Staying comfortable on board

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Vivi

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Hi everyone!

I'm a student at the Delft University of Technology (the Netherlands) and I'm currently working on my Master thesis.

I am currently researching the topic of "comfort" on board of boats.
So far I found there are multiple options to regulate temperatures while on the water, from Webasto systems to heat the cabin to putting on an extra layer of clothing while being out-and-about.

I was wondering the following things:
  1. In which ways do you stay comfortable and manage temperature on board?
  2. Which issues are related to managing temperature (e.g. condensation)?
  3. How do you solve them so far?

Any answers to one or both questions would be greatly appreciated :)
Thanks!
 
1. Ebersbacher hot air heater or electric fan heater depending on comparative pricing between diesel fuel and electricity.
2. No real issues other than nighttime condensation when it is too cold or wet to have a hatch open for ventilation. We rarely run hearing at night when we are in bed, tending to put extra bedding on.
3. No real problems other than the need for constant heating in cold weather due to the poor insulation of the hull.
 
Electric fan heater for use in marinas. We could use this on a generator if not in marina but boat is usually being worked on in marina in winter. Tend to be at sea in summer (Mediterranean) when heater not required. Just put on more clothing as required.

Worst condensation problem is under matresses when staying on boat in winter whilst doing maintenance. Leaving a hatch open solves most condensation problems but not this one. Last week installed Drymat under one mattress as a test. It works well and mattress underside now not dripping wet (literally!) in the morning. Will now install Drymat throughout.

Richard
 
The biggest contributor of all to the absence of condensation is insulation. Our foam filled boat is totally free of this problem, whereas single skinned ones in Northern Europe can be very wet, despite plenty of air flow.
 
RichardS said:
Electric fan heater for use in marinas. We could use this on a generator if not in marina but boat is usually being worked on in marina in winter. Tend to be at sea in summer (Mediterranean) when heater not required. Just put on more clothing as required.

Worst condensation problem is under matresses when staying on boat in winter whilst doing maintenance. Leaving a hatch open solves most condensation problems but not this one. Last week installed Drymat under one mattress as a test. It works well and mattress underside now not dripping wet (literally!) in the morning. Will now install Drymat throughout.

Richard
Click to expand...

Richard try polystyrene sheets 2.5 CM what use in the building trade for floors and walls , we found it make a good base for sleeping on and has stop all the condensation under the matters , only really problem is how to stop them braking up and making a mess . Black dustbin lines .
 
1. We found that fitting a diesel fired air heater (Webasto) made a big difference to our sailing, especially during the colder months. Higher management is far happier to go sailing in cold weather now.... It is also used on wet summer days, to dry oilies etc.
2. As Vyv noted, foam filled boats get far less condensation than conventional single skinned ones. The only significant condensation we get is on the forehatch and windows, and a quick wipe with a sponge sorts that.
 
Overall, much the same as others. We use a Webasto diesel heater and/or electric fan heater depending on temp and availability of electric. We have a suitcase genny but this is not big enough to run the fan heater so tend to get used to top up the bats via shore-power. In our 2011 AWB we don't have a condensation issue generally, only on the hatches in colder weather and this is easily dealt with. We use drymat in the cabins to stop under-matterss condensation - works well. Through the winter months, we use 5 large moisture traps spread about the boat and this stops mold damp but the crystals need changing every 3-4 weeks. Not had the need to run a dehumidifier yet on this boat (though we do have one).

Good luck with the study.
 
Vivi said:
  1. In which ways do you stay comfortable and manage temperature on board?
  2. Which issues are related to managing temperature (e.g. condensation)?
  3. How do you solve them so far?
Click to expand...

If it's too hot, open some windows. If it's too cold, put on more clothes. A moderate through draft prevents any problems with condensation.
 
Staying comfortable

Agree with others. The best thing I did when I refitting my boat over 10 years ago was to line line as much of the fibreglass hull as I could with with closed cell foam and carpeting.
 
Uk based so no problems with too much heat that haven't been fixed by opening hatches.
For Cold.

We go into a Marina / come out over the coldest months - boat kept above freezing by tube type heaters.
Spring / autumn / Cold evenings is mainly by the webasto.

Challenge is that it is noisy so can't sleep with it on which means it's chilly when waking up. Dealt with by hiding and pretending to be asleep until someone else ( usually the children) turn the webasto on.

WE do ventilate heavily once up and boat is quite spacious inside so suspect we don't get the same amount of water vapour concentrations that less spacious boats might suffer. Possible trains of thought here are a drip feed heater that could be left on or better mounting of electric radiators that could run from shore power but not worked out where to fit anything like that,
 
Our last two boats have been foam lined, and the HR we currently have is generally well ventilated, though there is condensation on the window frames in the morning, which we just wipe off. Our heater is Webasto and is very quiet and is almost inaudible except in the aft cabin, though we never need to sleep with it on.

In the winter we have a dehumidifier and can keep bedding on board if we wish. The dry boat heats up much more quickly than a damp one. A cockpit tent is in regular use at the ends of the season and in any sunshine warms itself quickly. It also allows us to have the companionway open in warm humid conditions and doubles our sitting ara when in port.

We buy the best clothing we can afford, which is usually mainstream sailing wear. Hot water bottles can make bedtime less stressfull for a cold fish like me, and I find that an uncovered rubber one will be just right with the hot water from the tap.

Excessive heat is an occasional if infrequent problem. I carry nothing special for this but occasionall erect the cockpit tent with the sides removed for increased shade. Madam on board is very fond of her parasol which slots into a winch.
 
1. Sweaters etc as each person is different and as the door is like a Tibetan cat flap it is not worth putting the heating on.
2. Condensation is the only problem.
3. Good ventilation via hatches.
 
My contribution here can't be very outspoken, because I don't have a cabin boat. But...

...it constantly amazes and disappoints me, that yachts sold in the UK are mostly so abominably ill-prepared for most of the weather we encounter here.

Naturally it will add to the cost of a new boat, to insulate it properly (and add ducting for venting/dehumidification/heat-exchanging) but how much more cost-effective and pleasant will yacht-ownership be, if the boat is made into a genuinely comfortable place to be, despite remaining in the water all year round, ready for use in all seasons?

People who are content simply to "just wear more clothes" may be admirably hardy, but if the boat is to be a pleasant place to stay instead of a harsh, temporary experience to be endured, then decent heating (and critically, thick insulation to make the heating worth operating), ought to be designed-in and installed from new...or at least offered.

My habit when I look at photos and plans of yacht interiors, and indeed whenever I'm aboard them, is to feel constantly dissatisfied - there really aren't many designs which I wouldn't want to gut and re-vamp to my own idiosyncratic specification. So I suppose it's just as well that I haven't found a standard layout I really like - because whatever yacht I one day buy, I'll destroy most of her insides, getting her fit for winter use. :rolleyes:

But I'm surprised that the big continental yards haven't created a sort of "Winter North Atlantic" option for UK/North Sea buyers of their yachts...even as a costly extra, it would immediately be recognised as distinctly more desirable in regions with unreliable weather.

It's sad that our climate drives most yacht owners off their boats for the better part of each year...but I don't believe it has to be that way. It's preposterous that we've learned to regard yachting as predominantly a seasonal pursuit, simply because of the whopping inadequacy of builders' and designers' preparation for use in the low-season. That's nuts.

And now, back to my dinghy-cruising plans...good evening. :moon:
 
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