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Seven Years Later, Viking 66 Owner Says RiteAire Marine™ Whole-Boat Dehumidifier System Is Still “a Life-Saver”

Princess Lily

Seven Years Later, Viking 66 Owner Says RiteAire Marine™ Whole-Boat Dehumidifier System

Is Still “a Life-Saver”

In February 2015, Dawn and Mike Samuels, avid anglers from the Palm Beach, Florida area, took delivery of a brand-new Viking 66 Enclosed Bridge that they named Princess Lily. Dawn is very sensitive to excess humidity and the allergens and decreased air quality it can contribute to inside a yacht. She had struggled with health issues when she spent extended periods of time in their previous 10-year-old boat and was determined to prevent that from happening with the new one.

“Our captain maintained our former boat very well, but we had to put air fresheners around because it smelled musty, and we also used air purifiers. I could stand a weekend on board, but five days was my limit. After that, I would get a sinus infection and come down with a 103-degree fever,” she said.

Dawn and her husband had a RiteAire Marine Whole-Boat Dehumidifier System installed in their new Viking 66 a few months after taking delivery. As soon as the RiteAire System lowered the humidity in Princess Lily below 50 degrees RH and kept it there, the Samuels and their captain, Mike Hunter – who also is sensitive to high humidity – noticed the difference.

“I admit, I was skeptical at first, but immediately after the RiteAire Marine was installed, I felt the difference immediately, and so did the owners,” Capt. Mike told us in 2015. “In no time at all, RiteAire Marine took the excess humidity out of the boat without affecting the inside temperature at all, something air conditioners alone cannot do. It also took away my watery eyes and runny nose. I was amazed.”

Ready for a tournament

For Dawn, the true test of the RiteAire Marine system came a couple of years later, when they took Princess Lily to the Dominican Republic for marlin season. Staying aboard for weekend trips as well as week-long fishing tournaments, she didn’t experience any health problems.

Capt. Mike has maintained the RiteAire System in Princess Lily by regularly changing the filters per the instructions in the owner’s manual. Today, seven years after taking delivery of the boat, Dawn said, “We still don’t have to have air fresheners on board. Any other boat you go into has plug-ins. We don’t need them. The air smells really fresh all the time.”

Unfortunately, she still experiences health problems from time to time when she spends extended periods time on other boats. “I’ve noticed that when there is no RiteAire system on board, I am still sensitive to the allergens,” she said.

She added, “We’ve even convinced several friends to sign up to get RiteAire installed in their boats.”

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Bad Odors on Boats-RiteAire Marine Has the Solution

What’s That Smell?

The Science Behind Mold Odors on Boats – and How to Prevent Them

Photo by Benzoix on Freepik.com
 

“My boat stinks!”

That’s the first thing a boat owner from the Gulf Coast said to us when she stopped by our booth at the 2022 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. She was interested in learning how the RiteAire Marine™ Whole-Boat Dehumidification system could cure her boat of its unfortunate smell.

Dank, musty odors in boat interiors are a common problem, especially in humid areas like Florida and along the Gulf Coast. “Boat funk” is what one service manager we’ve worked with calls it. There are a number of causes for bad odors on boats, but one of the most common – and difficult to eradicate – is mold. 

Mold growing on board a boat releases microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) into the air. MVOCs can have strong, unpleasant aromas, and, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “…they can be the source of the ‘moldy odor’ or musty smell frequently associated with mold growth.”

Mold gradually destroys whatever it grows on. While this can be beneficial in nature, where mold breaks down dead organic matter like fallen trees, it can ruin a boat’s furniture, soft goods, wallcoverings and overhead panels. Mold also can cause health problems. It produces allergens, irritants and mycotoxins, which are potentially toxic to humans. Sensitive individuals frequently have allergic reactions to mold with symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes and/or a skin rash. Mold also can cause people to have asthma attacks.

While they are not as well researched, MVOCs also can have adverse health effects. The EPA says, “…exposure to mVOCs has been linked to symptoms such as headaches, nasal irritation, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea.”

Mold reproduces in the form of spores that are so tiny they are invisible to the human eye.  Mold spores float through the air and are commonly found in indoor as well as outdoor areas, although they only start to grow when they land on surfaces that are damp or wet. According to the EPA’s A Brief Guide to Moisture and Your Home, “There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.”

