Washer/Dryer Usage on Board

Woodland Hills said:

I have a closet full of Hawaiian shirts, but since they have become an identifier for a certain political faction I keep them there (boogaloo boys). .

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Had to google that one up.
She's a crazy land you live in for sure.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ys-movement-who-are-they-what-do-they-believe

Hooksetter said:

Shopping for a boat and trying to decide whether or not I want a washer/dryer. It seems like it would be very convenient. Do those of you who have them, use them on the Loop, or is this one of those things that just isn't practical?

Thanks

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Thanks to all who replied. This information is very helpful; and I really like clean skivvies.

We had a washer/dryer unit on our sailboat when we lived aboard in the Caribbean for 6 months of the year for 3 years. We lived on the hook a lot of the time. We rarely used it. I could only do one small load at a time and the dryer didn't work very well. We hated running the generator, also. We had enough solar power that we could do just about everything we needed without running the generator for several weeks. We'd turn the generator on to run the water maker, vacuum and run the washer/dryer, usually all at the same time. I'd hang the laundry over the lines and railings and it would be dry before the 2nd load had gone through the washer. I found it was easier to do all the laundry at a marina. It's a good place to chat with people, also. Sometimes the timing is hard when several people want to do laundry at the same time.

An apartment sized washer and dryer came with our trawler. I like having the washer but we took the dryer out. The dryer ran on 110 and took forever to dry plus it sucked power. Now, I use the washer and hang the clothes out to air dry.

Install an automatic water shut off valve if you have a washer onboard!!

We have a ventless LG and it works great. Small loads do get dry and it does take longer. We don't use the dryer all that much, preferring instead to line dry in good weather. When it is cold I hang wet clothes inside and crank up the heat

Front loading washers work best hands down. The ventless units are workable if putting in a vent is a hassle. (Some marinas don't allow using a washer on board and a dryer vent is a big way that find out if you are.)

The ventless models require more maintenance. You have to run the 'tub clean' cycle monthly to wash out lint build up.

Insequent said:

Having a washer and a dryer aboard is infinitely better than using marina laundry's or whatever. If you seldom use the latter then having a washer on board may not be needed. But if you boat use runs to a week or more at a time then they are great to have.

Mine are what I guess would be termed apartment-sized units in US terminology, seperate & stacked. I would expect most boats up towards 50' and above will have them as there will be space somewhere for them.

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We have both a compact washer and dryer. The 2 separate units work much better and can be used at the same time. It all depends on your cruising plans and what other equipment is on board. As with everything involved in boating, it is a compromise! We love our setup and all I had to give up was a seperate wet bar on the aft deck!

Two boats ago with the C&L 65 we had a washer / dryer. Thought it was awesome particularly living on board.
In the last boat Cheoy Lee 50 Tri cabin we did not have a washer dryer and cruised 6 months a year in the Eastern Caribbean. My wife and others always decried there was no facilities. Having to dock somewhere and tie a day up doing laundry was no fun. It was frequently lamented that the old boat had one.
Our present boat a Cheoy Lee 67 has the facilities and is well used. When we got the boat the old washer died within a month (it was very old). The hardest work we ever did was cutting the old washer up to get it out and finding a new one that we could get down the forward companionway. Now everyone's happy Happy wife = Happy husband. I looked at getting a all dual washer/dryer. I noticed the long cycles and poor performances. I have a separate washer and dryer. great performance. easy on water. power etc. And most importantly vented outside for better performance of the dryer.

We had a combo on a Mainship 43 that worked okay, but never great, but better than nothing. Load management and time management were necessity.

We have seperate W and D on a Hampton 558, water maker, and generator. Use it almost every day. If they die, we would replace no matter what the cost.

We have a vented washer drier by Splendide that works well. Replaced it when we got the boat and regularly use it. For us it is a necessary part of life on board

Who wants to pay marina fees just to sit around doing laundry in these days of COVID19?

Have had a separate washer dryer combo on the last three boats and would not leave home without it. The combo units are crap and do not dry, but the stackable apartment size are ideal. Even if there is no generator and they have to be run off shore power it beats finding a laundromat, finding change, and sitting there all day for clean sheets and towels much less underwear and T shirts.

Andiamo2018 said:

Install an automatic water shut off valve if you have a washer onboard!!

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Why?
We just turn the tap on and off at each use.
Did the same in the dirt house - habit.

Install water cut off for extra safety

The automatic water valves just add some safety. I've had lots of leaks on all sorts of things. The most recent was our fresh water pump. It leaked out of the bottom of the motor housing. Because of the way it was mounted you would have to be all the way down in there to see the water under the unit.

BUT, when that leak got really bad I could hear it because the water literally sprayed out.

I should mention I also have a shore water hookup and that is where i put the water valve. It turns off after 1000 gallons. I figure even if it started leaking right after a reset the batteries alone could run the bilge pumps enough that no damage would be done.

I also have an easy ball valve at the end of our finger that we walk by coming and going. But we do sometimes turn on the washer and leave.

