Our Miele had been working just as magnificently as when it arrived. Then, one day, I heard a clicking around the drum. After our experience with the Splendide, I feared the worst. I researched our washing machine with the sort of thoroughness you would expect from someone who lives on a sailboat and is, by necessity, largely self-reliant.
A Miele Service Technician Visits Our Boat in Auckland, New Zealand
We decided that we didn’t want to dismantle the Miele ourselves. We called Miele New Zealand. Soon, we moved our boat to Westhaven Marina in Auckland and scheduled a Miele service technician to visit.
My optimism and questions seemed to get on the service technician’s nerves. At one point, he stopped cold, and asked, “Would you like to put the machine together yourself?” Ouch.
Let’s just say the Miele Service technician did not deliver with the standard of service you’d expect from Miele. He left our boat and we were no further ahead.
I was disappointed but undeterred. I found a repairman on Facebook who said he might be able to help. And, he did.
Miele Steps Up
I wrote to Dr. Markus Miele (pictured) who is one of the Managing Partners at Miele. I told him about my experience with the service technician at Miele New Zealand.
The next thing I knew, I received an email from a Miele representative in Italy, then someone else contacted me from Australia.
Miele listened, sympathized and footed the bill for the washing machine repair by the Facebook repairman. The bill was to the tune of hundreds of dollars.
Danke Miele.
A Household Washing Machine in a Marine Environment
I was not expecting reimbursement of any kind from Miele, especially as our machine is not under warranty (and never was, as it’s a household machine in a marine environment). We know our washing machine probably won’t wind up in the Miele story archives as a machine that has circumnavigated and lasted for 40 years. However, the quality and serviceability of our Miele is strides ahead of our Splendide washer/dryer that fell apart after two years.
Our Miele W1 washing machine does at least one load every day when we are not sailing. I use it with caution knowing that the waves could throw off the drum. The inner light, and German Welcome that displays never gets old. It’s a small feature that speaks volumes.
2025 Update
Our Miele W1 machine continues to bring us time and clean clothes. Here is a picture of our relatives from Germany who seemed to appreciate the joys of the front-loader as well.
This is the final post in the Laundry Afloat Series. Thanks for reading!
Becoming a Sailor 