Anyone Else Use a Dehydrator?

[SailingAzura]

I am so curious about how this sunbrella dehydrator setup works. I think I'm going to try one out too! Love the discussion.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by SailingAzura

I am so curious about how this sunbrella dehydrator setup works. I think I'm going to try one out too! Love the discussion.

That’s great SA. I’ve got mine built, but haven’t actually used it yet. Maybe we can swap stories once we’ve both given it a try.

BTW, I see you’re just down the lake from my boat, which is currently in Belleville (although we aren’t). Our plans are to try (once again) to head for Newfoundland this coming season. We’ll be around till about mid-June though, so maybe we’ll cross wakes on L. Ontario before we leave.

[SailingAzura]

It would be great to connect. We are planning to sail out Kingston way at some point in 2017.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by CGirvan

Does anybody use a solar dehydrator on board? We are not planning on being in marinas often enough for a 120v unit to be worthwhile and I can't see propane or 12v being economical but we will be in the tropics. A foldable dehydrator that uses the power of the sun would be perfect, is there such a thing?
A quick google search showed plans for solar dehdrators but they all seemed to be large, heavy units for land based use, anybody make a marine unit?

Our friends built their own similar to Mike O'Reilly's description and also based on the book Sailing the Farm:

Sailing Adventures of David & Kathy: A little closer to 'Sailng the farm'. Building a solar fruit drier

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by CGirvan

Does anybody use a solar dehydrator on board? We are not planning on being in marinas often enough for a 120v unit to be worthwhile and I can't see propane or 12v being economical but we will be in the tropics. A foldable dehydrator that uses the power of the sun would be perfect, is there such a thing?
A quick google search showed plans for solar dehdrators but they all seemed to be large, heavy units for land based use, anybody make a marine unit?

We have been using a solar dryer for decades while cruising. It folds up fairly flat, completely screened so no flies touch the food and covered for rain with vents. Temps can be regulated.

We used the drawing from "Sailing the Farm" which I think is now out of print. But I found a link and posted below. I have been meaning to take some pics of it and put it on our web site in "Other Good Stuff".

We have dried fish, bananas, papayas, etc with excellent results. The usual drying time is normally 2 days in the tropics if there is decent sun.

https://we.riseup.net/assets/268677/sailfarm.pdf Page 58-62

We did not make it as big due to storage considerations. Only use 4 shelves

IT WORKS and easy to build

Chuck
Jacaranda
Tahiti

[CGirvan]

Thanks Livia and Chouhila
That's exactly the sort of info I was after. I'm inspired to try this out as well.