Customer Interviews - Cape Race

THE MS "CAPE RACE" - DRINKING WATER TREATMENT ON THE HIGH SEAS / IN THE ARCTIC

The MS "Cape Race" is a former deep-sea fishing cutter from 1963 converted into an expedition ship in 2019, which enables 12 passengers to get to know the oceans and the sublime nature of the Arctic intensively, individually and at close quarters. On this small, very seaworthy and extremely environmentally friendly ship, with its detailed charm from the tramp shipping era, every trip becomes a very personal adventure.

It is obvious that even on the high seas one of the most fundamental needs of the crew and passengers must be guaranteed - drinking water. With her conversion, the "Cape Race" received a tank-based drinking water system. This comprises about 20 cubic meters of drinking water, which is divided among three cemented switching tanks. As usual, this water is also used on the open sea via conventional drinking water taps. In addition to the drinking water system, the "Cape Race" also has a salstwater system, which can treat salt water from the sea. On the one hand, this can be used directly, for example for flushing toilets, and on the other hand, it can also be used to produce its own drinking water. Before the Cape Race sets off for the Arctic, the tanks in the harbor are filled with drinking water.

As with any drinking water system, there is of course a risk of bacteria or germs, such as legionella, spreading in the system on a ship. In order to avoid exactly this, the team of the "Cape Race" decided to use a UV water disinfection system from UV concept. The UV disinfection system prevents contamination of the drinking water, which can lead to major problems, especially on the open sea, without access to fresh water.

The perfect quality of the drinking water as well as clean water pipes on board are therefore of utmost importance.
Why was a disinfection process using UV light chosen?
Maarten van der Duijn Schouten has two decisive reasons for this: The taste of the drinking water and the technical effort.

The alternative to UV disinfection would be to disinfect the drinking water using chlorine. This method is just as effective, but also brings an intense and unpleasant chlorine taste. Another problem with the use of chlorine is that the desalination plant of the ship is damaged. This system uses a very fine membrane to filter the salt crystals out of the water. To ensure that the system continues to function properly, the membrane must be cleaned regularly. To do this, the membrane and the entire system are flushed with clean water. If chlorinated water were used for this purpose, the membrane would be damaged or even destroyed, and the function of the desalination plant would be considerably impaired or even prevented. Therefore, the Cape Race team would have had to make a number of technical changes to the water treatment circuit in order to use chlorine.

The UV water disinfection system from UV concept was easily integrated into the ship's existing water treatment system. The UV system was installed with the professional help of a plumber, who was able to install the system without any problems.

The UV system could not yet be put into operation on the high seas, since the "Cape-Race" as an expedition ship has also been affected by the restrictions and effects of the Corona pandemic for almost two years. Nevertheless, the installed system was tested by UV concept about the drinking water quality. For this purpose, the official authorities were contacted, which checked the drinking water, taking into account the legal standards. Thus the drinking water quality was tested with the use of the UV system of UV concept and found by official authority for "good". Even if these legal requirements are not a prerequisite or condition for the ship, it is important to the team of the "Cape Race", in the sense of their passengers, that the highest quality of drinking water is guaranteed.

quality standards are guaranteed to make the adventure in the Arctic an unforgettable experience.
Maarten van der Duijn Schouten became aware of the systems of UV concept, because the technology of UV disinfection was already known and explicitly solutions for drinking water systems were searched. This is because the wastewater treatment plant on board also uses aDesinfekawq1 ^5f6cuse on high seasuse on high seasuse on high seasuse on high seas tion process with UV light. Even though there are other companies offering equipment and systems with UV, UV concept was the first choice, says Maarten van der Duijn Schouten. First and foremost because of the quality and the extensive range of services. Because especially in this unconventional location, the right system that meets all the necessary requirements, as well as the best possible support, is particularly important to ensure reliable and low-maintenance operation on the high seas.