Seven Spades
Well-Known Member
I had a Starlight 39 for 12 years and it never had any condensation ever. My new boat seems to drip with condensation and I wondered if the Starlight was unusual and what is the best way to deal with condensation?
Condensation?
- Thread starter Seven Spades
- Start date
Old Harry
Well-Known Member
Ventilation is the key, the S39 probably had better insulation
Cymrogwyllt
Well-Known Member
good heating or good ventillation
ctva
Well-Known Member
Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation.
Unless you can insulate the entire boat will just move the problem to uninsulated bits of the boat. Heating just increases the amount of moisture that the air can hold which will still condensate on reaching a cold surface.
Failing that, a dehumidifier. We use one over the winter months and make a huge difference.
Try a solar vent if you are not on mains. I would not be without one.
Unless you can insulate the entire boat will just move the problem to uninsulated bits of the boat. Heating just increases the amount of moisture that the air can hold which will still condensate on reaching a cold surface.
Failing that, a dehumidifier. We use one over the winter months and make a huge difference.
Try a solar vent if you are not on mains. I would not be without one.
coopec
N/A
I agree with Chris. You will not get condensation if the yacht is ventiialed. I have X6 Dorade type vents and I never get condensation. (I think when I start using the galley though I will have to install an exhaust fan)
lw395
Well-Known Member
You may get condensation even if the boat is ventillated.
The air coming in from outside can be 100% humid and warmer than the boat, so you will get condensation just like there is dew on my car in the mornings.
Ventillation and some heat works,
Dehumidifiers work.
But the starting point is zero tolerance of excess water in the boat. No bilge water, no rain leaks, open the hatch when cooking etc.
Adequate ventillation when sleeping, which means a decent duvet, is a huge help.
All this rainy weather, damp gets in. Fire up the eberbasto and crack the hatches.
Take up the cabin sole and check everything is clean and dry.
Check every locker.
Check all the plumbing.
The air coming in from outside can be 100% humid and warmer than the boat, so you will get condensation just like there is dew on my car in the mornings.
Ventillation and some heat works,
Dehumidifiers work.
But the starting point is zero tolerance of excess water in the boat. No bilge water, no rain leaks, open the hatch when cooking etc.
Adequate ventillation when sleeping, which means a decent duvet, is a huge help.
All this rainy weather, damp gets in. Fire up the eberbasto and crack the hatches.
Take up the cabin sole and check everything is clean and dry.
Check every locker.
Check all the plumbing.
Stemar
Well-Known Member
Dehumidifiers work.
This.
No matter how much heat and/or ventilation, you'll get condensation if conditions are right for it. Run a desiccator type electric dehumidifier for a day once in a while (they work better at low temps than the normal condenser type) and you'll keep condensation and mould at bay. If you haven't got access to mains leccy, the chemical ones are less effective, but will help.
This.
No matter how much heat and/or ventilation, you'll get condensation if conditions are right for it. Run a desiccator type electric dehumidifier for a day once in a while (they work better at low temps than the normal condenser type) and you'll keep condensation and mould at bay. If you haven't got access to mains leccy, the chemical ones are less effective, but will help.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
+1
If, on the other hand, you are determined to use a dehumidifier, you need to stop all ventilation, otherwise you will be spending good money trying to dry out the universe!
RupertW
Well-Known Member
Dehumidifier beats ventilation every time - ventilation people have simply stopped noticing the dank smell and think it’s normal to bag or take away clothing and bedding if not around for a couple of winter months.
pvb
Well-Known Member
In some 40 years of boating, I've never taken clothing or bedding home in the winter, and I don't have a dehumidifier. And, before you ask, the boat doesn't have a dank smell! Ventilation works.
lw395
Well-Known Member
Our boat kept on a mooring is fine. No dehumidifier.
But we open it up regularly and use it regularly.
It's like a car. fresh air works, but it works a damned sight better with some warmth added.
