The best boat upgrade? A spin cycle.

Mason and I mapped out a long list of boat projects before our departure. At the top of my “Not Necessary but Significantly Boost Quality of Life” list? A washing machine. I had flashbacks to my family sailing trip, where every two weeks, we’d haul heaps of dirty laundry ashore and spend hours sweltering in a tropical laundromat.

One particularly scarring moment comes to mind. My brother, Sam, and I were in the BVIs heading back to the boat with all our freshly cleaned clothes. The water was choppy, so we decided to plane rather than bob along at a snail’s pace. It was a mile-long ride, and just 400 feet from the boat—whoosh—a massive wave swamped us and all our clean clothes. Most distressing.

Given this history, I was adamant about installing a washer aboard. Mason thought this was a ridiculous request. This made no sense to me since he absolutely detests doing laundry at the Shilshole Marina—a task that involves moderate temperatures and the ability to walk back to the comfort of our boat between cycles. He had no idea what true laundry suffering looked like.

Luckily, my warnings were not in ignored, and Mason set up an eBay alert for the DAEWOO mini wall-mounted washer/dryer combo—a compact appliance made in South Korea and marketed for small-space living (RV, boat, NYC apartment). Last summer, his alert paid off: A couple in NYC had bought one from Australia and decided to sell their open-box, never-used unit for $1K. Best boat funds ever spent.

No boat project is complete without Mr. Loops (our cat) inserting himself into every nook and cranny, and this one was no exception. There were three key challenges:

1. Mounting the washer
2. Plumbing (freshwater intake + sump pump discharge)
3. Electrical step-up

1. Mounting the Washer

This part went surprisingly smoothly. The kit included instructions with a bolt template, and we decided to install it above our Pullman berth, along the wall between the head and the main cabin. This gave us easy access to both freshwater and gray water lines.

Of course, in true boat project fashion, we panicked halfway through, convinced the wall wasn’t strong enough. Enter: two additional shelf mounts that are both an eyesore and likely useless.

2. Plumbing

Since our installation spot was near existing water lines, hooking it up was mostly a matter of getting the right hose fittings. Our sump pump had an open connection and we easily connected into the freshwater line.

3. Electrical: The Sketchy Step-Up

Since this washer was designed for South Korean voltage, we had to buy a questionable step-up transformer to take the voltage from 120 to 240. They do make reliable US ones, but we decided to get an international design at 1/3 of the price and questionable quality. Additionally, the washer runs at 50Hz unlike our boat’s  60Hz, but we choose to ignore that fact. As a result, we’ll never run the hot water feature, and we’ll never use the dryer. Once we get to the tropics this will not be a big deal.

Mason and I spent the afternoon in laundry bliss watching two cycles run. In just 30 minutes, 30 liters of water, and 50Wh per cycle, clean underwear will be forever attainable.