Services. At the end of the day we determined that the membrane was fouled, and the diagnosis went even further. Not only did we have to replace the membrane, we needed to completely rebuild the Clark Pump. This included replacing inferior high pressure brass fittings that were corroding and disassembling the pump and replacing any suspect parts. As long distance voyagers, we wanted to make sure the watermaker was in tip top shape before committing to long passages like the upcoming Pacific Ocean crossing from Chile to French Polynesia.

Once we reached Puerto Montt, Chile and began to research the options, it became clear that getting the right parts shipped to Chile from the U.S. would cost roughly the equivalent of flying ourselves (and the pump) to Florida. We also had a few other reasons to visit like spending time with Shane and Sam and picking up some other very hard to find boat parts and equipment. So we packed up the Clark Pump and flew to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

J.T. graciously offered us the use of his workshop to overhaul the pump and to teach us how to do so. That visit proved to be special. We learned from a master and left his shop with a pump that was actually better than new, given the replacement of stainless steel high pressure fittings for the less durable brass fittings.

Once we returned to Chile, we reinstalled our new pump and filter. However, we decided that we would endeavor to never use our watermaker in substandard seawater conditions, like those typically found in many marinas. So, our prized posession sat unused for several more months as we worked through our other boat projects and prepared for departure.

Update January 26, 2025: We departed Puerto Montt on January 25 (see related post) and once we reached an anchorage with clear, clean seawater, we anxiously re-commissioned our watermaker. Would it work? After tightening a leaking fitting and purging the feed pumps of trapped air, the watermaker produced very high quality water at the level of a brand new unit. We are delighted and relieved to have our watermaker back with us again. Thanks J.T.!