But aircon, being like a dehumidifier is nice to have when a bunch of damp people have got in your car.
The warmth of the engine makes a difference.
An hour of eberbasto does the trick.
Mate's boat, kept on a pontoon with a dehumidier, we can get away with drying kites and oilies below after a race.
I guess climate makes a difference too, Portsmouth has a lot of manky drizzly days in the Autumn and Winter.
But we open it up regularly and use it regularly.
It's like a car. fresh air works, but it works a damned sight better with some warmth added.
But aircon, being like a dehumidifier is nice to have when a bunch of damp people have got in your car.
The warmth of the engine makes a difference.
An hour of eberbasto does the trick.
Mate's boat, kept on a pontoon with a dehumidier, we can get away with drying kites and oilies below after a race.
I guess climate makes a difference too, Portsmouth has a lot of manky drizzly days in the Autumn and Winter.
Praxinoscope
Well-Known Member
It seems to depend upon the boat, neither my previous boat an Invicta 26 or my present boat a Sadler 25 seem to suffer from condensation, but several friends seem to have condensation problems on their boats.
Spyro
Well-Known Member
Was your starlight completely dry perhaps and your new boat has some leaks and maybe some water gathering in the bilges which eventually leads to moisture in the air.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
You are mistaken. As I've posted before, a friend's well ventilated boat (several dorados) was 'temporarily' parked in an East Coast mud berth at the end of a trip to France. Due to unforeseen circumstances it was left there for several years. When myself and the owner went aboard again at the end of that period (tea towel still on the worktop where I'd put it down years before) there was no dank smell and the bedding, etc. left there was fine. Kit such as tools and a sewing machine were not rusted.
Both my current boat and the previous one had been standing ashore, without heating or dehumidifier, for over a year when I bought them. Neither smelt dank.
It's important to keep the inside of a boat clean to keep it sweet: salt residue will absorb moisture, and dirt will feed mould.
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V1701
Well-Known Member
I live full time on a Colvic Watson 34 & there isn't a tolerable amount of ventilation that could work and at the same time enable me to be comfortable so I use a dehumidifier (dessicant type is a must, compressor ones only work well in warm conditions). Although the boat is far from hermetically sealed the dehumidifier makes a massive difference, I have it on in the wheelhouse and along with just 1 oil filled radiator (1.5kw) the whole boat is warm & dry...
That's my experience FWIW, these condensation threads occur very regularly and always end up with people arguing...
That's my experience FWIW, these condensation threads occur very regularly and always end up with people arguing...
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
No they don't
ctva
Well-Known Member
Oh yes they do... :encouragement:
I think the real message is try all the options as we all live in different climates and use the boats in different ways.
I’d start cheap with ensuring no leaks, then ventilation, then solar fan (of which I’m a fan
), dehumidifier and then heating... or a combination of all three. In summer we only have the solar fan and in the winter a dehumidifier and frost heater only.
Elessar
Well-Known Member
Plus the desiccant ones are quiet and don’t have a habit of catching fire.
I run it about 6 months of the year. I found one without a drain pipe at a good price so I drilled a hole in the water tank and sit it in the galley sink.
It costs about £20/month in electric I reckon. But gives a background heat and means my beds get left made, allowing regular impromptu visits year round. Weather good? Let’s go boating.
Birdseye
Well-Known Member
Yes the Starlight is unusual having a complete nternal hull with foam in between . Its very well insulated but because of the insulation thickness its a bit smaller inside than most 39 footers ( or 35 footers in my case). Ventilation will help but it wont stop condensation. Warm air enters during the day, cools down at night and suck in some more dolder air. As it all cools then the moisture in the air gets dumped onto cold surfaces.
C08
Well-Known Member
We use a couple of the desecant block type of dehumidifier over the winter months. These (aero block) types both have about 3/4 L in them after 4 months. Boat is very dry apart from that.
