Winter is coming, how to take care of yacht water systems at the end of a busy season. As the cold season is approaching, many yachts switch to a different working rhythm. No more charters or guests on board, the focus becomes the maintenance of the yacht.

So, the water system on board should be taken care of along with the rest of yacht. It’s very important in this period, to maintain it in good conditions to avoid any unpleasant surprise at the beginning of the next season.

For this purpose, Mtsea advises the following process.

Watermaker’s membranes, that won’t be in use for few months, should be thoroughly cleaned with two different solutions :

AMC1 is a high pH, low foaming liquid cleaner to remove silt and organic foulants such as colloidal silica, organic colour and biofilms from thin composite and cellulose acetate membranes.

AMC2 is a low pH liquid cleaner designed to remove metal foulants such as iron, manganese, and aluminium as well as calcium carbonate scale deposits from the membranes.

Finally, the Long Term Membrane Storage Chemical (LTMS) is a non-oxidizing biocide, produced specifically for the sanitizing of water maker membranes and systems, and can be kept in place for preservation of the membranes for up to 8 months.

Water tanks and pipework should also be kept in a good clean condition. It’s important to perform a thorough water analysis to ascertain that there are no bacteria infections of any kind on board, not only for the safety of the guests and crew, while they are using the water, but also in cabins and spaces not used during the winter months. This is because infections left to fester for months untreated can become the source of a major problem in the future. What starts as a low concentration of bacteria, can grow undetected and uncontrolled during the winter, to finally explode when warm temperature approach in spring.

It’s very important to check that there is no biofilm present in the pipework as this is the perfect medium for growing bacteria, if it is found it should be removed before the winter months.

For this reason, it is a good advice to run all the faucets, showers and taps at least once a week, even in the heads and bathrooms not used by the guests during winter, and to clean the small filters attached to the taps and faucets to make sure there is no calcium builds up, as this can house bacteria.

Every filter present on board should be changed periodically, even if the yacht is not used for a while, and the filter housings should be cleaned and disinfected as well.

SPA pools need particular care. Octo Marine has a full range of products for cleaning and maintaining the bath and pipework in a healthy condition.  You can use active oxygen granules or activator for disinfection without using chlorine. There are products stabilizing the pH, keeping algae and foam under control.

When the SPA is empty and not going to be used for some time, it is a good idea to use a pipework cleaner product, as pipes can be contaminated by bacteria.

The water line can be cleaned with Bordnet, a ready to use spray, as well as the inside of the skimmer.

Water Safety Plan

We recommend that all yacht´s should develop their own Water Safety Plan, to ensure safe, high-quality drinking, and washing water onboard, preventing the passage of waterborne infections, protecting the environment with knowledgeable use of chemicals and reduction of the use of plastics to a minimum.

For more help, guidance and advice speak to Cinzia Codato our MTSea Water Specialist.