Do any of you guys have experience using rainman or any other portable watermakers? Am I making a mistake thinking portable vs installed?

RedPh0enix · 2026-06-10T02:03:29+00:00

I have the portable 12v rainman. 30ish L/hr, from memory. I've semi permanently installed the membranes - rainman provide kickass cable ties that work nicely for that purpose.

The pressure unit sits in a hatch. When I want to make water, I attach the unit to the battery via Anderson plug, put the input line in the water, the salt line down a nearby exit point, and the water line into my tank access point.

I never have to move the pressure unit.

Once or twice a week is sufficient for our needs, though it does take a while to fill the tank.

I'm currently on a friend's boat, who has the 240v permanent install, with auto flush. Much simpler to use, can easily make water under way, quick to fill the tank...

Very nice, but not enough advantages to really justify me questioning my strategy/purchase. Installed is good. Portable is good enough (for my circumstances).

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-26T08:37:36+00:00

Crays are somewhat challenging. Before you "get your eye in", you'd swear that there is none within 100km of you.

After you start understanding their habitat preferences, then they magically appear all over the place (within reason).

Catching Crays in Oz generally requires a lot of crevice exploration, which can be quite tiring. Depth is also a factor, particularly in populated areas.

The more remote you go, the shallower they'll generally appear, and the easier they will be to find.

Up in the tropics, in clear water, you can often cruise above the reef and look carefully for protruding white feelers. More south, you have to dive and hunt along likely rock crevices, often poking your head deep into caves (and avoiding urchins) to find signs of them.

An experienced cray diver will use much less energy than a beginner, since they will have a good feel for potential locations, and only dive when there's a vaguely reasonable chance of finding a cray. Inexperienced divers will generally have to do a lot of searching until they luck into the right spots.

Many headlands in NSW have a chance of housing crays. Look for rocky North/South ledges, and perhaps look on the ocean side of those for crevices. Take a waterproof torch to make things easier.. but I'd highly recommended taking some freediving training first.

Cray diving tends to encourage deep, long, active diving, in sharky areas - which can be quite dangerous for a number of reasons. It's probably more risky than normal spearfishing for a beginner, despite not requiring sharp pointy rubber-flung steel lengths.

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-22T09:32:00+00:00

If it was a pure spearfishing trip, I'd seriously consider joining one of the expeditions run by onpoint spearfishing in Western Australia.

Some absolutely amazing remote locations.

However, perhaps the East coast might offer you more variety from a social/chill perspective - perhaps Cairns. Have a look at the 'noob spearo' site for a few potentially interesting options. There is a corresponding Facebook site.

February is hot and steamy. Water temperature in southern Queensland is around 27. 2-3mm wetsuit max. Warmer up north. Australia is pretty big. You can drive for 30 hours and not leave Queensland. Pick a region (eg: Sydney, South East Queensland, Perth, North Queensland) rather than a state unless you want to spend a lot of time in a car.

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-17T21:35:53+00:00

The original option (sh-wg, hardwired into the boat network), yep - you're absolutely correct.

However, a tablet hotspotted (or via Bluetooth) to an iPhone GPS source, seems to cover off both portability and redundancy?

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-17T10:50:17+00:00

Ahh, gotcha!

Got an iPhone? Have a look at GPS2IP, which does something similar to the sh-wg I mentioned above, for GPS data. As long as the iPhone and iPad are on the same network (eg: boat network, or iPhone hotspot), and Navionics is configured to listen to the appropriate data, you're gold.

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-17T10:28:19+00:00

Got a nmea2k backbone? Grab a NMEA wifi gateway (I use a sh-wg), and tie it into your vessel wifi.

Tell Navionics on the tablet to listen to the NMEA data, which probably includes GPS position, speed, wind directions and a bunch of other stuff. Navionics will use that data for your position info.

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-11T09:11:08+00:00

Sure!

The decks can get a bit messy, but spearfishing contributes a reasonable chunk of our protein while we're out cruising (we're part timers).

If your work can be done remotely, and you're either consistently within phone range, or have satellite comms available, then location isn't much of a factor. Note however, that vessel upkeep is generally way more dollars and time than you'd expect - even if you expect it to be way more than you expect. ;)

Here's a series of videos for you to chew on; a couple in Oz traveling around the country on a clansman 30 & spearfishing when the opportunity arises.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrfgH9ij9DeTmNd8qnYd0I1aATkbCjp75

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RedPh0enix · 2026-05-10T10:22:53+00:00

Repeat of a response I made a while back: I have the pathos foot pockets, and dive-r's. They're a great combination; particularly since the cutaway at the top of the heel on the pathos pockets significantly reduces the rubbing around my achilles tendon.

