for Yachts & Boats
(Reverse Osmosis)
AQUAbibe Watermakers made in Germany
Fresh drinking water onboard—anytime. AQUAbibe builds robust watermakers and desalination systems made in Germany, designed for long-term use on yachts, sailboats and boats. Convert seawater into potable water, even under demanding bluewater conditions.
Marine Watermakers for Yachts & Boats (Reverse Osmosis)
Why install
a desalination unit onboard?
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Produce drinking water in remote bays and during long passages.
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Eliminate single-use plastic bottles and reduce waste onboard.
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No more hauling heavy water supplies or provisioning stress.
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Easier planning for daily routines like showering.
NAVA PURE
Maximum Flexibility
— Robust reverse osmosis system
Integrates seamlessly into 12V onboard systems
The NAVA PURE series separates the 230V high-pressure pump and the 12V feed pump. This smart design enables particularly smooth and stable operation via an inverter on 12V onboard power systems.
Thanks to the separated components, the system is also ideal for tight or complex installation environments.
NAVA CORE
Recommendation
— Our premium product (compact design & easiest installation)
The NAVA CORE series is our most advanced and innovative watermaker: The direct integration of a robust impeller feed pump and high-pressure pump into a single compact unit enables a dramatically simplified mechanical and electrical installation.
Uncompromising industrial-grade quality ensures maximum durability and performance for vessels of all sizes.
FAQ
– Need help choosing?
All about
installation & setup
Maintenance & consumables
Request
a quote
Reliability
Based on 20+ years experience of our owner in the automotive industry, AQUAbibe applies the same standards during the design and development of our watermakers. Only after extensive field trials in real-world applications we are satisfied to offer our desalination systems to our customers.
Quality
AQUAbibe is proud to build watermakers mainly based on European manufactured components, such as high-pressure pump and RO membrane vessel, low-pressure parts, high-pressure hoses and stainless steel fittings. Because of this we grant a two-year warranty on AQUAbibe units (except consumables).
Cost of Ownership
As AQUAbibe stands for “Drinking Water”, our goal is to make fresh water available to everyone on a boat. As soon as you have had a watermaker onboard once, you will never want to miss it again. Since we are using only globally available components, we can keep operational and maintenance costs as low as possible.
Seawater to Drinking Water
– Desalination for Sailors & Yacht Owners
Challenge & Mission:
Anyone who has seen the vast garbage patches in our oceans knows: stocking up on plastic bottles is not the answer. With an AQUAbibe watermaker on board, plastic waste can be significantly reduced – both on your vessel and ultimately in our oceans.
The Solution:
Its compact design minimizes space requirements, making it a practical solution even for smaller vessels.
AQUAbibe Support
AQUAbibe Support
→ Which NAVA series is right for my boat?
NAVA CORE
The premium all-in-one system
• Compact pump unit with feed and high-pressure pump
• Particularly easy to install
• 35–250 l/h fresh water output
• Also available as a COMPACT version for limited space
• Modular, powerful, and highly flexible
Ideal for bluewater sailors and larger boats with high water demand
NAVA PURE
The classic watermaker solution
• 230V high-pressure pump + 12V feed pump
• Integration into 12V onboard systems via inverter possible
• 35–125 l/h fresh water output
• Also available as a COMPACT version
Ideal for boats with classic installation and moderate water demand
→ How do I choose the right AQUAbibe watermaker for my boat?
Before choosing the right AQUAbibe watermaker, you should consider the following factors:
- What power source is available on your boat to operate the watermaker? (DC or AC?)
- In which area do you primarily operate your boat? (Coastal cruising or bluewater sailing?)
- What is the size of your onboard freshwater tank, and how quickly do you currently consume this water? Keep in mind that water consumption usually increases once a watermaker is installed – as water becomes easily available.
Based on your answers, we will be happy to help you find the optimal AQUAbibe watermaker for your boat.
