Reminds me of the 2004 TransPac. I had just installed a watermaker in Alchera because I was going cruising after the TP. The rules in the race requirements specified that you had to have the 'capacity' to carry a certain minimum amount of water, but didn't actually say they had to contain water. Being somewhat of a wiseass, I asked the RC if I could carry less water than the 'implied requirement' to offset the additional weight of the watermaker. The request wasn't accepted with much enthusiasm, and resulted in plugging the loophole in this years requirements.
For racing to Hawaii, I think adding a watermaker would be a waste of time, though I do carry one of those little hand pumps in my ditch bag. For cruising, it's worth it's weight in gold in my opinion. But then, I enjoy taking a nice shower after a hot day in the sun or on the water. Not having to stop to replenish your water means you really can stay in very remote places for extended times and be perfectly comfortable doing so. And whereas much of the water you get in foreign marinas is not potable and must be treated for cooking or drinking, a watermaker always puts out extremely purified water so you can drink it right out of the tank.
- Mark