Interview with Wicked Tuna’s Captain  – Dave Marciano

Captain Dave Marciano of the F/V Tuna.com is one of the most recognized names in the commercial fishing world. When a captain of this caliber chooses a system for his vessel, you know it has to perform—day in, day out.

In this exclusive video, Captain Dave gives his full endorsement of the Arid Bilge System, praising its reliability and game-changing ability to keep every bilge zone dry—without lifting a finger.

Whether you’ve seen him on Wicked Tuna, heard his stories on the docks, or followed his legendary career—when Captain Dave says something works, you can believe it.

Transcript – Cleaned Up for Clarity (Fully Accurate):

“Captain Dave here on the Tuna.com, way back here at the backside of my engine room here by my shaft.

I want to thank you guys at Arid—Arid Bilge Systems—for a great system.

This is the first time I’ve ever used one. I didn’t know anything about it.
I do now.

But I could not be happier.

We got our bilges to stay completely dry—that being up in the front, that being the engine room, and that being in the Lazarette.

This thing is absolutely incredible.

Just looking down there right now, there’s not a drop of water.

And rest assured, there’s not a drop of water up in the front or in the Lazarette.

Again—just a great system.

To me, it’s a new product. And again—I just could not be happier.

Again, thank you very much for your sponsorship.”

Closing Text:

This is the same captain trusted by millions of viewers, who’s spent his life battling the harshest offshore conditions—and he trusts Arid Bilge Systems to keep his bilge bone-dry.

✅ Whether you’re on a sportfisher, center console, yacht, or commercial boat, Arid Bilge Systems is the smartest upgrade trusted by boat builders, celebrities, seasoned pros, and even military operators.

✅ Removes water from every bilge zone automatically

✅ Protects wiring, engines, and interior from rust and corrosion

✅ Keeps your boat dry, fresh, and protected—from the inside out

✅ Reduces odors, mold, mildew, and resale-degrading humidity

When performance matters, professionals turn to Arid Bilge.
Because a dry bilge isn’t a luxury—it’s a standard.

Arid Bilge Systems.
Dry. Fresh. Protected.

Wooden boats are admired for their elegance, craftsmanship, and timeless appeal. However, they come with a hidden enemy—bilge water.

As wooden boat expert Jim Morris explains, persistent moisture is one of the greatest threats to these classic vessels. The warm waters in coastal environments accelerate rot, mold, and decay, jeopardizing both the structural integrity and the overall experience of owning a wooden boat.

A Firsthand Testimonial from Jim Moores

Jim Moores, the founder of Moores Marine in Beaufort, North Carolina, is a revered figure in the world of classic wooden yacht restoration. With a career spanning nearly four decades, Jim dedicated his life to preserving maritime history, restoring over 100 antique and classic yachts—including a third of the remaining Trumpy yachts and even the presidential yacht Honey Fitz, which served five U.S. presidents.

Jim’s passion for wooden boats began when he was a young boy, growing into a lifelong commitment to restoring and maintaining some of the most iconic vessels in American history. His expertise made him the go-to authority in the field, widely respected across the marine industry.

One of Jim’s personal experiences underscored just how critical maintaining a dry bilge is for wooden boats. He owned a 1947 Trumpy wooden yacht “Aurora II” that had been moored for years in the warm waters of Florida. Over time, trapped moisture caused massive mildew buildup, leading to major damage: Jim had to throw away all the mattresses, spend thousands of dollars on professional cleaning, and repaint the entire interior to restore the boat’s condition.

Jim Moores Video Testimonial – Arid Bilge System on a 1947 Trumpy

Hi, I’m Jim Moores from Moores Marine. Three years ago, I purchased a 1947 Trumpy. The boat had been living in Florida—the waters are warm here—and the interior down below was full of mildew. What I ended up doing was throwing all the mattresses away and spending about $1,000 cleaning the whole inside of the boat with bleach and other products to get all the mildew out.