Mold can be remediated or cleaned up, but it’s impossible to eliminate all the mold spores from the air. If damp surfaces remain in a boat’s interior, after the remediation takes place, mold is likely to start growing on them again.

The EPA states:

Humidity is a major cause of moisture in boat interiors, in the form of condensation and dampness. Often, humidity-induced moisture occurs in hidden places like inside overhead panels. The best way to prevent mold growth and the odors it emits inside boats is to reduce humidity on board.

The EPA says, “If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50

percent) relative humidity.” This is the humidity Healthy Zone that the RiteAire Marine™ Whole-Boat Dehumidification System maintains in yacht interiors. Simply set it at 45RH and the RiteAire Marine system automatically keeps the boat free of mold and its odors.

In fact, RiteAire Marine not only eliminates mold odors in boats, but by reducing humidity on board, the system also can help to reduce other bad smells in boats such as those caused by diesel exhaust and marine sanitation systems. “Humidity traps odor, causing it to travel farther and linger longer,” states Dr. Laura Haupert, Ph.D., OMI Industries chief scientific officer.

With RiteAire Marine, every time you walk into a boat’s cabin, it will smell fresh and clean.

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Thermal Protection Control_Original

The RiteAire Marine™ Dehumidification System’s
Thermal Protection Control
Adds Peace of Mind When Your Boat Is Out of the Water

The RiteAire Marine Mobile Workshop between two yachts out of the water at Viking South

There comes a time in the life cycle of just about any boat when it needs to be hauled for service. The project might be a fresh coat of bottom paint, a new propeller, or a more extensive repair, but chances are the vessel will spend some time “on the hard” – often without a cooling tower to keep its water-cooled air-conditioning system running. And, if this takes place during the hotter months of the year, especially in Florida or on the Gulf of Mexico, temperatures inside the boat are going to climb.

The RiteAire Marine Dehumidification System is designed to operate in conjunction with a boat’s air-conditioning system in a temperature range of between 55 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, switching on and off automatically to lower the humidity in the vessel’s interior to a healthy 45 to 50 RH (Relative Humidity). If the temperature rises above 90 degrees, however, it can cause the RiteAire system to operate continuously and potentially to overheat, putting a strain on the system that ultimately might cause it to fail.

In 2019, commercial boat-builder Metal Shark Boats in Jeanerette, Louisiana, approached RiteAire Marine about installing a RiteAire Marine Dehumidification System aboard the 38’ Defiant Fire Rescue Boat model it was constructing for the Fire Department of Orange Beach, Alabama. The only problem we foresaw with this project is that when not in use, the Fire Rescue boat would be stored daily on a lift out of the water and without air conditioning. Instead of turning the job down, however, RiteAire Marine Co-Owners Ted Reese and Hector Escardo saw it as an opportunity to improve their patented system.

“We determined the solution was to add a controller to the RiteAire system that would prevent it from overheating in the first place,” Hector said.

Ted drew on his engineering background to research the market for a Thermal Protection Control that would be compatible with the RiteAire system. The unit he selected incorporates both a thermal sensor and computer. When the unit senses the temperature has reached 90 degrees, the computer automatically switches off the RiteAire Marine Dehumidification System. Then, when it senses the boat’s interior has cooled down to 85 degrees, it switches the system back on.

The Thermal Protection Control also shuts the RiteAire Marine Dehumidification System off if the temperature inside the boat drops below 55 degrees, which is too cold for the system to operate efficiently. “That provides an added value for boats located in the north,” Ted said.

He continued, “Once we added the Thermal Protection Control to the RiteAire system for the Metal Shark boat, we realized all boats could use it, especially when they are hauled for service.” As a result, starting in 2020, the Thermal Protection Control became standard equipment on all RiteAire Marine Dehumidification Systems.

While the new control has been operating as designed ever since, Ted recently put it through a lengthy trial in his own boat, the Viking 61 Cadence, in a service yard on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

 “My boat was out of the water for painting for seven months with only shore power connected, but no air conditioning,” he said. “I monitored both the temperature and humidity on board the entire time it was on the hard and witnessed the Thermal Protection Control at work firsthand. When the temperature rose above 90 degrees inside Cadence, MarCELL humidity/temperature monitor I set up on board showed that the relative humidity level also rose, indicating that the RiteAire system had been shut off. Then, when the temperature went back down to 85 degrees, the humidity level in the boat dropped back down to 50 RH. I witnessed firsthand just how reliable this system is multiple times.”

