Case study about a charter fleet operator that standardised on Rainman across their fleet.
Background of TMM Yacht Charters and Watermakers
TMM Yacht Charters is a boutique bareboat charter company that has been operating in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) since 1979. Barney, the current owner, has owned it since 1983. Over the years, what used to be called “bareboats” have evolved into floating condominiums. Today these charter boats are expected to have creature comforts on par with land based dwellings. That inevitably led to the need for watermakers on board, avoiding the need to search for water at a marina or fuel dock.
Historically, only a few boats in TMM’s fleet had watermakers. They were mostly systems with energy recovery systems, which became problematic and expensive to maintain. Over time, TMM’s competitors were fitting their fleets with watermakers, so they had to follow suit. They needed a reliable unit that could be serviced or replaced while a boat was on charter because customers will demand refunds for non-working equipment.
After extensive research, we standardised on Rainman for our fleet. We have different charterers operate them about 25 weeks per year and Rainman has proven very reliable and easy to use. Our customers love them and the company backs their product with excellent support.
– Barney Crook, TMM Yacht Charters Owner
Standardising on Rainman
After much research, they settled on Rainman 115VAC High Output watermakers. They liked the fact that Rainman could be portable, installed, or configured as a semi-permanent installation. They initially brought in three Rainman systems as a trial to get feedback from both the boat owners and charterers. Unanimously they said they loved the Rainmans, so TMM decided to proceed to fit them to rest of their fleet over time.
They have now completed a semi-permanent installation on most boats. That means they install a dedicated thru hull fitting, permanently mount the RO membrane (Naked Configuration), and mount the traditional cased pressure supply unit (PSU) in a strapped down manner. Over the last few years, they have fitted about forty Rainman watermakers to their fleet in this manner. They also keep three spare portable Rainman systems for rental to people in the region that have a failed watermaker.
Helpful Links
» TMM Yacht Charters – British Virgin Islands
» Product information: Rainman AC (Electric) desalinator