The next thing I did was install an Arid Bilge System on my boat. It was one of the best decisions I made. That little bit of water that keeps coming in—combined with air conditioning condensation—is very bad for a wooden boat. It instantly starts to grow mildew, mold, and so on. By eliminating that moisture, the boat actually dried out inside and has a pleasant scent. People have even told me that my boat doesn’t have that classic “wooden boat smell,” and I’m really happy I put the system in.

The Arid Bilge System eliminates that lingering bit of water, stops mildew, and keeps the boat healthier—and so am I. A few weeks ago, my system went down due to some electrical problems. When I came down onto the boat, I immediately noticed the smell that was beginning to return. The first thing I did was check my Arid Bilge System. I’m really glad to have it back up and running.

This is my boat—the Aurora II—and I’ll show you what I mean. This right here is the first stage of mildew. See the white stuff growing on there? That happened in just three or four weeks because the bilge was completely closed up. It became like a terrarium. You can see this is a new piece of wood, but the older wood will start to deteriorate quickly.

Three years ago, we had major problems with mildew. We had silk curtains that were completely ruined. The ceilings throughout the interior of the boat were all mildewed. After installing the Arid Bilge System and repainting the ceiling three years ago, we killed the mildew, got the system in place, and haven’t had a problem since.

I’ve recommended it to many of my clients—even to my competition—and we’re seeing more and more wooden boats outfitted with Arid Bilge Systems. Every person I’ve been involved with who has installed the system has thanked me for recommending it.

Why Moisture is a Wooden Boat’s Worst Enemy

Water is relentless. It exists as a liquid, gas, and solid, meaning it will always find a way into places you don’t want. For wooden boats, constant exposure to water accelerates rot and structural degradation. Over time, moisture seeps into the wooden framework, weakening the backbone of the vessel.

Key Problems Caused by Bilge Water in Wooden Boats:

• Rotting Structural Components – Moisture breaks down the wooden ribs and hull planks, causing warping and weakening.
• Mold and Mildew Growth – Spores infiltrate the cabin, leading to poor air quality and that notorious “wooden boat smell.”
• Increased Maintenance and Costs – Frequent repairs, repainting, and refinishing are needed to fight moisture damage.
• Toxic Health Risks – Mold and mildew contribute to allergies, respiratory issues, and an unhealthy onboard environment.

How the Arid Bilge System Stops Wooden Boat Decay

Unlike traditional bilge pumps that only activate when large amounts of water accumulate, the Arid Bilge System works continuously to remove even the smallest traces of moisture. This prevents standing water from evaporating into the wood and eliminates the breeding ground for mold and bacteria.

Key Benefits of an Arid Bilge System for Wooden Boats:

• Prevents Structural Rot – Keeps wooden components strong and in shape.
• Eliminates Mold and Odors – Removes musty, unhealthy air inside the cabin.
• Reduces Maintenance Costs – Extends material lifespan and minimizes repairs.
• Enhances Onboard Comfort – Creates a fresher, cleaner living environment.

A Game-Changer for Wooden Boat Owners

For those who cherish their wooden boats, an Arid Bilge System is more than an upgrade—it’s a necessity. Instead of constantly battling rot, mildew, and odors, boat owners can enjoy their vessels the way they were meant to be—strong, elegant, and fresh.

Whether you own a classic wooden yacht or a newly built wooden boat, the Arid Bilge System protects your investment. Older boats are saved from decay, while new ones stay pristine. This system ensures your vessel remains dry, structurally sound, and odor-free for years to come.

“Every person I’ve recommended an Arid Bilge System to has thanked me for it. Once you experience the difference of a dry bilge, you’ll never go back.”

— Jim Morris

Arid Bilge Systems – Dry. Fresh. Protected.

Watch The Full Video Now

Welcome to Arid Bilge Systems – The Dry Revolution in Marine Comfort

We’re diving into what makes Arid Bilge Systems a game-changer for boaters around the world. Whether you own a compact center console or a sprawling luxury yacht, there’s one universal truth: moisture in your bilge leads to long-term problems—rust, mold, foul odors, and costly component failure.

That’s why we built this system.

