SY "Groovy"

"Our watermaker was such a flawless system, and it produced so much water so effortlessly, that it quickly became our favorite piece of equipment on the boat! We showed it off to countless other cruisers, and we luxuriated in plentiful water throughout our cruise, happily washing our snorkeling gear, our dinghy, our kayak, our boat’s decks and cockpit, and ourselves.

Our TDS readings were between 75 and 95 almost every time we made water, slipping over 100 on very rare occasions. The water at our son’s apartment in San Diego had TDS readings of 350! A Mexican family that did a daysail with us commented on how tasty the water was, and they wistfully wished that the water at their house was as good.

We thought nothing of using our fresh water freely, while our fellow cruisers rationed every drop. In nearly four years of cruising, we never once filled the water tanks from a shoreside or marina water supply. All of the fresh water we used for our entire cruise came from the ocean via our Echotec system.

So, I can’t thank you enough for seeing us through the installation and for designing and building such a high quality watermaking system. I was eager to get the word out about Echotec to future cruisers, which is what prompted me to write an article about the system for Cruising World.” http://www.cruisingworld.com/water-water-everywhere?src=SOC&dom=mfr

As an aside, I noticed that you have revamped the user manual and it looks terrific."

Emily
SY "Groovy"

SY "Venus"

"As a charter boat doing trips in Patagonia and Antarctica, we were looking for the simplest watermaker that could be easily maintained even at the end of the world. After long research, we found Echotec most suitable.

All our friends doing charters suggested a minimum of 120 l/h because production dramatically reduces in cold waters.
We were extremely surprised that the Echotec output met the manufacturers’ specification even in the Antarctic.
We were certainly the sailboat with the best production (150L/h!).

In addition, we had a great customer service before and after our purchase. We always got answers to our questions in
no time and Echotec’s staff always provided solutions to our special needs.

Have a great day and thanks again for your work."

Christophe Votat
Venus Sailing
www.venussailing.com

SY "Temptress"

"I have installed a 500-BML-1, 20 gallon per hour engine mount ECHOTec watermaker 6 years ago...and it is the best."
Ray Goodwin SY "Temptress", Farr 40

When we asked Ray if we may upload his unsolicited testimonial he answered:

"Yes you may. Your products and services are the BEST I have encountered in cruising the USA, the Caribbean and the Pacific to Australia, New Zealand and beyond."

Best regards,
Ray"

SV "First Light III"

"We are into our second year cruising aboard FIRST LIGHT III. We have travelled over 12,000 miles, cruising Tasmania, western Pacific islands, Indonesia and Malaysia. I installed an ECHOTec 900-BML-2 engine driven unit before departing and it has reliably provided ample water for all our needs.
My philosophy when equipping our yacht was to try to keep the weight down. By installing a high capacity watermaker, we don't need to carry much water (150 litres) as we can make it whenever we want and fill the tanks in an hour.

We have cruised in company with other yachts that don't have watermakers and it has made us appreciate the freedom we have by not having to cruise from one water supply to the next, not having to ration water and not having to lug heavy water containers often containing water of unknown quality. We often reflect on the systems we have installed on the yacht and rank them based on their value to our cruising life. We consistently rank our watermaker a close second, just behind the autopilot!"

Bernie & Dianne McGoldrick
SV "FIRST LIGHT III"

"The reason for choosing an ECHO Tec. water maker is the well thought-out simplicity of the system, the rugged components that are used and the availability on site of knowledgeable technicians, along with a competitive price.

For our installation, Echo Marine only manufactured and installed the mounting bracket required for the high-pressure pump. In the way of assistance, Echo provided the installation guidelines and advice and did the supervision and the commissioning.

In our installation we are only using one pre-filter, without a booster pump for the feed water. A second filter with a carbon filter element is used for flushing the system with fresh water after every production cycle. The flushing takes about 5 minutes (including the back flushing of the pre-filter) and is quite simple to carry out.

