Brian Schmitt first came to Arid with a boat under construction and a concern about keeping its plywood core dry. In his interview, he recalls meeting Al in 2002 while building a 57-foot cold-molded power catamaran.
Protecting that boat’s structure was his starting point. More than two decades of experience followed, extending to the 110-by-35-foot aluminum powercat discussed in the interview and a 26-foot Calcutta skiff.
Watch Brian’s complete owner interview on YouTube.
A decision that carried over to other boats
Brian says he initially chose Arid to help keep residual water away from the structure of his cold-molded boat. He also wanted a drier interior with less humidity and less bilge odor.
At the time of the interview, he reports that the original system was still operating. He then explains why he chose Arid for his aluminum boat, where corrosion was a concern, and for his smaller skiff.
That service history belongs to Brian’s own installations. It is an owner’s account of why he kept choosing the product, not a guaranteed lifespan for every system.
The pickup beneath the chilled-water system
One of the most useful details comes when Brian describes the pan beneath his boat’s chilled-water equipment. He has an Arid pickup in that pan to remove water that would otherwise remain there.
He explains that standing water can splash in a seaway and reach neighboring equipment. It is a specific example of why an owner might look beyond the main bilge when deciding where residual-fluid pickups belong.
The conversation also touches on finding small leaks in a drier space. With less accumulated water obscuring the area, new water can be easier to trace back toward its source. A pickup helps remove collected fluid; investigating and repairing the leak remains a separate job.
Drying and fluid handling both matter
Brian discusses oil from a drive leak and companion collection equipment used to capture it for cleanup. Moving bilge fluid does not remove contamination. Oily fluid still needs appropriate collection or treatment.
His experience brings the discussion back to the details of an actual boat: its construction, machinery spaces, collection pans and recurring wet areas. Arid removes residual fluid alongside standard bilge pumps; it does not replace emergency pumping equipment.
Read how Arid works, or contact us with your boat’s make, model and the places where fluid keeps collecting.