What started in a garage has now become an industry-standard across private yachts, government fleets, and military vessels. The Arid Bilge System is the result of years of refinement, offering a smart, clean, low-maintenance solution to a problem every boater faces. From the bow to the stern, our systems quietly and continuously remove every drop of unwanted moisture—so your vessel stays bone dry and truly protected.

In this video transcript, we walk through our full product line—from Series 1 to Series 9—explaining the features, real-world use cases, and the technology behind each model. This isn’t just about keeping your bilge clean. It’s about preserving the integrity, value, and enjoyment of your boat for years to come.

Product Line Overview and Company History Transcript:

“This is Arid Bilge Systems!

And Today, I’m going to talk to you about the Arid Bilge System product line and the history behind it. How the Arid Bilge System was able to take your bilge completely bone dry—from bow, midship, to stern.

I also want to tell you a little bit about the history behind the company and the brand. It originally started as a small company in a garage and then moved its way up to the big name that it is today. We now install on all sorts of boats—from big mini-yacht-sized vessels to mid-sized boats to dinghy-sized boats. It just depends on the individual boater’s needs and how many wet spots are being trapped throughout the vessel.

The Arid Bilge System accommodates all those individual nuances, giving you a completely fresh boating experience. Instead of that typical mature vessel smell, you’ll have a clean, odorless, luxurious environment. That’s what we deliver with an Arid Bilge System—hygienic, clean boating.

Behind the system’s functionality, we bring longevity back to your boat. Removing that bilge water means you’re automatically getting rid of rust, erosion, interior damage, and mold—all the nasty byproducts of water sitting at the bottom of your bilge. Our system gives you that clean, fresh smell permanently. It improves your boating experience, period.

Product Line Overview:

On this table, we have our product line ranging from zones 1 to 3. That includes Series 1 and Series 2 models. The Series 1 supports one intake zone. The Series 2 supports 2 to 3 intake zones. These are typically installed on smaller boats, such as center consoles.

Each system supports tubing distances of up to 50 feet. You mount the backplate somewhere open on the boat—hypothetically in your engine room—and the tubes spider out across the vessel. The tubing looks like this (holds tubing). From your bow, mid, and stern, you place pickups at the lowest points of fluid accumulation. Everything routes back to the system to eliminate unsightly bilge water.

From a functionality point of view, this system saves you money.

Series 4 Overview:

This is the Arid Bilge System Series 4 model. It supports 4 to 8 intake zones and features individual hour meters for each zone. Imagine zones 1 through 6 each have 100 hours logged, but zone 7 has 1,000 hours. That immediately tells you there’s an issue in zone 7—maybe a leak or overflowing component.

All the zones are labeled at the system’s end and at the pickups. The system helps you organize and detect problems early.

The Series 4 and Series 9 models also feature our Eco-Friendly Oil Separator. It separates oil from water 100%. The oil, being lighter, sits above the water and stays contained. The clean water gravity-feeds overboard. In emergencies—say, a bow thruster hydraulic failure—this setup lets you know immediately via the Eco-Friendly Alarm System.

You’ll see the indicator light or alarm at the helm. You can then track the problem to the zone with the most hours or visible contamination.

Series 9 Overview:

This is the Series 9. It supports zones 9 to 11 and can operate up to 100 feet with a flow rate of 21 gallons per hour. Again, the hour meters are your data points. Label each one at the system’s end and on the pickup. Keep your captain’s log updated monthly and reset the meters as needed.

Live Demonstration:

In this demo, we’re recycling fluid. You’ll see water going back into the boat, which it normally wouldn’t, but this shows how the system pulls fluid in real-time.

This is a 2×3 inch Corian pickup. It has internal channels and lies flat at the lowest bilge point. Apply slight downward pressure to keep it in place—it won’t slide. You just need it to breathe. Don’t wedge it flush to the bilge or it won’t operate.

You’ll see tubing zip-tied neatly—3/16 diameter—and that’s all you need to secure the pickup. It connects back to the Arid Bilge System, which handles everything from a single central location.

