High humidity, a common boat interior air-quality issue that can cause mold, mildew, and even respiratory problems for owners, guests, captains and crew who spend a lot of time on board, ultimately lead Ted J. Reese and Hector Escardo to launch RiteAire Marine™ in 2013.

Ted is a chemical engineer who founded alternative energy solutions company Cadence in 1975. Cadence introduced a technology that allows liquid industrial waste to be used as an alternative energy source in cement kilns and blast furnaces. Ted named this revolutionary new waste fuel Chem-Fuel®. Today, Chem-Fuel® helps industries large and small reach their sustainability and compliance goals.

An avid boater, Ted is the owner of a Viking 61 sportfisherman, named Cadence after his company. While he loves his boat, not long after purchasing it, he realized that high humidity levels on board were causing a variety of problems from musty smells and damp sheets to health issues such as burning eyes and respiratory problems. For several years, Ted used portable dehumidifiers throughout the boat to control humidity levels onboard, with only moderate success.

In 2011, Ted was having refit work done to Cadence at Galati Marine on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Part of the project included changing appliances and cabinetry in the galley, and Galati recommended Hector Escardo for the job.

Hector had been building, refitting and repairing boats since 1982, developing a reputation for his innovative solutions as well as for delivering projects on time and on budget. In 1996, Hector founded Escardo Marine in St. Petersburg, Florida. In addition to providing a variety of marine refit, repair and installation services, Escardo Marine became a leader in manufacturing and installing tuna tubes in competitive sportfishing boats targeting marlin and other big gamefish. Hector is known throughout the sportfishing industry as “The Tuna Tube Guy”.

Frustration Sparks Innovation

When Hector completed the galley project on Cadence, Ted said, “The cabinetry looked like it had been on the boat since Day One.” This gave him the confidence to approach Hector about helping to solve the air-quality problem on board his boat. The goal was to develop a permanent, out-of-the-way, low-maintenance dehumidification system that would reduce humidity levels and harmful VOCs throughout the boat – something Ted’s research had found did not exist!

Over the next couple of years, Ted and Hector developed a commercial-level marine dehumidifier system that would be independently ducted within the boat. The system was designed to reduce humidity levels to 45- to 50-percent relative humidity, which EPA-endorsed science has found to be the “Healthy Zone” for indoor air quality. In 2013, Ted and Hector co-founded RiteAire Marine™ to market and install their innovative new RiteAire Marine™(RAM) system.

Results Exceed Expectations

Ted tested the RAM system in Cadence while cruising in the humid waters off the Florida Keys. Professional Graywolf testing equipment showed a significant reduction in relative humidity levels and VOCs on board as a direct result of the RAM System.

“The living conditions inside the boat exceeded my expectations. I stopped having red, itchy eyes when I woke up in the morning. Mold spores disappeared from the window valances. The system greatly outperformed the portable dehumidifiers I had been using, and it was automatic, hidden, and out of the way on board,” Ted said.

Ted and Hector concluded that every air-conditioned boat should have the RiteAire Marine (RAM) Dehumidifier system. “The health, comfort, and simplicity it provides are ideal,” Ted said.

In 2020, the partners proudly received the patent for the RiteAire Marine™ Dehumidifier system. The product may be covered under U.S. Patent No. 10,538,302.

100 Percent Customer Satisfaction!

To date, RiteAire Marine™ has installed more than 200 RAM systems in motoryachts, sportfishing yachts and superyachts ranging from 34 to 131 feet in length. While many of these installations have been carried out on boats in the water in their marinas or in service yards, RiteAire Marine™ also performed many RAM installations on new yachts right on the factory floor.

“RiteAire Marine™ is always looking for OEM partners to offer our system as standard or optional equipment on their new models. We will work with the builder to design a custom system for each model and send a team to the builder’s facility to do the installation or supply the builder with plans and a complete installation kit,” Hector said.

To date, all RiteAire Marine™ customers have reported that they are completely satisfied with the system and the healthier, drier air it delivers inside their boats. Many have provided testimonials, which can be found on the Success Stories page.