soft furnishings

[chubby]

Nearly ready for re launch: antifoul on, hull polished, engine serviced, sails back from valeting etc etc, so now to soft furnishings: re hanging curtains, putting scatter cushions on board, perhaps a pot plant next, pillows and towels back in lockers, is it tempting fate to take the sleeping bags down, put food on board etc: I could wait until we do an overnight later in april but easier when the boat is ashore and weather nice than taking them out to the boat by dinghy later: something always gets wet!

When do others take the home comforts back aboard or do you leave them : I have a dehumidifier on board for the winter so don`t take everything home but stuff that needs washing etc.

 

[PhillM]

I put my stuff back on last weekend. Mattresses, pots, pans, emergency food, curtains, charts, etc all went on. Went out for this afternoon for a quickie down the river.

I keep a heater and dehumidifier on board until may. Then they come off until September.

 

[lustyd]

Nearly ready for re launch: antifoul on, hull polished, engine serviced, sails back from valeting etc etc, so now to soft furnishings: re hanging curtains, putting scatter cushions on board, perhaps a pot plant next, pillows and towels back in lockers, is it tempting fate to take the sleeping bags down, put food on board etc: I could wait until we do an overnight later in april but easier when the boat is ashore and weather nice than taking them out to the boat by dinghy later: something always gets wet!

When do others take the home comforts back aboard or do you leave them : I have a dehumidifier on board for the winter so don`t take everything home but stuff that needs washing etc.

I take mine pretty much every time, but then I don't have a massive airy boat so mine get damp if left on board. I also have a marina so no dinghy worries, and no other half so no scatter cushions or pot plants have appeared yet I'm assuming you mean plant in a pot...

 

[pvb]

I leave all my stuff on board, and the boat stays in the water all winter. No heater, no dehumidifier. The secret is ventilation!

 

[lustyd]

I leave all my stuff on board, and the boat stays in the water all winter. No heater, no dehumidifier. The secret is ventilation!

That and a sufficiently large boat

 

[JumbleDuck]

I leave all my stuff on board, and the boat stays in the water all winter. No heater, no dehumidifier. The secret is ventilation!

My bigger boat stays in a boatyard for the winter. I take the wooden spoons ashore but leave everything else, and I have never had a problem with mould (except on the wooden spoons, which is why they now come ashore). The wee Hunter spends winter in a barn and so gets rather less by way of ventilation. In previous years I have taken the cushions away to avoid mould, but this year I have tried a crystal dehumidifier from my local hardware store and it has worked a treat - she's bone dry inside with not a hint of mould.

 

[lustyd]

My bigger boat stays in a boatyard for the winter. I take the wooden spoons ashore but leave everything else, and I have never had a problem with mould (except on the wooden spoons, which is why they now come ashore). The wee Hunter spends winter in a barn and so gets rather less by way of ventilation. In previous years I have taken the cushions away to avoid mould, but this year I have tried a crystal dehumidifier from my local hardware store and it has worked a treat - she's bone dry inside with not a hint of mould.

Is that the bucket thing with the crystals in? I'd been assuming they wouldn't help but if you thing they are worth it I'll give them a go. Of course I do leave the vents wide open so they may be trying to dry up the whole UK on my boat

 

[maby]

I leave all my stuff on board, and the boat stays in the water all winter. No heater, no dehumidifier. The secret is ventilation!

We leave everything on board all the time - including us - we do need heaters and dehumidifier!

 

[maby]

Is that the bucket thing with the crystals in? I'd been assuming they wouldn't help but if you thing they are worth it I'll give them a go. Of course I do leave the vents wide open so they may be trying to dry up the whole UK on my boat

Those chemical dehumidifiers have a very low capacity - a litre or less. When we run the electric dehumidifier in the middle of the winter, it can be collecting a litre in a day - so the chemical things simply cannot compete. If you are able to really seal the boat up on a reasonably dry day with a fresh chemical dehumidifier in it, and leave it sealed up for the next few months, then they may do something useful - dry the air out and keep that dry air in. But if you ventilate the boat, then there is no point putting a chemical dehumidifier into it - it will be saturated within days.

 

[Zagato]

Having done a similar amount of work to you John (woodwork treated, rigging sussed out, bronze polished, berth boards made, battery box made, trailer overhauled, engine serviced, new name put on etc etc (been doing 2-3 hours a day for the last 4 weeks) I will be finally ready to launch her in two weeks time once I have shelving fitted and my leg is more flexible (been on crutches last 6 weeks). The boat was 'as new' a complete blank canvas which has been great. Nothing more satisfying than working on yer boat :encouragement:

If well ventilated soft furnishings can be left in boats/caravans but better bring them back to air them out in a warm house before you use them. I have never had any problems this way.

Boards made today and varnished.

Cockpit tent sussed out after I cut down some drain rods for the tent hoops - kids excited about sleeping in their tent!

Easy to work on though when it's outside your house - cheating!

One each for the kids - I just need to sit back and get the drum beat going!

 

[lustyd]

Those chemical dehumidifiers have a very low capacity - a litre or less. When we run the electric dehumidifier in the middle of the winter, it can be collecting a litre in a day - so the chemical things simply cannot compete. If you are able to really seal the boat up on a reasonably dry day with a fresh chemical dehumidifier in it, and leave it sealed up for the next few months, then they may do something useful - dry the air out and keep that dry air in. But if you ventilate the boat, then there is no point putting a chemical dehumidifier into it - it will be saturated within days.

Thanks that's pretty much what I was thinking, I don't think I could seal my boat well enough for that to work

 

[pvb]

That and a sufficiently large boat

I can't see that the size of the boat is in any way relevant. Ventilation is the answer.

 

[PhillM]

I can't see that the size of the boat is in any way relevant. Ventilation is the answer.

Mine is a fairly small boat. Loads of ventilation, otherwise known as "holes" some by design and some not.

In use a electric dehumidifier. It works non stop, well as in it works until its fill of water then it stops. Takes between 3 and 4 days. I go down every week and empty it.

Theory says it's trying to dry out the Hamble! But it does keep the boat a lot dryer as fresher.