The fire risk of dehumidifiers left unattended on yachts has been highlighted following a blaze that destroyed a £300,000 Moody 54 laid up for the winter.

Insurers have urged owners to be vigilant after the fire and follow manufacturer’s instructions.

Nigel Dean, who runs a yacht management company in Göcek, Turkey, was alerted to smoke coming from the dorade vents of a yacht in his boatyard.

‘The dehumidifier, a compressor type, had been placed on the galley work surface,’ he said. ‘It was turned on in the mornings and ran all day.’

The blaze was extinguished without damage to other yachts, but the Moody’s insurers declared her a total loss.

With yachtsmen enjoying increased access to shore power, and a plethora of cheap dehumidifiers, more are being used on boats.

But some insurance companies insist that a dehumidifier has to be rated as suitable for marine use, otherwise the policy is invalidated.

For an extended version of this story see the February issue of Yachting Monthly.

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