Underwater view of open ocean
Watermakers / Engine-Driven

Engine-driven watermaker

Turns motoring and engine-charging time into fresh water. The pump runs off your engine's mechanical power, so it makes large volumes quickly without drawing heavily on your batteries.

From NZ$11,880 + GST
Key Advantages

Water from the power your engine is already making.

Drive

Mechanical clutch drive

The high-flow, high-pressure pump mounts to your main engine or auxiliary generator and runs through an electric clutch on a standard single "A" section belt.

Output

Scalable output

Built on our high-volume pump platform. Start at 80 litres per hour and add membranes to reach 160 or 240 as your needs grow.

Layout

Modular layout

The pump sits on the engine. Filters, controls and membranes go wherever there's unused space elsewhere on board.

What's Included

The standard kit, and what you can add.

Engine-drive high-pressure pump with electric clutch, mounted on a pivot bracket

Standard kit

  • Control panel
  • High-flow, high-pressure pump with electric clutch, and boost pump
  • Pre-filtration assembly, with an extra 5-micron seawater filter
  • Carbon fibre, 2000 psi membrane pressure vessel
  • High-pressure hose with chafe-resistant sheathing
  • Manual flush system and pressure relief valve
  • Pickling solution for long-term storage
  • Complete installation and instruction manual

Options

Expansion membranes

Add-on kits to reach 160 L/h with two membranes, or 240 L/h with three.

High-output membrane

Our short-format carbon fibre vessel, making 115 L/h. Suits cramped engine rooms.

Sliding base plate

For smooth, horizontal belt tensioning.

Pivot bracket

For easy, vertical belt tensioning.

Automatic flush

Runs a 2-minute flush every 7 days while you're away from the boat.

Extra 20-micron pre-filter

Added protection in muddy rivers and silty coastal anchorages.

Every system has a 12-month warranty, plus 5 years on the carbon fibre pressure housings and end caps. See all options and upgrades →
Mounting The Pump

Two brackets that cover most engines.

Every engine offers different options for a power take-off, so mounting the pump is the main variable in an engine-drive install. Because engine spaces vary so much, we make two tensioning options.

Horizontal

Sliding base plate

CNC cut from 8mm aluminium, mild steel or stainless steel, with 50mm of sliding belt adjustment. Suits horizontal belt tensioning.

Vertical

Pivot bracket

Pivots like an alternator bracket, for pumps fitted above or below the engine. CNC cut from 8mm mild steel or stainless steel, TIG welded, with a 10mm stainless pivot pin and tensioning bolt.

Details

Brackets and fitting

Full specifications and photos of both brackets are on our options page.

Specifications

The numbers.

From our September 2026 data sheet.

Output80, 160 or 240 L/h, with 1, 2 or 3 membranes
Rated atSeawater at 25 °C and 35,000 ppm salinity, at 800-850 psi
DriveStainless steel high-pressure pump with a 12V electric clutch, driven by one "A" section (13 mm) belt from a pulley on your main engine or generator
Engine speedWorks from 1030 to 2450 RPM. The crankshaft pulley size (5" to 8") sets the range, so you can match it to your usual RPM. The pump pulley is 7".
Power from the engineUp to 2.15 kW (about 3 hp)
Electrical drawClutch about 4 A at 12V (2 A at 24V); boost pump about 4 A at 12V (2 A at 24V)
Water qualityAbout 120 ppm total dissolved solids with a new membrane, rising to about 300-400 ppm as the membrane reaches 3-4 years old.
Membrane vesselsCarbon fibre, rated to 2000 psi. Each vessel is 90 mm x 1190 mm and holds one 2.5" x 40" membrane.
High-output optionShort-format carbon fibre vessel: 115 L/h from one 4" x 21" membrane, in a vessel 115 mm x 690 mm. Fits the Engine Drive and AC systems.
High-pressure pump240 x 320 x 190 mm (W x L x H), 11 kg. Turns in either direction.
Other componentsControl panel 200 x 165 mm; sample/tank valve panel 130 x 75 mm; 12V boost pump 100 x 100 x 70 mm; seawater filter 400 x 320 x 130 mm; charcoal flush filter 400 x 370 x 130 mm (H x W x D)
Suits boatsBoats with high water use
Warranty12 months, plus 5 years on the carbon fibre pressure housings and end caps
PriceFrom NZ$11,880 + GST with one membrane. Two- and three-membrane setups on quote.
Gallery

Engine-drive installs on real boats.

Click any photo to see it larger.

Not sure which system fits your boat?

Tell us about your boat, how it's powered and how much water you use. Pete will point you at the right setup.