Condensation in boats

[Gludy]

Ok - spent last weekend on my Princess 385 putting back radar tower and lots of other little jobs. Met with some p[roblems as regards condensation.
In the morning the boat was fairly wet with condensation. If you open the small windows in the small cabin then you get wet - first because the design is such that a pool of water collects (I will term this the original shower of water) but also if you leave the window open the rain comes in! Then there is just the natural condensation as well.

I have purchased a dehumidifier (great bargain at HomeBase, currently the £150 model is dicounted down to £99). Do I leave that running overnight when we are sleepong in the boat? But then the doors to the bedrooms are closed anyway.

Ventialtion without getting wet seems to be the answer - but how?

Is there a cure for the stupid window design?

Need to ask because the "Admiral" moaned a fair amount about it.



Paul

 

[byron]

Leave it running. Don't forget to bottle the distilled water for your batteries.
Incidentally you were robbed, they are £79.99 on offer at 'Do it All'

©2001
www.education-jobs.co.uk
www.advertising.mcmail.com

 

[jfm]

The condensing water must be coming from somewhere. If you get condensation in a cabin that people are sleeping in, then the people are supplying the moisture and you should improve ventilation (eg by opening windows/hatches). If condensation is in an unoccupied cabin, then there must be dampness in there to start with. Need to find and eliminate. Check bilge dry. Leave dehumidifier running for ages (weeks) to dry it out upholstery etc. Also keeping the heating on while you're in the boat will reduce condensation, by keeping the internal surfaces of the cabins warm. Good luck!

JFM

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Paul, condensation is a problem on boats especially out of season. Apart from being unpleasant when you're on the boat, fittings will corrode and soft furnishings will get mouldy so its well worthwile to deal with it.
Simply ventilating the boat will not help much so you've got to leave the dehumidifier on permanently together with 1 or 2 greenhouse type or oil filled heaters and make sure all cabin/heads doors are ajar. If your marina electricity is metered this will cost you a fortune so get timers to run the dehumidifier/heaters for, say, 2 to 3 hours a day. Leave the heaters on a low thermostat setting.
You will be amazed how much water the dehumidifier extracts and this will fill the tank very quickly, maybe in 1-2 days. The trouble is that the float switch in the tank will then turn the unit off.
Some dehumidifiers have an option to pipe the extracted water away so stick it in the galley and pipe the water to the sink. If your unit has'nt got this facility, either you're going to have to visit the boat regularly to empty the tank or you might be able to bodge the tank level switch

 

[markc]

I find it works best by keeping the dehumidifier on all week, drain the water into one of the showertrays, and turn it off the the wekend cuase its a bit noisy. Remember to keep all the doors open when you leave the boat. Most units have a method of selecting the required humidity, so one you have sucked all the moisture out, it will only be rinning for an hour or so each day.

M

 

[Guest]

HI Gludy, it seems you dont need the water maker after all, just sleep on the boat all the time, save some weight take it off and buy that big RIB you always wanted,with regard to the windows my mate has exactly the same problem, as we found out the first time we used his side cabin, didnt need the heads for our morning wash!, good luck, pjs

 

[hlb]

Gludy do you mean the hatch above the bed??
Put a canvas or whatever cover over it at night. That will stop the condensation. I just use dehumidifier through the winter and greenhouse heaters. Leave on all winter.

Haydn

 

[Gludy]

OK after all that advice for which I thank you all. I am going to:-

Leave dehumidifier on with bar heater when not in boat.

Leave dehumidifier on with normal envoronmental heating when sleeping in the boat.

Have the Admiral make a snazzy hatch cover for the hatch above the bed.

Try and make a clear cuved, solid shape to insert into bottom of windows so that they darin the rain off as it hits them.... some sort of clear silicone moulded ... still thinking about it.

Paul

 

[Guest]

Re: Not a bar heater, Gludy

The bar heaters, or the electric fan heaters, have a bare element which can set fire to things. You need one of the horrible-looking things which look like radiators which heat oil inside. Much safer.

 

[Gludy]

Re: Not a bar heater, Gludy

sorry Matt, my description was inadequate. that is what I have - a long bar filled with oil and mounted on a section of wood. There is no exposed element.

Still no suggested solution from anyone as to stopping the water flooding in from the windows/port holes. I am under orders from the admiral to solve this.

Paul

 

[Guest]

Re: Not a bar heater, Gludy

Sell the boat and buy a 388, mine dont leak water in, only at 25 knots when my Lady Admiral forgets to shut them. Ha Ha.