With the Thermal Protection Control installed as standard equipment, yacht owners never have to worry about their RiteAire Marine Dehumidification System being forced to work outside its normal operating parameters.

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Rite Aire Marine™ Hits the Big-Game Tournament Circuit in the New Viking 80 Convertible Factory Demo Boat

Rite Aire Marine™ Hits the Big-Game Tournament Circuit in the New Viking 80 Convertible Factory Demo Boat

If you see the brand-new Viking 80 C factory demo boat competing on the tournament circuit this summer, you will know its interior is fresh, dry and sweet-smelling even if it’s an extremely humid day outside. That’s because it has a custom RiteAire Marine Dehumidification System installed on board.

Over the years, a number of Viking 80 owners have requested RiteAire Marine for their boats, so installing it in the big new Viking Yachts Demo Boat was an easy project. One RiteAire Dehumidifier unit is mounted in the bilge in the chiller bay, and the other is on the flybridge, under the brow. The yacht’s own air circulation system, combined with RiteAire Marine’s proprietary ductwork, distributes dry air throughout the yacht’s interior.

RiteAire Marine Co-Owner Hector Escardo, known as “The Tuna Tube Guy,” also installed his popular Escardo Marine Tuna Tubes on the Viking 80 to help its angling team keep their baits alive and catch more fish.

The Viking 80 Demo Boat has a busy summer schedule. It will fish five tournaments in Bermuda, including the Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Tournament, then return to the U.S. for the White Marlin Open, the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament and the MidAtlantic Tournament.

Tight lines to the Viking Yachts team!

The Viking 80 Demo Boat

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Installing the RiteAire Marine Marine™ Dehumidification System on One-of-a-Kind 78′ F&S Sportfishing Yacht Big Ben

Installing the RiteAire Marine Marine™ Dehumidification System on One-of-a-Kind 78′ F&S Sportfishing Yacht Big Ben

Over the years, the RiteAire Marine Whole-Boat Dehumidification System has been installed in more than 17 different brands of yachts and commercial vessels ranging up to 130 feet. Word of mouth by owners and captains of these boats has spread that the RiteAire Marine system is a proven solution for lowering humidity and preventing its many negative effects in yacht interiors, including mold growth; bad odors; soggy headliners; damp towels, sheets and carpets, and some even health issues.

Colin Page, the new captain of the cold-molded-wood 78-foot F&S sportfisher Big Ben, had heard good reports about the RiteAire Marine from his fellow sportfishing captains and realized it could have an additional benefit for his boat.

“Wood boats are more susceptible to moisture damage than fiberglass boats,” Capt. Colin said. As a result, Big Ben was scheduled to receive a RiteAire Marine Dehumidification System this May.

The one-of-a-kind, fully custom sportfisher was delivered in 2017 by F&S Boatworks as Special Situation. Flagship of the F&S fleet, it is the first, and so far, the only 78-footer to launch from the Delaware boat builder’s yard. Late last year, the yacht was sold to a new owner who has since renamed it Big Ben.

Big Ben in the water at Willis Marine

RiteAire Marine Co-Founder Hector Escardo and his assistant, Mike, installed the RiteAire Marine system onboard Big Ben at the new Willis Marine boatyard in Stuart, Florida, where the yacht was undergoing refit work prior to joining the big-game tournament fishing circuit.

Big Ben is a jewel box of a boat, filled with beautiful, book-matched teak woodwork. Curves are an F&S hallmark and there are very few right angles to be found anywhere in the yacht’s interior. Since this was RiteAire Marine’s first F&S, it presented a new challenge for Hector to determine where to locate the two RiteAire units and the system’s proprietary ductwork on board. After thoroughly examining the boat’s layout and probing into its hidden spaces, he had his answer: Behind the pantry.

“The F&S is a very fast, light boat. All the wood panels are lightweight and honeycombed, which made the installation easier for us. The part of the project that took the longest was working out a custom design for the RiteAire system on board, since this is a unique model we had never seen before,” Hector said.