Smart Vacuum vs. Bilge Pump:

We are not a bilge pump. Don’t confuse us with one. This is a smart vacuum system. It activates every three hours to check zones using fluid resistance. It vacuums fluid continuously until it senses air—meaning the area is dry.

Bilge pumps are for high-volume emergency drainage. Arid Bilge is your day-to-day protection. Problems don’t show up the first week. It’s over years of owning the boat, letting water sit, that your systems degrade. We stop that.

Arid Bilge simplifies boat management—like having a little gremlin with a shop vac working nonstop.

It lasts because we use air—not mechanical parts in the bilge water. No pumps submerged in corrosive liquid. Just airflow pushing and pulling fluids, even harmful fluids like acids and oils. That’s the brilliance.

Customers love it. Installed correctly, it does exactly what it’s designed to do. This is high-quality, American-made equipment. It gets the job done.”

Dry Boats. Long Life. Smart Boating.

The Arid Bilge System isn’t just another piece of hardware—it’s a daily safeguard for your entire vessel. It works silently in the background, giving you peace of mind that your electronics, thrusters, generators, stabilizers, and most importantly, your investment, are protected.

With intuitive features like hour meters, eco-friendly oil separation, and smart zone tracking, our systems don’t just react—they proactively alert you to problems before they escalate. From installation in personal yachts to commercial and military applications, Arid Bilge stands apart in its durability, reliability, and precision engineering.

If you’re serious about boating, there’s no excuse to live with wet bilges, mildew, or hidden corrosion anymore. Choose the American-made system that boaters trust worldwide.

Arid Bilge Systems – The Dry Bilge Machine.

Watch The Full Video Now

At Arid Bilge Systems, we take pride in building high-performance solutions trusted by professionals across the marine industry

From military vessels to luxury yachts, reliability and precision matter—and no one understands that better than Ed Ruff of EC Ruff Marine.

With decades of experience servicing everything from residential marine equipment to commercial vessels and government applications, Ed Ruff brings an unmatched level of expertise to every installation. Based in South Florida, EC Ruff Marine has become a leading name in bow and stern thruster systems, stabilizers, and high-tech marine electronics. Ed’s insight into performance, durability, and long-term reliability made him an early advocate of the Arid Bilge System.

In this testimonial, Ed breaks down why Arid Bilge Systems are a must-have—explaining how the system not only keeps bilges dry, but also actively protects high-value equipment, prevents failures, and increases vessel safety. From hour meters to hose routing, he shares real-world applications and engineering advantages that only a seasoned marine technician could provide.

EC Ruff Marine Interview Transcript

“Alfred: Here to talk to you with Ed Ruff from EC Ruff Marine. He’s going to go ahead and tell you about the Arid Bilge System and the wide application that he installs these units in—from residential, commercial, to luxury marine history, to commercial marine history. These are more for the bigger boats. Normally, you would get on a boat and have the bow and stern thrusters installed. This unit would accommodate all your other zones. And with this, we also have the hour meters, which make it easier for you to keep track of oddities on the boat.

Ed: The hour meters are nice because the customer can go to any hour meter and if they see a high number, that’s an indication that there’s a fault or failure that needs to be looked at. Maybe we have a broken hose, a faulty pipe, or some type of leak that this device is picking up.

The nice thing with this product is that in all the applications we install it in, we don’t have complaints or failures, because of the way the manufacturer builds it—with hour meters, pumps, stainless steel components, marine-grade tinned wire. Other companies don’t use this quality, and that’s why you see higher failure rates compared to the Arid Bilge System.

We often see an air conditioning system that hasn’t been used in a while. Then someone turns it on, the pan overflows, and that zone ends up pumping more than the others. So this zone is active and running more. We’re starting to see this as a protection device within the boat. It helps us and people in the field after installation, telling us there’s a problem when one hour meter runs more than the others.

Alfred: The system can go up to 100 feet in distance. Instead of having multiple units for multiple zones, you can just have one centralized system for all the zones. You have your bow thruster up forward, stern thruster aft, and the system is installed somewhere central—typically in the engine room. It spiders out through the whole vessel and returns to one central discharge point. So instead of having multiple pumps, you just have one system.