The installation proved to be straightforward and the services rendered by Echo's management and technical staff were excellent. The end result is a very neat and well functioning installation that has no trouble to produce the specified amount of fresh water and is easy to operate and maintain."

John  Van Logchem
SY "Queen of Hearts"
(Queen of Hearts is a Swan 47, designed by S&S and built in 1977; cruising Europe, Brazil, Caribbean, USA, since 1996; normally there are 2 persons on board).

SY "Beau Geste"

“Thank you for all your help and service with the Echotec belt driven water maker. We do races all of the world with Beau Geste and your system has been great. We always struggled with other watermakers; they did not keep up with our needs. I would recommend your system to anyone. It is easy to install yourself and to maintain. Thanks again.”

Regards,
Cameron Ward,
SY "Beau Geste"

SY "Moira"

"I bought an ECHOTec watermaker 3 years ago, installed it myself (easy) and fired it up. It has worked perfectly, with absolutely no problem at all every day since (we are not marina people). I can truly say that this is the best watermaker I have ever had and I never hesitate even a second to recommend it to anyone and everyone."

"We have just returned to Noumea from a couple of months of cruising and uploaded comments on the ECHOTec 500-BML-1 on our cruising website: http://www.cruising-newcaledonia.com/water-makers-desalinators-comparisons.html
Still working just great – I can’t tell you what a pleasure it is to have good gear that serves an essential role in our cruising life."

Richard Chesher
SY "Moira"
http://www.log-of-the-moira.com

SY "Sherry Suzanne"

"We have been living aboard and cruising in the Caribbean since 1995.  During that period, we have replaced most of the original equipment that came with the boat.  Our experience has been that few of these items, regardless of price, perform exactly as advertised.  The one clear exception to this is our ECHOTec watermaker.
 
Three years ago we purchased your model 900-BML-2 watermaker.  The unit has a specification rating of 38 gallons an hour.  We have found that it actually substantially exceeds this rating. It consistently produces 42 gallons an hour.  Furthermore, testing of the product water shows that it meets or exceeds the quality of expensive bottled water.  In addition, the unit has required minimal maintenance.  In fact, we have made water almost every other day for in excess of 3.5 years and the only maintenance has been to change the oil in the high pressure pump and to replace the pre-filters.  It does not get any better than that.
 
Your product has greatly improved the quality of our live-aboard cruising life. 
Thank you so much. In summary, I recommend your product enthusiastically, without any hesitation or reservations."
 
Larry & Dayle Cox
SY "Sherry Suzanne"

SY "Candine"

"About a year ago, I purchased an Echotec engine-driven watermaker 500-BML-1 (20 gph) for my Spencer 44 ketch, "Candine". We have now safely crossed the Pacific, and enjoyed Mexico, the Marquesas, Tuamotu, Society Islands, Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Fiji, and are now en route to New Zealand.

The Echotec watermaker has performed flawlessly. In fact, I have relied on it to fill my tanks 100% of the time, and never had to take on water anywhere. I have made thousands of gallons in the past year and have had not a single problem so far.

I have recommended it to many cruisers, especially those I see hauling water jugs in their dinghy, or waiting at the customs office to clear more spare parts for your competitors' brands. It is one of the few systems on board that I have not had to fix or modify in some way. It was easy to install, easy to operate and simple to maintain, and best of all, it provides refreshing, crystal clear water.

Thank you for a superior product. "

Tim Russell
SY "Candine"

SV "El Oro"

"Having the Echotec 260-DML-1 on board and functioning superbly was of great assistance to our efforts during the Newport to Bermuda Race.
Thanks for providing such exemplary service - which has impressed me along the lines of your pragmatic and efficient watermakers."

Kent King
SV "El Oro"

SY "White Gold"

"Just wanted to let you know how pleased we are with our new watermaker and the service we have received from your company. Thanks to everybody for their help and patience and prompt service. We will certainly recommend you to others."

