48 Sundancer Washer/Dryer feedback

jff

jff

Member
Mar 29, 2008
510
Atlanta
Boat Info
2017 Crest Pontoon
Engines
Yamaha
I'm looking at a 48 Sundancer and curious about the washer/dryer. I've heard mixed things, both positive and negative, from various people involved. I'm curious for those of you out there with 48's and this unit (or if the same unit is in other models, I'm not sure which units are in which model) just how useful has it been and what are the pros/cons? Regards,Jason
 
Oh, you mean the automatic wrinkling machine? It's awfully damn convenient to have a washer and dryer on board, but manage your expectations about what the clothes will look like when they come out of the machine.

The best way I can describe it this: Do you know how clothes look like when you take them out of the washer to put them in the dryer? All wet and twisted up? Well, coming out of the Splendide your clothes will look just like that, except they will be dry.

Yes, I know how this sounds: Waaaaaaaaah, the washing machine on my yacht wrinkles my clothes!:smt089
 
washer/dryer aka "the wrinkle master".

It's good for small stuff like undergarments, dish towels and bathing suits. These things dry quickly. Forget the sheets as the they end up in a ball wrinkled beyond belief. Beach and Bath towels will take 3 drying cycles.

Just keep the load light and they will get clean. Take home (or use marina laundryroom) for the heavy loads.

Rich
 
We like the dryer for towels and stuff that need a quick dry.... Don't wash that much with it...
 
festivus44 said:
Yes, I know how this sounds: Waaaaaaaaah, the washing machine on my yacht wrinkles my clothes!:smt089
Click to expand...

Yeah, I feel your pain. Oh wait! No I don't. I have a little gas boat that doesn't have anywhere near enough space for a wrinkle machine. Waaaaah!
 
Our big thing would be towels, doesn't matter if they are wrinkled and doesn't matter how long they take to dry - just to be able to stick some towels in there and some number of hours later have dry towels would be huge. Is that a reasonable expectation?

PS - One person said the washing cycle was worthless but the drying is good and another said the drying cycle is worthless by the washing is good! :)

Regards,
Jason
 
jff said:
Our big thing would be towels, doesn't matter if they are wrinkled and doesn't matter how long they take to dry - just to be able to stick some towels in there and some number of hours later have dry towels would be huge. Is that a reasonable expectation?

PS - One person said the washing cycle was worthless but the drying is good and another said the drying cycle is worthless by the washing is good! :)

Regards,
Jason
Click to expand...
My comments were intended to refer to the full cycle including both washing and drying. Again, this machine is still very handy to have, particuarly for towels, bathing suits, etc. I'm very glad that I have one. I was simply trying to point out the limitations per your question.
 
Thanks Fesitvus, your comments were definitely helpful and very much appreciated.

Sincerely,
Jason
 
Just make sure you don't wash all your underwear at the same time. The thing locks the front door and I had mine break last year when all my undies were in it... it held them hostage for the rest of the trip... and you can't get men's underwear along the waterfront (I tried). The closest thing you can do is get some Depends from the grocery store to get you by until you get a place that sells men's undergarments. I did find a couple of pull-ups from when the kids were younger and I think I could have built something with two of them and duct tape. You can also wear your wife's underwear but I didn't go that far...

Just a lesson learned... only wash half of required clothing at a time.

Come to think of it.. I think my underwear may still be in that thing.

I do agree with Tim's comments. It will put 4 polo shirts into something the size of a tennis ball and then dry them.
 
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We've never used ours....well my wife uses it for storage.
 
Four Suns said:
Just make sure you don't wash all your underwear at the same time. The thing locks the front door and I had mine break last year when all my undies were in it... it held them hostage for the rest of the trip... and you can't get men's underwear along the waterfront (I tried). The closest thing you can do is get some Depends from the grocery store to get you by until you get a place that sells men's undergarments. I did find a couple of pull-ups from when the kids were younger and I think I could have built something with two of them and duct tape. You can also wear your wife's underwear but I didn't go that far...
Click to expand...

I hope that story made the book. Sounds like the clothes & washer dryer thing could be a whole chapter. Good choice on not wearing Susie's underwear. Doubt you could fill out the bra cups.

Best regards,
Frank
 
The Splendide dryer is OK for towels if you can wait, otherwise it's a good place just to store them for a while. Have not used the washer component.

Our dockmates have a new 55 Sundancer and they must have an entirely different and improved washer/dryer system. She actually does a lot of laundry at the boat.
 
Anyone here with a 55 who can tell us what machine comes with the 55?

fyi - Turns out the 48 I was looking at doesn't have the washer/dryer, the broker is looking into adding one but it looks like that's a big, big job ...

Regards,
Jason
 
I'm fairly certain that our neighbours with the 55 'Dancer have the optional stackable washer/dryer rather than the combo like many of us have. The separate units are probably much more efficient.

One thing that I was curious about was that our dryer is a 110v unit where most electric home units are 240v and this is what is needed for fast drying. Our boats have a 240v system i.e. the heat a/c, so why not the dryer? I'm sure there's a very good reason but I don't know it.

Anyways, we hardly ever use it. Nice to see at time of purchase and then you forget about it.

James
 
Just curious, where does the waste water from the wash cycle go? Thru hull or is there a grey water tank?
 
Waste (grey) water on the 48DA......

The cockpit sink is gravity drained directly to a thru hull. Everything else goes to the sump box below the salon floor and then is pumped out. Reason is all these drains are below the water line.

Except the galley sink, and that is where the greasy stuff comes from and that requires the cleaning of the sump box. I looked into cutting the drain tube and putting a thru hull in for the galley sink. Haven't decided yet, maybe a project for next winter.
 
jg300da said:
Just curious, where does the waste water from the wash cycle go? Thru hull or is there a grey water tank?
Click to expand...

The installation on mine has a through hull for the water to drain out. This through hull is right at the water line when the boat is empty and just under the waterline when the boat is loaded up and so it's one of those items that better not ever break or have the hose come off or it could sink the boat. The installation on these is not trivial when they are placed in the middle of the boat like mine is. The dryer has to be vented as well and so there is a helper fan/motor halfway in the dryer vent ducting that turns on when the dryer is running. On my boat this helper fan is under the port stateroom bed. Guess what? The helper fan is a really good lint collector as well so it plugs up. No one tells anyone about this dryer ducting and auxilary motor.

When I built my current house, I made sure the washer and dryer were against an outer wall so the dryer ducts were 6 inches long... wish I had the same on the boat.
 
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