The combo units by the way mostly seem pretty great. Ventless driers take much longer and you can only dry half the volume of clothes that you can wash. Our front loading washer does a better job than any commercial machine - just much smaller loads. The drier not so much lol. But it does work and clothes come out warm and fluffy...about 2 hours later.

If you have the room for separate washer and dryer that is indeed ideal, however many boats don’t have that much room so have to go with a combo unit. If it is a vented combo they work reasonably well if you load them properly. If overloaded then they will not dry well. But having the ability to not have to go and sit for hours in a sometimes hot and or dirty laundry room in the marina makes even a combo unit well worthwhile. Not having room for a washer and dryer is one of the driving reasons we may move up in boat size. Of course I am always looking for a bigger boat...

last marina I was in, the laundry was clean, rarely full, and sandwiched between a great pool and bar/restaurant.

Maybe regular cruising and finding the gems is the answer.

psneeld said:

last marina I was in, the laundry was clean, rarely full, and sandwiched between a great pool and bar/restaurant.

Maybe regular cruising and finding the gems is the answer.

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Some are very nice, some aren’t. Even if they are nice my wife or I would rather be on the boat than in a laundry room waiting on clothes to wash or dry.

as I have posted...if you can...sure have one.

But if you aren't willing to give up the money or the space...finding decent facilities is no where near as bad or inconvenient as most of you insinuate...at least along the ACIW.

I found finding fresh groceries a bigger issue, sometimesthose two birds were killed in one stone.

I almost NEVER wait IN the laundry...but sometimes they are clean, air conditioned, have captains lounge amenities like library and computer...as good as being on the boat. Like I said, cruise, explore, find and enjoy. OR.... buy the bigger boat or give up valuable space and money.

Not for all...but for some to consider.

Washer/Dryer

I can't imagine NOT having a washer/dryer. For long passages it's crucial, and for even shorter ones it's SO nice to do the laundry on the way home. Saves us lugging the sheets and towels home and then returning to the boat. We do the laundry under way, remake the beds, rehang the towels, pack, do a quick vacuum once we're in the slip, and go home. The boat is ready for the next adventure.

It does make a difference to have the dryer run off 240 volts, which our Maytag did. I know on some small boats there just isn't any place for separates. But then again, I've seen people who say they don't want to give up the storage space.... storage space that is usually filled with excess linens and clothing you wouldn't need with a good laundry set up. And if you are manic about having extra sets, leave one in the dryer until needed.

I heartily second the poster who discussed the great advantage of doing the laundry underway, though we avoided it in really bad weather. Saves a whole bunch of time. We did that especially when we were taking off early in the morning so it shared generator time with charging batteries, cooking breakfast, heating water etc etc.

Of course the other huge advantage is when you are anchored out or on a mooring for extended periods of time. It only takes a few extra nights of that to pay for your laundry appliances. We made a lot of friends in various mooring fields by offering the use of our Maytags now and then.

I rainy weather we found that having a drier was a big help

Please remember to keep the dryer exhaust hose clean. I will improve the effenincy and, ideally, eliminate dryer fires.

In order:
1. Fiberglass
2. Bow thruster
3. Twin screws
4. Laundry
5. Heat

I was a sailor with iffy piloting skills though. With more experience, I would have rated the bow thruster lower.

1) need to have space for it
2) need to have power, so at marina or run genset
3) need to have water, so at the marina or watermaker (and run genset)

So the answer really depends on the size of boat, and how you use it. Like a refrigerator, if you don't have one at home you won't miss it on the boat. But compared to a refrigerator, it ties you much closer to a dock, or water and power that you must generate onboard.

Add

Wide side decks
no ladders
inline engines, not V8s, for easier access

With twins thrusters are not really needed.

Whatever you do, be sure to use the Mariners' choice of detergents: Tide!
[the pods are super handy for smaller size washers...]

Going over to Niagara would be a miss-adventure....

WoW Bugaloo who new, ref posts #45 &61
I’m still wearing my Hawaiian shirts.
I vote for vented washer dryer aboard.

we love ours and use it about every day when traveling.

sailormike said:

we love ours and use it about every day when traveling.

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I pretty much agree "about every day". It's a small machine.

Washer or not.

On our 37 NT, a combo washer and dryer was an option but you have to give up a lot of space in the salon and we decided the storage was more important. No regrets! We anchor out more 95% of our time so we don’t have access to a laundry for weeks at a time. After a couple of years of handwashing and drying clothes outside, we bought a spin dryer on Amazon. It is about 14” diameter and 30” high and runs on 120v but we easily run it on our inverter for 5 minutes with relatively low consumption. It spins at 3600 rpm and clothes come out damp not wet. An hour on a line on a sunny day and they are dry. It is not heavy and we can store it in our “shaft alley.”

Our set up. They sit either side of the lazarette so we can stand while doing laundry. However to make it easier to open the doors and to move the laundry from the washing machine to the dryer we usually sit on a step and do it - comfortably.