Jim and Paula
SY "White Gold"

SY "Tamata"

"Just to give you some feedback on our watermaker, I must say that I am really impressed with the unit. Having a fair amount of experience with RO units, although normally much larger than this one, I am surprised at the quietness of it. It runs much quieter than expected.

Your service in getting the unit to us before departure was great as was the way it was packaged and shipped. The unit is well put together and I am very pleased with the workmanship and the fact that you supplied everything needed to do the installation.

I am happy that I bought an Echotec watermaker and will be recommending it and your company to anyone who asks.
Thanks Darryl,"

Matt Lansdown
SY "Tamata"

SY "GOSI"

"Hi Michael and Darryl,
I wanted to write and thank you for the great service and support during my purchase and installation of our new 510-AMS-3 watermaker. It works perfectly. 25 GPH at 220ppm. A great improvement over our previous "energy saving" watermaker."

Tom and Barbara
SY "GOSI"

SY "NatHape"

"In a few words: best Product, best service, best price...
We had the watermaker delivered from Trinidad to Panama, installed it ourselves and it works perfectly."

Hanspeter & Nathalie
SY "NatHape"

SY "Bluesipp"

"Having recently passed Captain Cook's "Thirsty Sound" inside Australia's Great Barrier Reef, it seemed a good time to send a note thanking you for my excellent water maker. Given the choice I shall never sail without one. 

There are surprisingly many boats with your equipment on board and without exception we are all very happy with our water-makers and the excellent and prompt back-up you have given us." 

John Kirkus 
SY "Bluesipp"

SY "Endymion"

"You installed a modular engine driven system in my Peterson 44, Endymion. It has worked wonderfully ever since.
I am still on the original membranes and I don't treat them very well. A robust system."

Jim Nealon
SY "Endymion"

SY "Charmar"

"We installed an ECHOTec Watermaker three years ago knowing we would be cruising in remote areas of South East Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Borneo, where it would be difficult to contact suppliers or get parts or help and where the water supplies are notoriously unreliable. Therefore we wanted a system that worked, had utmost reliability and no need to get supplies, parts or help from supplier.
I am delighted to say that after initial commissioning, where assistance from the company was extra-ordinary, all our criteria of reliability, performance and ease of use have been more than met. To say the least we are delighted!
It is also great to be able to use water freely without constraint, to shower and wash, and even wash the boat down in the tropics without concern for water. We used to carry a 1,000 litres of water, now we just carry an emergency supply and make it as we go."

Chris and Dianne White
'SY Charmar' 
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/charmar

SY "My Dream"

"In 2000 we purchased an ECHOTec AC Watermaker and could not ask for a more dependable piece of gear on the boat. I have not kept track of how much water we have produced, but would guess it is around 10 to 15 thousand gallons. After four years I had to replace the high pressure seals in the pump but other than this the recommended regular maintenance has been sufficient to upkeep a highly productive desalination system.

Water making with the 500AML-1 is so easy; we wash down the boat after long passages, shower, do laundry on the boat, and always have full water tanks.

Throughout our travels through the Caribbean, we have been proud to recommend ECHOTec Watermakers. We'd like to thank you for a superb product well used and appreciated."

Carl Bernhardt
SY "My Dream"

SY "Alba"

"Hi Guys, Since you installed the AC driven 900-AML-2 the unit has performed faultlessly. 

The indicated minimum output of 38 gallons per hour at 800-850psi is conservative and in fact production in my installation is around 40 gph at only 800 psi. So far the statistics are very impressive: 350 running hours without problems (except for an easily remedied small leak) and a production of 14000 gallons of very good water. 

The reason for choosing an ECHO Tec. water maker is the well thought-out simplicity of the system, the rugged components that are used and the availability on site of knowledgeable technicians, along with a competitive price.

