One of the Pro's is that we can keep her plugged into the 110v 'shore power' via an extension lead to the back of the house.
Just as well! We have been coping with high humidity causing us to wipe down the inside of the boat with Clorox wipes weekly to prevent the development of mold and mildew. Plus we remove all of the cushions from the boat so that they don't get smelly. It's a task to remove them and replace them.
Here's our solution:
We plugged it in with it standing on the Galley Counter and closed up the boat. That was Tuesday evening. Today, Sunday, there is nearly 3" of water in the collecting tray.
I have it setup to continually drain, but it has to almost fill the collection tank first.
So far, very impressed. Not sure how much power it actually uses. The specs say 85W. Which is pretty heavy, not something that we would run unless connected to shore power.
However, it works! Will it last, who knows, some of the reviews claimed it only worked for 6 months then quit. But we found reviews of similar products that cost over $700 that claimed that they broke down after a few months. So it's a gamble. At $58 (including the $1 shipping at overstock) it's worth the try.
(Just for reference. We installed it on March 20th 2012)
Update April 4th. 2012.
Ok, I'm impressed! This past weekend, I checked the contents of the Dehumidifier, and the collection bucket had filled to the point where it drained excess into the cabin sink where we have the hose positioned.
Emptied the bucket and turned it back on (it shuts off when the bucket is removed) The cabin does not smell musty at all, and no signs of mildew in the normal places (head door normally needs wiping down quite often with Chlorox wipes) So it's living up to it's decscription. So, for now, it get's a 10!
Im interested in a catalina 25, but not sure if the newer 250 is worth the extra price from an older 25. Any ideas as to why you picked the boat you have and have you ever given much thought as to how long you could camp/cruise in it? Thanks TL
ReplyDeleteThe 'Decision' to buy JD was on impulse! I know, nuts!
ReplyDeleteBut after looking at the other boats in her size, Peggy finally stepped aboard JD and fell in love! We bought JD at the Strictly Sail show in Miami.
So the decision was not very well thought out. But it was on my dream sheet for years.
Each year we take a 10 day cruise on JD, we have trailed her to the Keys, Pensacola, Merrit Island and of course, to Biscayne Bay.
The C250 is lighter than the swinger C25, so we are fine with our Ford F150, a heavier boat would need a bigger truck.
JD is kitted out to Cruise! Air Conditioning, Digital TV, Solar Panel, Fridge Freezer, V-Berth Extension (the table lowers to the seat height) Dinghy & Outboard. We are preparing for a 10 day cruise probably in the lower keys if we can find a place to leave the truck and trailer safely for the duration.
Paul
Approaching 1 month since we setup the Dehumidifier.
ReplyDeleteStill very impressed, not a bad word to say about the product.
The built in tank has filled (again, I have drained it twice now) and the unit drains into the galley sink. I put a piece of kitchen towel into the drain of the sink so that the water would capiliate (is that a word?) and it works well.
So far not a sign of Mold or Mildew appearing in the cabin, and that was the reason for the unit in the first place.
So still getting two thumbs up from me. Perhaps I'll go visit the O site and make a positive comment there too.
Paul - This is very similar to the unit I reported on a couple of years ago. Nice to see that this also works in a high-humidity area like where you are. Here's my writeup on Sailnet - I think I've linked this in the C25 forum a couple of times:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/65150-tiny-dehumidifiers.html