→ Where should I install the watermaker on my boat?
Thanks to the modular design of our AQUAbibe watermakers, you have maximum flexibility when installing the system on board.
There are virtually no limitations – with one important exception: a seawater intake (seacock) must be installed at the lowest possible point in the hull. This ensures that the low-pressure pump is continuously supplied with seawater without air entering the system, as air can damage both the membranes and the high-pressure pump. Ideally, the low-pressure pump should be installed below the waterline.
Another important consideration is to keep both low-pressure and high-pressure hoses as short as possible, as excessively long hose runs will increase the required energy consumption.
→ What power supply do I need?
AQUAbibe watermakers operate with 220 V AC / 50 Hz for the high-pressure pump and 12 V DC for the low-pressure pump.
The systems are designed to run on small portable generators, such as the widely used Honda EU22i (formerly EU2000i). With such a generator, the watermaker can be operated reliably while simultaneously charging the onboard batteries.
Alternatively, operation via onboard batteries in combination with a properly sized inverter is also possible, for example with a Victron Energy Phoenix Smart 12/3000. This configuration has been successfully tested by us.
Modern LiFePO₄ battery systems are particularly well suited, as they can easily provide the required power.
As with all high-power consumers on board, the electrical installation should be properly dimensioned and professionally executed to ensure reliable operation.
→ How much water do I need?
As a general guideline, one person on board consumes approximately 30 to 50 liters of water per day. This includes drinking water as well as water for showering, cooking, dishwashing, and other uses.
A crew of four therefore requires at least 120 liters of water per day.
However, experience shows that after installing a watermaker, this same crew typically consumes around 200 liters per day. Previously measured water usage almost always increases, as water becomes virtually unlimited.
→ Is the fresh water drinkable?
The fresh water produced by an AQUAbibe watermaker is safe to drink.
Through the reverse osmosis process using a semipermeable membrane, only pure drinking water passes through, with a TDS value* of approximately 100 to 270 ppm.
According to the WHO, water with a TDS value of up to 1000 ppm is safe for consumption. Countries such as the UAE and the Bahamas are supplied entirely with water from desalination systems (watermakers).
A common question concerns essential minerals, which are largely removed during the RO process. This is not a concern, as most of the required minerals are obtained through food intake.
* TDS: Total Dissolved Solids – a measure of the mineral content in water
→ What size should my watermaker be?
Several factors play a role here. In general, a seawater desalination system should be operated regularly. At the same time, it requires energy during operation and generates noise.
The goal is therefore to run the watermaker at regular intervals, but for the shortest possible duration each time.
Ideally, it is sufficient to operate the system every two days for one to two hours to refill the water tanks.
If a crew requires around 100 liters of water per day, a watermaker with a fresh water output of approximately 100 liters per hour is the ideal choice.
→ What power supply is required?
All AQUAbibe watermakers require a 230V AC power supply for the high-pressure pump.
The NAVA CORE series does not require any additional electrical installation.
The NAVA PURE series additionally requires a 12V DC connection.
Due to the combination of feed pump and high-pressure pump, the NAVA CORE series has a higher startup current and can be easily operated with the specified generators, provided they deliver the required starting power.
Thanks to the separation of high-pressure pump and feed pump, the NAVA PURE series has a lower starting load and can therefore, in certain cases, also be operated via 12V DC inverters. For smaller units, inverters from 2 kVA are recommended.
Many modern sailing yachts are already equipped with generators, allowing AQUAbibe NAVA watermakers to be operated reliably at any time.
→ Why choose a modular watermaker?
The modular design of AQUAbibe NAVA CORE and NAVA PURE watermakers allows installation even on smaller boats and in very limited spaces.
Instead of installing one large, compact unit, the individual components can be distributed flexibly within the hull (within certain technical specifications).
This design, combined with the high level of pre-assembly of all modules, enables a fast and straightforward installation of your AQUAbibe watermaker.