In the last 4 months I took in water in a marina only twice and that was because we couldn't run the watermaker in polluted marina water. I find the combination genset/watermaker very well matched: the diesel engine of the genset (a Fischer-Panda 6.5) needs a bigger load than just charging batteries and this is supplied by the requirements of the watermaker, and the watermaker itself likes to run frequently. Running the genset one hour every day (with a little help from the wind generator) charges the batteries to run the fridge, freezer, lights and so on and produces 40 gallons of water.

I have recommended ECHOTec to many cruising friends and would not hesitate to do so again to anyone interested in a reliable, efficient and economical watermaker made by an established company that in addition offers a comprehensive and helpful after sales service."

Sergio Mauri
SY "Alba"
Hallberg- Rassy 42

SY "McGregor"

"It has been a long time since we have been in touch!! That is because our ECHOTec 900-AML-2 that we purchased 10 years ago has been running so great!!! It is time, however, to do a bit of maintenance. One of the springs in our 220 V motor broke. We were wondering if we could get two replacement springs for that specific motor. If you could work up a price and e-mail us.
Thank you so much. We love the many years that your fantastic product has given us!!!!"

Tim Miller and Julie Brown
MY “McGregor”
http://www.yachtmcgregor.com

SY "Lovina"

"When we left Sweden, we had no watermaker and could not see any reason to install one as our boat has a freshwater tank of almost 600 liters which was sufficient during our Atlantic passage. Still, there were always concerns about the quality and saving water becomes a major concern.

Also, we recognized while traveling towards the Tropics that it becomes more and more difficult to obtain a fair amount of good water as our consumption raised.
The decision to install a Watermaker was easily made when we reached Trinidad. We choose the model 500-AML-1 that produces 80 liters/hour, while running on our 220 Volt genset. Doing the installation ourselves was simple and made us familiar with every item involved.

Our life on Board changed a lot; not only did we get all quality drinking water we need but having a shower two times a day turned from luxury into normal. Dishwashing was no longer a salty issue and we also started to flush our head with fresh water which saved a lot of unpleasant maintenance in the future.

During the four years cruising we had no trouble with our system. Four years in which we slowly sailed the Pacific, often staying in remote and uninhabited anchorages, as long as we want, without any concern in areas where the only drinkable liquid comes from coconuts."

Peter and Ulla Lütze
SY "Lovina"

SY "Tesca"

“I have been using my ECHOTec 780-AML-2 water maker for a couple of years now as I live full time on my yacht Tesca in Hervey Bay area. It is reliable, easy to use and does an excellent job. Other yachties are amazed when I tell them how much water it makes - far more than comparable units! I am very happy and would recommend it to any serious cruiser!"

Harry Threlfall
SY "Tesca"
http://www.tesca.com.au

SY "Dol’selene"

"Since we acquired our Echotec 690 AML-2 water maker, we have been cruising almost full time in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and now in the Mediterranean. It has given us in excess of 60.000 litres of lovely water, operated without fault and only normal servicing as per the manual. We have met with many other cruisers, having problems with their water makers, some quite major problems, and each time we comment on the quality and simplicity of the Echotec.
Watermakers continue to be the subject of much debate amongst cruisers, but all other Echotec owners seem to share similar experiences to our own."

Brian
SV "Dol'selene"

SY "Saga III"

"For a total novice in the unknown field of reverse osmosis watermakers, the selection, purchase and installation of a watermaker during the commissioning of our new yacht in France created a daunting task. Months were spent trolling internet sites, blogs reviews etc. I have no comparison benchmarks regarding the performance of our Echotec 500 AML-1. Simply, it has demystified the complexities of desalination and performed faultlessly, exceeding all expectations since installation."

David Shaw
SAGA III

MY "Tenacity"

"I installed an ECHOTec 500-AML-1 into my Sea Ray Motor Yacht.
It has been superb; the 90+ litres of water it produces per hour is
pure & sweet. I couldn’t be happier with the production. The freedom to be
able to enjoy my boat without regard to water consumption is wonderful."

Ross Britt
MY "Tenacity"

SY "Splash"

"As a sailor, setting my boat up for cruising I did what every other sailor does and I asked as many cruisers and live aboard's as possible about what they have and what other cruisers say and think about what to buy.