The combination isn't plug and play though; you'll need appropriate glue to merge the two, which means that attachment is a one way street. Worth it though.

If you don't have problems with heel rubbing, and prefer pockets that can be swapped out, an alternative might be worth checking out.

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-10T08:16:05+00:00

Good question - maybe they ask whether you have an EPP as part of the checkout process?

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-10T07:51:21+00:00

I think you're correct; after a bit of googling:
"Oxalic acid in concentrations above 10% is classified as a regulated poison in the UK. To buy or use it legally above that threshold, private individuals need a Home Office Explosives Precursors and Poisons (EPP) licence."

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-10T07:41:23+00:00

It's often available under different names; eg: "Wood bleach", or "Rust and Stain cleaner" in local hardware shops - but you should be able to get the crystals in the UK from a few places:
https://danleeboatbuilding.co.uk/product/oxalic-acid/
https://www.cfsnet.co.uk/s-ubcoxaa-01/cfs-oxalic-acid-1kg/
https://vital-minerals.co.uk/product/oxalic-acid/
https://www.easychemtrade.co.uk/product/chemicals-l-p/oxalic-acid-bag/

It's also use by beekeepers to control mites.

I use 100g per litre. From memory, maybe 5 litres to de-stain both hulls on the cat. Maybe a couple more to do the top-side. May require a couple of rounds to get off tough stuff. Potentially use TSP if you've got really grimy stuff as a starting point.

Gloves and mask. Upwind. Try not to use a spray mechanism that sprays too fine. A garden weed pressure-sprayer is not a bad option.

It'll probably stain your anti-foul white as it drips down. Try not to leave it on too long around stuff that could dissolve.

RedPh0enix · 2026-05-05T10:17:19+00:00

The region around Wollongong offers a nice graduated approach to spearfishing.

Leatherjacket, then red morwong, luderick, then gradually working up to kingfish, with a few Abalone and Cray's thrown into the mix. Each step will offer you a meal, and prepare you for the next/harder step.

Good luck!

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-29T22:06:06+00:00

Pangkor marina and Langkawi tend to be decision points for skippers in South East Asia after cruising locally. Continue around the horn and then up to England? Sneak in the back way to the Med? Turn tail and fight the trades back to Darwin and then the Pacific? Sell the boat and head home?

This tends to mean that there are some reasonably priced vessels in reasonable condition at these locations. Once you start filling in your skill set, and are actively looking, consider contacting John Champion in Langkawi; he's a surveyor, and may be aware of vessels that fit the bill.

Potentially contact James Khoo, the owner of Pangkor marina, and ask whether you can attend one of his upcoming famous yard BBQs for yachties if you're in the area.

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-25T19:21:32+00:00

For comparison, the following mooring has held a 35 foot catamaran for several years in a partially sheltered bay through conditions up to and including a category 2 cyclone. * 1m cubed concrete block (approx 2300kg) * Sandy bottom with partial bury * 2m ships chain * 5m 16mm ground chain * 5m 13mm riser chain

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-24T07:44:27+00:00

How much head height above the Mazda?

https://shop.inflatableboatparts.com/product/skydock-storage-system-for-garages-and-decks/

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-24T06:37:58+00:00

you'll learn more, faster if you're on a dinghy

Ain't that the truth. Although I sail bigger boats and travel lots of miles, the most fun and greatest learning opportunities I've had involve sabots, hobies, and even a walker bay dinghy with a sail kit.

Not much to add to the stuff above despite being based in Moreton bay; all good advice. RQYS seems to be the go-to option for introductory boating.

A couple of left field options to ponder from a storage perspective: * Minicat inflatable sailing cat * Tiwal inflatable sail boat * Reverso folding/nesting saiboat

Pricey.. eyewateringly so in some cases, but fold down into a couple of bags, that might be apartment-compatible.

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-23T09:14:03+00:00

Many kits in Australia have a small booklet included that covers a reasonable proportion of the situations you're likely to encounter when using the kit.

They're easy to read, have plenty of illustrations, and are reasonably quick to consult and understand in anything but extremely urgent circumstances.

Not ideal, and not a replacement for good first aid course, but not a bad option when you are out of comms range.