 

New hatch in the pantry with RiteAire Marine unit and ductwork tucked behind it

The F&S 78 has a large pantry behind the bulkhead on the main deck, which is split in two by the companionway. After presenting the plan to Capt. Colin and getting his approval, Hector created a new hatch in the back of the starboard-side pantry and installed one RiteAire unit in the machinery space behind it. The second RiteAire Marine unit is tucked behind the wall of the port-side pantry. Testament to Hector’s cabinetry skills is the fact that he created new access doors, and vents for the RiteAire system that seamlessly match Big Ben’s existing woodwork.

 

New vent Hector created for the RiteAire Marine system on Big Ben

Removing excess humidity from a boat with cold-molded wood construction is a significant benefit. In the cold-molded production process, the wood is coated to protect it from moisture. By reducing the humidity to a normal range of 40 to 50 percent will further reduce the likelihood of future moisture issues with the wood,” said RiteAire Marine Co-Owner Ted Reese.

 

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RiteAire Marine™ Dehumidification System Awarded Second Patent

RiteAire Marine™ Dehumidification System
Awarded Second Patent

We are very proud to announce that the RiteAire Marine™ Centralized Dehumidifier indoor air-quality solution for boats was awarded its second United States Patent, U.S. Patent No. 11,091,244, by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on August 17, 2021. RiteAire Marine earned its first patent for the system, U.S. Pat. No. 10,538,302, on January 21, 2020. 

“Our first patent focused on the RiteAire Marine Dehumidification System’s innovative centralized system to control humidity within the interior of a marine vessel. The second patent extends our patent coverage to the method we developed for controlling the humidity,” said RiteAire Marine Co-owner Ted Reese. “We are extremely proud that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has recognized the proprietary technology behind the RiteAire Marine system with a second patent.”

RiteAire Marine’s Dehumidifier System Minimizes
Exposure to Viruses and VOCs in Yacht Interiors
by Reducing Relative Humidity to 40- to 50-Percent Range

The RiteAire Marine™ (RAM) Dehumidifier System not only prevents mold, mildew, and musty odors in yacht interiors, but it also creates a healthier environment on board by holding relative humidity (RH) levels to 40-50 percent. Numerous studies have shown that viruses, including Corona viruses like those that cause COVID-19, spread best in indoor environments where relative humidity (RH) levels either are below 40 percent or exceed 60 percent. In fact, these studies have found that the 40-50 percent RH range is ideal for combatting the spread of viruses indoors, as well as fighting mold and formaldehyde emissions.  

A 1985 landmark study entitled “Criteria for Human Exposure to Humidity in Occupied Buildings” by E.M. Sterling, A. Arundel and T.D. Sterling, Ph.D., published by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), concluded that 40-60 percent relative humidity at normal room temperatures is the healthiest RH range for minimizing risks to human health by biological contaminants and chemical reactions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publication A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home states: “Keep indoor humidity low. If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity.”

An August 20, 2020, study by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) concluded that: “A relative humidity of 40 to 60 percent could reduce the spread of the viruses and their absorption through the nasal mucous membrane.”

Elsewhere, a Yale University study, conducted by professor Akiko Iwasaki, an immunobiologist at Yale and senior author of the paper appearing in the Annual Review of Virology, concluded that while 40-60 percent RH may be the ideal range for inhibiting aerosol virus transmission, it noted that tests on mice have found that 50 percent RH, “contributed to good viral clearance and efficient immune response.”

The RiteAire Marine™ Dehumidifier System has been proven to maintain RH levels at 40-50 percent, the ideal range for mitigating the spread of viruses, such as COVID-19 and SARS, as well as mold.

The RAM system draws moist air in through an optimum point in a boat, lowering humidity levels by 30 percent or more. It distributes that healthier, drier air through the boat’s ductwork until the healthy 40-50 percent RH zone is reached. Air conditioners alone can’t accomplish this as that’s not what they were designed to do…. Air conditioners are designed to move large quantities of air across the cooling coils without sufficient time to remove high moisture content – their job is to lower temperature rather than humidity. The RAM system works independently of a boat’s a/c system, and together they create a healthier, more comfortable onboard environment.

Formaldehyde

Numerous studies have shown that relative humidity levels above 60 percent also can increase harmful formaldehyde emissions.

For example, a 2015 study by Shaodan Huang, Jianyin Xiong, Yinping Zhang, entitled “The Impact of Relative Humidity on the Emission Behaviour of Formaldehyde in Building Materials” found that “relative humidity is one of the main environmental factors affecting the emission behaviors of formaldehyde from building materials.” The study also found that emissions increase nearly 10 times when RH levels rise from 20 to 85 percent.

