For decades, a yacht’s drinking water came from one of two sources: desalination or plastic bottles. Both came with compromises — reverse osmosis systems need constant maintenance and produce briny waste, while bottled water adds weight, cost, and plastic pollution.
Now a Florida-built 68-footer is set to change that equation. The RM Design Pro SXR 68 XL, developed with Altitude Water, will be the first U.S.-built vessel to produce its own fresh water directly from the air, thanks to a fully integrated atmospheric water generation (AWG) system.
Air to water — no sea required
The AWG system pulls humidity from the air, condenses it, and purifies it into clean, great-tasting water — no plumbing to the sea, no salt corrosion, no microplastics. By designing the system into the yacht’s core infrastructure from day one, the builders have avoided the taste, reliability, and maintenance issues that often frustrate owners of retrofit watermakers.
“We’ve placed portable AWG units on yachts for years,” says Altitude Water founder Jeff Szur. “The real vision was always full integration. Now we can deliver a self-reliant water supply that frees yachts from outside provisioning.”
(We note the size of Altitude Water’s AWG Trident 12 system is 40.6cm x 56cm x 101.6cm (16″L x 22″W x 40″H.))
Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) create fresh drinking water by pulling in ambient air, filtering out dust and particles, and cooling it to the dew point so moisture condenses into droplets. These droplets are collected, purified through multi-stage filtration, UV sterilisation, and carbon filtering, then mineralised for taste and health. The result is clean, ready-to-drink water without seawater intake, brine discharge, or bottled supplies.
Efficiency depends on conditions. Warmer, humid air at lower altitudes yields the best results, while cooler or drier climates slow production.
Built for the long stay
The SXR 68 XL is a package of sustainable technologies. Hybrid propulsion, solar regeneration, and AI-based controls. At 68 feet, the multi-level layout includes a main salon and dining area, upper-deck salon with bar, skylounge, up to four guest cabins, a crew cabin, and a separate owner’s suite. There’s even provision for a hot tub on the main deck.
Interior specialists M2 Holistic Studio handled the design brief with their trademark blend of luxury, wellness, and low-impact living.
“When [M2 Holistic Studio] introduced Altitude Water’s technology as a potential sustainable solution for onboard water, I was instantly intrigued,” said Rogerio Mariani, Founder of RM Design Pro.
Designer Rogerio Mariani (LinkedIn profile) integrated the AWG system with his Yacht Integrative Control Systems & Monitoring (YICSM) platform, creating a blueprint for future builds.
“We integrated Altitude’s AWG system with our AI-based Yacht Integrative Control Systems & Monitoring (YICSM), a breakthrough that can now be replicated in future builds,” continued Mariani. “After several meetings with the Altitude team, it became clear we weren’t just improving this vessel, we were creating a system that could help transform the yachting experience.”
A genuine game-changer
For owners cruising remote areas — whether in the South Pacific, Alaska, or far-flung Mediterranean anchorages — the ability to make drinking water from air is a genuine game-changer. It reduces environmental impact, cuts logistical headaches, and offers true independence at sea.
“This is more than a yacht,” Szur says. “It’s an off-grid, energy-efficient vessel that produces clean drinking water without relying on desalination or bottled water.”
The SXR 68 XL is still in build, but it already points to a future where a yacht’s sustainability credentials are measured not only by how it moves through the water, but by how lightly it takes from it.