I was speaking at length to a circumnavigator who took 5 years to do his circumnavigation and as he was a member of my club we had a great chin wag about everything. My big item list had a watermaker on it and I asked him what he thought would be a good one to buy. The conversation went much like this.
Q. So what watermaker do you have?
A. I have an XXXX model (not an ECHOTec) which did do the job ok.
Q. What brand would you recommend and why?
A. Well, most cruising sailors are using the ECHOTec. They are very simple, you can get parts anywhere, no electronics to play up and they will eventually, ask me. They just seem to be incredibly reliable.

We all know that there are many brands out there and as I have worked very closely with the marine industry as a sailing instructor I have heard of other brands of watermakers causing problems.

I called Peter, Blue Sea Machines on several occasions with questions that might seem and were straight forward, but I wanted everything to be perfect. I found Peter to be very helpful which is rare these days. When someone has your money they forget you very quickly but not Peter.

We have used the water maker consistently without any problems. We make 50 to 60 liter a day as this is our daily usage and the water maker goes on when we start the 2kva Honda which heats the water for showers, charges the batteries and makes water. When we are motoring and need water, we turn the watermaker on (and travel at 5 knots max to prevent cavitation) and run it till the tank overflows.

I can recommend the ECHOTec to any prospective buyer as it is robust, easy to install and maintain. I have been using my ECHOTec commercially with students on board so it has had a work out.

My yacht is “Splash” and is in Pittwater, NSW, so if you see me at anchor and would like to have a look at the installation come on over."

Peter Wilson
SY "Splash"

SV "Phoenix X "

"Just a short note, to let you know how delighted we are with our new ECHOTec 390-AML-1 water maker. The installation was very straightforward due to the great technical advice given by you when required. The output of the system is fantastic and the amount of power required to run it is well below my expectations. This will totally transform our cruising life. We are now ready to go as far away as we can without ever having to worry about fresh water. Once again, thanks for all the fantastic telephone support."

Robert & Sylvia
SY “Phoenix X"

MV "XTC"

"After six months of research, I finally found the water maker that suited our requirements for use on our cruising catamaran. We required minimum power usage for a 240 Volt AC unit, which could be driven by our Honda 2 KVA generator and from our 1800 Watt pure sine wave inverter (while travelling)."

"I have no hesitation in recommending Blue Sea Machines and ECHOTec Watermakers for a great product and more importantly after sales service."

Bill Jack
MV “XTC”

SV "Habibi"

After one year in use, I can confirm that ECHOTec was the right choice for our Island Packet 380. The 12V-unit produces a vast amount of freshwater with minimal (service) effort. We particularly appreciate that we can get competent and fast support directly from the manufacturer – even a year after the purchase. We highly recommend this watermaker.

The Habibi Crew
www.habibisails.blogspot.com

MV "Solarwave"

“Since 3 years we have an ECHOTec installed like most cruisers we know. After more than 25.000 liters produced, we as well as all our friends have no problems with our desalination system. Therefore, we have decided to use an ECHOTec 260-DML-1 again on our new project: The 100% solar-powered catamaran “Solarwave”, without sails and any fossil fuel.”

Michael Köhler 
MV "Solarwave"
http://www.solarwave.at/en

SY "Theis"

"Hello Darryl,

This was our first attempt at changing our membrane since we installed the ECHOTec 260-DML-1 all by ourselves six years ago in Malaysia. Thank you for your prompt and helpful replies!
We previously had a Xxxxxxx system that failed miserably in the middle of the Pacific, repair was complicated and expensive.
We love the simplicity of the ECHOTec system. We had zero maintenance, except for the occasional gear oil and filter change, in the past six years! We just have installed new solar panels and are now able to run the watermaker on solar power only during high sun. It's really great to be able to do this! Great product and outstanding service, thanks again!
Kind regards"

Denis & Maria
S.Y. Theis

SY "Tropicali"

"I have had 3 watermakers on different yachts over the years and I know that I need a robust, simple and efficient machine. My Echotec 260-DML-1 is all those things. In recent voyages to the Louisiades, the Solomons, New Caledonia and Vanuatu, I have enjoyed reliable, easily made water. In the Solomons, where the sea water is very warm, I was getting a litre a minute from my 260-DML-1! I had a couple of queries when installing the unit and was greatly helped by Peter from Blue Sea Machines. I unreservedly recommend both his service and the product."