An additional 2010 study, entitled “Effect of Temperature and Humidity on Formaldehyde Emissions in Temporary Housing Units”, written by Srinandini Parthasarathy, Randy L. Maddalena, Marion L. Russell, and Michael G. Apte for the Environmental Energy Technologies Division Indoor Environment Department Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, found that a, “10° C variation in temperature increased the formaldehyde emissions 1.9 – 3.5 times, and a 35 % increase in relative humidity can increase the emissions by a factor of 1.8 – 2.6.”

Once again, the RAM Dehumidifier System makes boat interiors healthier by reducing emissions of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Scientific studies have shown that the “healthy zone” for relative humidity in indoor spaces is lower – 40 to 50 percent relative humidity (rh) – minimizing the presence of mold, mildew, viruses, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde in interior air.

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RAM and AC – Why You Need Both Onboard

The RiteAire Marine™ Dehumidifier System
and Your Boat’s Air Conditioning –
Why You Need Both on Board

“My boat already has air conditioning – why does it need a RiteAire Marine™ Dehumidifier System too?”

If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times. Many boat owners realize that high humidity inside their vessel can lead to problems like mold and mildew, discolored cabinetry and paneling, and even respiratory issues such as red eyes and scratchy throats. But they believe that their boat’s air conditioning system is capable of lowering the humidity level on board on its own.

“It’s a very popular misconception. The truth is that your boat’s air conditioner was not designed to control humidity. It was only designed to control temperature,” said RiteAire Marine™ Co-Founder Hector Escardo. “The outside air in Florida and on the Gulf Coast easily hits 80 percent relative humidity in the summer. Conventional marine air conditioning can only lower the relative humidity inside your boat to about 65 percent – maybe 60 percent, but only if it’s a newer, highly efficient unit. Some larger yachts have a marine chiller system (also known as a chilled-water air conditioning system), but it’s rare to find one that can lower the relative humidity on board below 65 percent.”

Scientific studies have shown that the “healthy zone” for relative humidity in indoor spaces is lower – 40 to 50 percent relative humidity (rh) – minimizing the presence of mold, mildew, viruses, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde in interior air.

Some owners building a new boat will specify that the builder install extra a/c units or a larger a/c system in their vessel. “There is such a thing as too much air conditioning,” Escardo said. “If you get the inside of the boat too cold, then the grills, ductwork, and other metal surfaces are going to condensate even quicker. Normally you start to see condensation form when you cool the boat down below about 68 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Some marine air conditioning systems have a “Dehumidification” button on their control panel or remote control, but it is a misnomer.

“The only thing the ‘Dehum’ feature does is to run your air conditioner for 20 minutes out of every hour at a ‘slow fan’ rate. This allows the air going through the system to have a little longer contact with the evaporator coil,” Escardo said. “It would be better named the ‘Energy Saving’ setting rather than ‘Dehumidification’. The “Dehum” setting also lets the temperature in the boat’s interior rise, so owners typically don’t use it while they are onboard.

By contrast, the air-cooled RiteAire Marine (RAM) Dehumidifier System, which operates independently of the air conditioner, works 24/7 to pump dry air through your boat’s interior, dramatically reducing the humidity on board. The RAM unit’s condenser coils are larger than the ones you would find in a conventional marine air conditioner, and the air flows through the RAM system much more slowly across those coils, giving the system more time to work efficiently. The RAM system actively removes moisture from the air inside the boat and discharges it overboard, further reducing the humidity.

Using a professional Graywolf humidity sensor, RiteAire Marine™ has demonstrated that the RAM system can take in air with a relative humidity level of 65 percent and lower its rh level to 30 percent in just one pass. Used continuously, RAM automatically maintains the relative humidity in the boat’s interior a a pre-set relative level in the “Healthy Zone” between 40 and 50 percent. All you have to do is “set it and forget it.”

“Your boat is like a fresh head of lettuce. If you don’t have temperature and humidity under control on board, your cabinetry, upholstery, headliners, and more visibly wilts,” Escardo said. “Marine air conditioning and the RiteAire Marine™ Dehumidifier system complement each other, working hand in hand to give you a more comfortable and healthier boat interior.”

