watertight ?? vents

[FergusM]

I bought an ecs ventilator, with a stainless steel top and a clear plastic insert. It is labeled 'watertight', the idea being to push up a plastic slide with a softish rubber edge to fit against the underside of the clear plastic. I was intending to fit it on the foredeck, to provide through ventilation, especially when my boat is on her swinging mooring.

Can anyone tell me if it is watertight enough to prevent leaks in the event of shipping a green one over the bow? If it is not absolutely watertight or able to be made so, I am a bit reluctant to fit it on the deck. The alternative is on the forehatch of my Albin Vega, which is on the forard end of the coachroof, where it is much less likely to have green water over it, but it would not provide ventilation right into the forecabin.

 

[ccscott49]

If it lets air in, it will probably let water in. I would consider a screw down vent, like vetus or others supply, or a cowl vent and dorade box, then you can turn the vent away from the pointing at the bow, or screw it down when badish weather is anticipated. You can even combine the two and have a screw down vent inside the dorade box.

 

[snowleopard]

If it's the type that looks like a cross between an inverted fray bentos pie tin and a dalek, the answer is no. The only one I have found that keeps everything out is the plastimo with automatic dorade box. You can literally pour a bucket of water down the cowl and not a drop comes below. The drawback is that it is made of plastic and secured by a few screws so isn't very robust.

 

[jerryat]

Hi Fergus,

If the sliding part turns and LOCKS into position, you'll be ok. I have just replaced one on my boat that simply pushed upwards until the rubber seal seated, but relied on friction to hold it in place. When we took a couple of greens ones over the bow, the damn thing moved and let a chunk of water into the forecabin!

Annoyingly, I'd had the 'proper' one stuffed in a box in the garage for years!

As others have noted, Dorades are by far and away the best form of ventilation and we fitted two of the Plastimo ones prior to shoving off on our cruising. That was in 1996 and they have been fantastic and are, IMHO, quite strong enough to deal with most seas. If things get severe, they come with screw down 'storm' caps. Just remove the cowl and screw these into postion.

In our little boat, we have one Dorade at the forward end of the saloon and the other at the aft end, over the galley. Turning one into the wind and te other away from it, provides a superb airflow.

Cheers Jerry

 

[Alpha22]

ECS vents are not watertight.
Wash the decks with a hose and they let water through.

 

[ChrisE]

Depends upon the type of ECS vent. We've just fitted the one's that have an internal seal that pushes up to lock. In three days of green water across the foredeck deck not a drop. That said I know examples where both ECS and Dorades have shipped water, in those kind of conditions however the shipping of a bit of water is probably the last of your concerns!

Without doubt dorades are the way to go if you want the highest thruoghflow of air, but if you already have ECS or Tannoy vents as we have, it is a matter of a few minutes work to replace the existing with locking vents.