Ed: Installation is super easy. You want to route the hoses properly and zip-tie them in place. You need clean flow in the hoses and proper wire sizing with an 18-inch fuse spacing for the power source.

Alfred: There’s a big difference between Series 2 and Series 4 units. Ed sells a lot of Series 2 units for center consoles, which usually require two or three zones. It’s recommended to have a pickup for every location where a bilge pump is, for a longer-lasting, dry boating experience. The Arid Bilge System delivers a clean and fresh boating experience the first time and every time—just like it came from the shop.

Ed: We started installing it in the marine industry to keep thrusters dry in the bow and stern of the boat from bilge, rain, and wash water. We’ve also used it in military applications for the Coast Guard and Customs where there are computers and electronics that must stay dry.

Alfred: The Arid Bilge System usually lasts 5 to 10 years or more without needing service. Your bow and stern thrusters, gyro stabilizers—they’re all high-quality products but can go bad because of bilge water. Removing that bilge water extends the lifespan of these components.

Ed: Because of the harsh conditions—motors, wiring, computers in government and private vessels—the Arid Bilge System’s longevity is a big help. It keeps customers on the water longer, using their electronics, stabilizers, and thrusters more reliably and safely. Bilge pumps normally go bad over time. They sit underwater and don’t pick up everything. A bilge pump leaves 2 to 3 inches of water before it triggers. The Arid Bilge System is a supplemental safety feature that removes water 24/7, preventing mildew and wiring damage. This stabilizer, for example, is exposed to bilge water inside the boat. The Arid Bilge System protects it. The application usually has boxed-in stringers taller than the unit, so water gets trapped. That water causes rust, failure, and fault. The Arid Bilge System keeps it water-free. These stabilizers start around $150,000 installed. The Arid Bilge System—for about $2,000—can protect that investment. You already have time and money invested. Usually, the main reason components go bad is bilge water. It could be bilge water, AC condensate, shower water, or other leaks. The Arid Bilge System, built for industrial use, keeps those areas dry at all times.

Alfred: Our pickups don’t have electronic parts exposed to bilge water. The Arid Bilge System creates vacuum suction—it doesn’t replace bilge pumps. It coexists. Bilge pumps handle high-volume emergencies. Arid Bilge handles the continuous, small stuff. It also includes an eco-friendly feature that separates oil from water. From hydraulic fluid, diesel, or antifreeze—everything is separated automatically. The eco-friendly feature, alarm system, and standard Arid Bilge unit are all part of this package.

Ed: It works well when there’s a transmission or engine leak. The client avoids getting cited or arrested by the Coast Guard for discharging contaminants. It helps the captain and crew identify problems early. Some applications include side-power systems and other electronics that Arid Bilge keeps dry. Moisture causes corrosion and equipment failure. We’ve installed Arid Bilge Systems in basements, elevator shafts, grow houses, aircraft, and throughout the marine industry. This is the new SX unit, out for three years. It’s a large unit we’ve been installing on ski boats in the transom. The motor is external, and now it comes with proportional control—not just on/off, but multiple speeds for longer runtimes. We’re working with ZipWake, a trim tab stabilization system. It integrates with your boat’s electronic monitoring. In the test tank, it shows how the gyro blade compensates to level the boat. This is another example of why keeping your stabilizers dry is critical.No rust, no moisture—everything works the way it should. The Arid Bilge System ensures your stabilizers remain operable and your vessel stays clean, dry, and protected.”

Whether it’s a Coast Guard patrol boat or a luxury sportfish yacht, Ed Ruff knows what it takes to keep vessels running clean and dry under pressure. His firsthand experience proves that the Arid Bilge System isn’t just a bilge solution—it’s a critical investment in long-term vessel performance, safety, and reliability.

As Ed says, when it comes to protecting $150,000 gyros, sensitive electrical systems, or simply extending the life of your boat’s key components, the Arid Bilge System delivers every time. One centralized unit, multiple protected zones, and no more water damage.

Arid Bilge Systems – Dry. Fresh. Protected.

Watch the Full Video