Lawrie Gubb
SY "Tropicali"

SV "Tryphena"

"We upgraded many systems on our 10.8m sloop Tryphena for our trip from the east coast to the Kimberley.
The ECHOTec 260-DML-1 water maker was probably the best investment we made. It is a beautiful piece of engineering and lived up to our every expectation."

Peter Giller
SV "Tryphena"

SY "Moni"

"Two years ago we installed the watermaker 260-DML-1, 49 Ltr/h, serial #: 6592.
We just want to thank you for a very good product. The system works flawlessly."

Moni and Erhard Friebe
SV "Moni"

SY "Sara"

"We bought a 260-DML-1 watermaker from you in 2002, we were in PB.
We would like to mention that we have been very, very pleased with the watermaker.
Since 2002 it has had much use and always has been trouble free and easy to operate."

Sharman Gowing and Cliff Wayne
SY "Sara"

SY "Falshator"

"Just dropping you a quick note to thank you guys for the watermaker. It is working really well. We are presently in Ios in the Greek Islands and  since we have left Split in Croatia, we have only used the Watermaker to fill our Tank. The water is very nice to drink and has no salinity or cloudiness. It makes 50 litres per hour for as long as we need it to and we are very pleased with it."

John and Shelly Colebourne
SY "Falshator"

SY "Moon"

"After 8 years experience with our ECHOTec watermaker on "Lindisfarne", we chose an ECHOTec 260-DML-1 for our next boat "Moon"."

Annika & Björn
SV "Moon"

SY "AKKA"

"During our circumnavigation, so far we produced more than 40.000 Liter of good quality water and are really happy with the system. We are glad to have chosen a 12V driven watermaker which produces the needed water from our solar panels and wind generator.

First we thought the output should be higher but for a 2 person <household> the 260-DML-1 is just perfect ... no need to run the engine, if there is some sunshine and wind.... as usual."

Andreas Haensch
www.sy-akka.de

SY "The Doctor"

"We went with ECHOTec after a strong recommendation from another cruising couple. We have found our 260-DML-1 simple to operate, easy to maintain and successful in keeping our tanks full of fresh water. Peter said to ring him anytime we had an issue and because of some errors in our initial installation, we really put him to the test. Together, we gradually sorted out the problems and we were very grateful for his patience and commitment to the product. All in all, very happy with the unit and with a competent installer you will have a simple, low maintenance system that meets your fresh water needs."

Rob Manning
"The Doctor"
Atkinson 45

SY "Dehayma"

"Hi Peter, Re. the water-maker. Warren and I wish to say we were very happy with the pre-sale information, and quick contact responses. It was supplied in a professional manner and is very efficient and easy to use, with minimum time spent. Water quality is 100%. We had 6 adults aboard. The unit handles showers, galley and washing machine.
We wouldn't have enjoyed the trip if we were constantly watching water use."

Cheryl & Warren Robyn-Smith
SY "Dehayma"

SV "Nauti Dog"

"Hi Darryl and Michael,

You guys are the best and fantastic at helping people with courteous, prompt, and accurate service. That's a combination that I don't think I've seen anywhere else in the Caribbean. Well done, and thanks again, you can be assured that I regularly praise you guys in the cruising world (as do your other cruising customers). Can't say enough good things, and never heard a negative opinion."

Michael Smith
SV "Nauti Dog"
2012 Lagoon 421
Halifax, Canada