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RiteAire Marine™ Brings Healthier Indoor Air Quality Right to Your Boat with Our Convenient Workshop on Wheels

RiteAire Marine™ Brings Healthier Indoor Air Quality
Right to Your Boat with Our Convenient
Workshop on Wheels

RiteAire Marine™ Mobile Workshop with Spencer 69

After installing hundreds of RiteAire Marine (RAM) Dehumidifier Systems on large yachts to date, Hector Escardo, co-owner of RiteAire Marine, has the procedure down to a science. But one of the best tools he has acquired along the way to help him streamline the installation process is his mobile workshop – a trailer equipped with tools and other equipment he tows behind his heavy-duty Dodge RAM pickup truck. The mobile workshop lets Hector and his team bring everything they need to perform a custom RAM installation to the client’s boat, whether it is on the hard at a shipyard, like the Spencer 69 shown above; in a marina, or in the water behind the client’s house.

Hector Escardo in his RAM mobile workshop

“We started out with a 7,000-pound trailer, but we filled it with so much equipment that a couple of years ago, we upgraded to a 14,000-pound trailer,” Escardo said. “Each RAM Dehumidifier System we install is a completely custom project, designed to fit the space available inside the boat so the system will be out of the way and hidden from view. Having the tools at hand to solve any issue that arises, whether it’s cutting ducting or matching a cabinet door, lets us complete the installation quickly and leave your boat looking like new. We are ready for any variable, and never have to scramble for supplies.”

Let us delivery healthy indoor air quality directly to your boat with a RiteAire Marine Dehumidifier System!

The New Year kicked off with a bang! Hector and his team have been traveling every week. First to Orange Beach for a Viking 68’ installation and then to Riviera Beach and most recently to Ft. Myers for double unit installation aboard a Princess 70’.

100% Success Rate: RiteAire Marine Dehumidification Systems Eliminates Hidden Mold Under Saggy Headliners, Inside Valances & Ductwork

Over the last 5 years, our RAM System has eliminated hidden moist locations where the cold A/C supply air hits fabric, ductwork, and air handlers condensing some moisture in the air leading to smells and unhealthy boat air with moist locations for mold to colonize and grow. It’s true…100% success rate with these preeminent brands: Azimut, Cheoy Lee, Grand Banks, Hargrave, Hatteras, Horizon, Jim Smith, Maritimo, Metal Shark, Nordhavn, Outer Reef, Princess, Viking, and Westport.

Reduce Moisture & Eliminate Irritants Such As Bacteria, Viruses, & Mold From Developing Within The Yacht

Get the moisture out of your valuable interior. Schedule our Patented Whole Boat Dehumidification System for install at the factory or at your dock.

See additional scientific test result data and video proof at www.riteairemarine.com

Thanks for joining our circle of knowledge.

Happy New Year,

 Hector Escardo, Co-owner and Ted Reese, Co-owner RiteAire Marine

RiteAire Marine, 2401-C 28th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713  727-954-5885

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Groundbreaking Project: Westport 85

Groundbreaking Project:
Three RiteAire Marine Dehumidifier System Units
Installed in Westport 85 with Fresh Air Makeup System

Westport 85

The first week of March, Hector Escardo broke new ground for RiteAire Marine™ by installing three RAM Dehumidifier units in a Westport 85 motor yacht that was equipped with a fresh air makeup system intended to improve ventilation onboard. The fresh air system unfortunately was contributing to a chronic humidity problem that caused dampness throughout the yacht’s interior, especially in the insulation and the headliners. Testament to the custom nature of every RAM yacht installation, Hector designed an elegant air-quality solution for the Westport that lowered its interior humidity level by 40 percent in the first two hours of operation.

Hector Escardo reviews the plans for the installation with the captain.

“The fresh air makeup unit was bringing 500 cubic feet of outside air per minute into the boat, and that air was very humid. The captain had been running two portable dehumidifiers onboard for years, but they couldn’t handle the humidity,” Hector said, adding, “The headliners were not just sagging, they were dripping with humidity.”

The fresh air makeup system included a large air intake in the “attic” located above the helm station in the wheelhouse that was dumping outside air into the yacht’s return air system. It was so damp in the attic, which is only about 100 square feet in size, that Hector said, “At the start of the project, we had to get into that area with a bucket and chamois.”

