Tried & tested
Portable water purification, work coveralls and boat cleaning products
Hopefully your boat isn’t leaking as much as Maximus right now, or if it is you’re not so desperate as to need to drink the bilge water! That said, if you’re not confident with the quality of your tank water – or maybe you’ve anchored somewhere remote and need to drink from a spring or river – the LifeSaver Liberty is a great solution. The portable filtration bottle is said to remove a minimum of 99.99% of dangerous viruses, bacteria and cysts from any fresh water source. At just 425g it’s compact and lightweight, and holds 400ml, so is ideal for trekking, camping or taking out on a dinghy or kayak expedition.
I decided to test the LifeSaver Liberty on Maximus by drinking the stagnant water from the forepeak locker, which had gathered (probably from a leaking vent) over the two years spent in the yard.
Before using the filter bottle, I primed it by filling it with clean water for five minutes then pumping it through. A word of caution: you need to permanently leave around a centimetre of water in the filter cartridge with the pump tightened and the water flow valve shut. Failure to do so will cause the membrane to dry out, costing you £50 for a new cartridge!
What’s nice about the technology is that it only uses pressure to force the water through the membrane, so there’s no strenuous sucking or waiting around for chemicals to do their work. Plus, it can treat
2,000lt of water before the filter needs replacing.
Once on board Maximus I attached the scavenger hose. You don’t have to use this – you could scoop or pour the water into the base – but at 5m it’s a handy length for accessing hard-to-reach water sources. I pulled the float down to the end of the hose to keep the nozzle afloat at the top of the water, where it would be ‘freshest’. After just a couple of pumps, the water bubbled out remarkably clear and the flow-rate was surprisingly fast (1.2 litres per minute). I soon realised, after dribbling it all down my chin (you can watch the video if you want a laugh), that it’s easier to sip from the rim and not the spout. However, you could also pour it into a cup or even screw the bottle onto a separate container (not included) such as a Nalgene or Hydro Flask bottle.
It’s a fair investment for any boat owner, but compared to a dicky tummy, hospitalisation or worse from drinking unsanitary water, I can certainly see the benefit. And now I can add ‘Amazon River’ to my Maximus sailing bucket list! Price: £124.99. iconlifesaver.com