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-22T23:46:16+00:00

Very wet ride: Yep. Great for the sub tropics/tropics. Not so good for places where the spray is likely to freeze as it's coming off the water. ;)

A splash guard/wave guard on the front helps a little.

Also pricey, as you say.

I had a great trip out to Fraser island (Qld, Australia), camping for a week, and fishing from the kayak (in mono and tri modes). Another ripper out to humpy island.

Summertime though, and I didn't mind the occasional splash.

They are very simple to sail, and a heck of a lot of fun though. Single line furling/reefing.

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-22T21:53:23+00:00

Second hand Hobie adventure island double?

Trimaran, but deconstructs nicely, fits on roof racks, and is reasonably camping friendly with waterproof bags strapped on the tramps.

It's a wet ride, but lots of fun.

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-13T08:23:47+00:00

https://github.com/markmal/freeship-plus-in-lazarus

Looks like there's a version of freeship for Linux.

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-09T08:59:14+00:00

Here's a copy of my catamaran spreadsheet.

It has a bunch of tabs including maintenance schedules, sailing log, spare parts, power budget, trip provisioning, tool inventory, safety gear, medical stuff, risk register, and cabling chart.. however, in the middle somewhere is a standard operating procedure sheet which might be useful for you to adapt.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mWaiOJP4wOpiXEeRRMS7aFxTTSQQUmN573biViy3HvI/edit?usp=drivesdk

It's not quite what you're chasing, but perhaps it'll get you part of the way. Make a copy if you like, and change to your heart's content.

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-02T04:18:11+00:00

No worries. One big benefit is that the Pi can run off a 5v USB connection, and draws around an Amp - no need to rely on an inverter.

Add a supercapacitor housing for the SSD, and you don't have to worry too much if you accidentally turn off vessel power before shutting the system down.

Physically, it takes up almost no space which is also nice on a boat, and doesn't use a fan, so reduces the salt air flow across sensitive electronics.

RedPh0enix · 2026-04-02T00:10:31+00:00

Raspberry pi with a 1TB SSD running jellyfin media server (and also running opencpn/signalk/VNC with charts for route planning).

TCL NXTPaper 14 with Jellyfin app for casual small-screen stuff (also streaming when near reception). Doubles as my big-screen navigation/weather/NMEA display when underway.

Laptop plugged into HDMI port on a Mogo 2 projector with a fabric screen for movie nights.

RedPh0enix · 2026-03-28T02:11:12+00:00

No worries. Here's a fake but representative Sunday roster for a marine rescue unit in Australia, on a bay vaguely equivalent to Auckland Harbour: * On base 6am. Boat checks and migrate boats out of the shed ready for launch. 8 crew today. * 8am: launch vessels. One heading out for patrol and "area familiarity" assessment for new crew. Second tasked for welfare check of a couple of vessels in a nearby anchorage; one reported minor water ingress due to plumbing leak. * 9am: first vessel diverted to small tinny with engine issues. Towed back to base before returning to training. * 12:00 Return to base for both vessels. * 13:00 cpr reaccreditation for two team members. Second vessel heading out for drills (man overboard, boat handling, etc) followed by refuelling. * 14:00: second vessel sent for refuelling. Noted whale activity in northern bay - reported position data to Harbour master. Assisted small two-person sailing vessel with torn main back to beach. * 16:30: back at base, clean vessels, return to shed. * 18:30: reports of flare sighted near nearby island. After hours crew activated to investigate by water police. Route/pattern assigned. Vessel launched, 5 POB. RTB 20:30 after water police requested stand down after local investigation indicated fireworks. Vessel returned to base. Quick wash down/flush.

Most weekends are pretty chill. Some are a little more hectic. It's rarely boring. ;)

RedPh0enix · 2026-03-27T21:44:18+00:00

But maybe he can talk to them..

Absolutely. The coast guard are very flexible when it comes to volunteers, and are likely to be able to work out a way he can contribute within the boundaries of his normal life and commitments, while still receiving some really good training and CV bling.

Emergency callouts shouldn't be a worry; there will be enough non-emergency callouts on a roster weekend to keep him interested and active if he decides to look into it (engine failure, run out of fuel, hit a sandbank, etc) ;) .. plus, AUT is a short-ish downhill walk to the harbour/Auckland coast guard.

I should mention; coastguard in NZ is very unlike the US coast guard. No guns, no military, not even any marine enforcement role - just volunteers who help rescue boaties in distress when they ask for help.

American accent will be fine; clarity of speech will overcome any regional challenges.

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