Hector works in a tight compartment onboard

The second RAM unit was tucked neatly into a cabinet in the Westport’s dining salon. “We got permission to take over two drawers, but we were able to keep the front of the cabinet in place,” Hector said. The RAM installation also required adding air vents in the salon. “We are making custom grills for those vents that match the boat’s mahogany and sapele woodwork,” he reported. A utility space under the stairs leading to the forward staterooms holds the third RAM unit. Hector also designed and installed an innovative, custom air ducting system that connects to the Westport’s own ducts. The combined system now routes RAM-generated dry air throughout the yacht’s interior.

Before starting the project, a Greywolf humidity sensing meter placed in the attic above the galley registered a whopping 85 percent humidity. The custom RiteAire Marine Dehumidifier system lowered that reading to 45 percent just two hours after being switched on. The “set-it-and-forget-it” system now automatically keeps the Westport’s humidity level in the “Healthy Zone” of between 40 and 50 degrees.

Hector reported that after a few hours of RAM air quality, “The captain’s headliners were tight as guitar strings.”

Another successful RAM installation!

The New Year kicked off with a bang! Hector and his team have been traveling every week. First to Orange Beach for a Viking 68’ installation and then to Riviera Beach and most recently to Ft. Myers for double unit installation aboard a Princess 70’.

100% Success Rate: RiteAire Marine Dehumidification Systems Eliminates Hidden Mold Under Saggy Headliners, Inside Valances & Ductwork

Over the last 5 years, our RAM System has eliminated hidden moist locations where the cold A/C supply air hits fabric, ductwork, and air handlers condensing some moisture in the air leading to smells and unhealthy boat air with moist locations for mold to colonize and grow. It’s true…100% success rate with these preeminent brands: Azimut, Cheoy Lee, Grand Banks, Hargrave, Hatteras, Horizon, Jim Smith, Maritimo, Metal Shark, Nordhavn, Outer Reef, Princess, Viking, and Westport.

Reduce Moisture & Eliminate Irritants Such As Bacteria, Viruses, & Mold From Developing Within The Yacht

Get the moisture out of your valuable interior. Schedule our Patented Whole Boat Dehumidification System for install at the factory or at your dock.

See additional scientific test result data and video proof at www.riteairemarine.com

Thanks for joining our circle of knowledge.

Happy New Year,

 Hector Escardo, Co-owner and Ted Reese, Co-owner RiteAire Marine

RiteAire Marine, 2401-C 28th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713  727-954-5885

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RAM Exhibits Again at Recent Viking VIP Event

Greeting to all of our customers and friends!

Be sure to check out our recent Viking VIP picture and the Princess 70’ installation pictures below.

RAM Exhibits Again at Recent Viking VIP Event

Thanks so much to the Viking Team in Riviera Beach for inviting the RAM team to their recent VIP event. All hands were on deck to help current and future owners better understand how they can turn their boat into a mold- and COVID-Free Healthy Zone with the RiteAire Marine™ Dehumidifier System.

2021 Spikes Back-to-Back Installs from Gulf Coast to Ft. Myers to Riviera Beach New RAM Systems Installed on Princess 70’ & Viking 68’

The New Year kicked off with a bang! Hector and his team have been traveling every week. First to Orange Beach for a Viking 68’ installation and then to Riviera Beach and most recently to Ft. Myers for double unit installation aboard a Princess 70’.

100% Success Rate: RiteAire Marine Dehumidification Systems Eliminates Hidden Mold Under Saggy Headliners, Inside Valances & Ductwork

Over the last 5 years, our RAM System has eliminated hidden moist locations where the cold A/C supply air hits fabric, ductwork, and air handlers condensing some moisture in the air leading to smells and unhealthy boat air with moist locations for mold to colonize and grow. It’s true…100% success rate with these preeminent brands: Azimut, Cheoy Lee, Grand Banks, Hargrave, Hatteras, Horizon, Jim Smith, Maritimo, Metal Shark, Nordhavn, Outer Reef, Princess, Viking, and Westport.

Reduce Moisture & Eliminate Irritants Such As Bacteria, Viruses, & Mold From Developing Within The Yacht

Get the moisture out of your valuable interior. Schedule our Patented Whole Boat Dehumidification System for install at the factory or at your dock.

See additional scientific test result data and video proof at www.riteairemarine.com

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Happy New Year,

 Hector Escardo, Co-owner and Ted Reese, Co-owner RiteAire Marine

RiteAire Marine, 2401-C 28th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713  727-954-5885