What do I need to do now?

[Moose]

Hi,
Now then I went of to Currys today and bought a lovely dehumidifier/heater thingy to put in the Galley. And I am going to get a great big 6ft long tube heater to put in the engine bay/room (room sounds better!!)
So is there anything else I should do when leaving the boat for a week or 2 as it is starting to get colder?
I THINK WE HAVE DECIDED ON A NAME NOW!! (so I can send of my radio license form now)

Moose

I've got a boat at last!!!
WHOOPEE!!!!!!!!!!

BUT WHAT SHOULD I CALL IT?

 

[LeytonC]

is the boat on hard stand, or in the water?


Thanks

Leyton
(River Severn / Bristol Channel)

 

[Guest]

Might need more than one tube mines got two long ones and a short one

"The Med has got me" (no not the Medway the other Med)

 

[trev]

I bought one of them de-humidifier thingys but I'm not too convinced if they're worth the bother. Cos unless yer boat is airtight (more or less) aren't you trying to de-humidify the world ??
I reckon a couple of space heaters to keep away the damp and frost are a far better way of doing things. The ones with a thermostat so they only come on when its needed are the business.

Trev

 

[byron]

Tony (Boatone) told me you had two round ones and a short one. He said he saw them when he was on your boat.

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[martin]

Me too?

I would like to know the answer to this also..
Just ordered 4 2ft longs (120w) from TLC direct as per previous suggestions . Had intended to place two in the engine bay, one under the floor of the bathroom and one in the centre of the bilge. Am I doing this wrong do I need more power. Decided not to bother with thermostat as leccy is paid for so planned to leave them on continously ?

have i dun wrong?

 

[boatone]

To Byron and Clive..........

ya...boo....sucks....

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[markc]

would you also reckon on not using heating unless in an airtight space so you're not 'heating the world'?! They do work very well on boats - I always use one during the winter, but some boats are drier than others so the effects will vary.

M

http://www.geocities.com/jinto100/Jintopics.html

 

[tcm]

dehu is not a vacuum pump

If you shut the windows, the dehu will not cause a vacuum- it just recirculates/dries thae same air.

I wd say that these are quite good: friends boat went a bit milldewy, ours didnt. We had it position as low as poss in the boat, vent to wet bilge or shower tray, and jam all the doors open. They don't need to be on constatntly, can have just a few hours a day. Same applies to the heater thing, praps just v early in the morning...

 

[jimg]

Yes to dehumidifer and heating

We have had a dehumidifer and heating left on all winter for the last 15 years on three different boats. It is brilliant cos you can leave the bedding etc onboard and use the boat through the winter. ( Probably never leaving your cosy pontoon berth).

 

[trev]

Re: Yes to dehumidifer and heating

I did the same but have concluded that perhaps the de-humidi is not a necessity if cabin temp is kept above dewpoint.
I'll still be belt and braces again this year though - especially as she's coming out of the water.

Trev

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

If you leave the dehumidifier to fill up its own tank, it will cut out in just a few days. The unit should have an outlet to which you can attach a tube so that you can leave it on permanently. Locate it in the galley next to the sink and leave all doors open on the boat. Its also a good idea to have low level heating on the boat and, personally, I would get an oil filled radiator for this rather than a blow fan or bar heater to reduce the fire risk
The only problem will be if your marina meters your electricity usage as the dehumidifier/heater will use a lot of leccy. I managed to run up a £300 bill one year so I now put the dehumidifier on a timer to run, say, 2 hours a day and the heater on a low thermostat setting

 

[Guest]

Friend of mine used one of those oil filled heaters ( brand new from Currys ) he left it on for a month only to find the oil had leaked out and the element had scorched the carpet before tripping the electric !

We use a fan heater and dehumidifier and stand clear of the hatch when you open it up or you'll singe your eyebrows, boats nice and dry but everything has shrunk ;~)

 

[nicho]

Re: Yes to dehumidifer and heating

Every year since we started boating, I've intended to buy a dehumidifier, but have never got round to it. We too leave the boat in the water over the winter, and go down every couple of weeks, to stay on board for a few days even if weather too poor to go out (the Eberspacher is then used). I have only ever used an electric convector heater, and have found that this has always kept the boat warm and dry. The heater is on a timer and the thermostat is kept fairly high, but the electric cost has been fairly low (it comes on for a couple of hours around midday, and then on again around 22.00 until 06.00)

A couple of other precautions - we always keep the engine protected with greenhouse heater tubes, and leave all the taps open to allow for expansion should the water actually freeze (I don't have any evidence of that ever happening though).

One final point, both cabin's beds have an electric blanket, and a quick zap of those on maximum temperature ensures the beds are aired. (OK so we're soft!!)

Might still opt for a dehumidifier yet though.

 

[JeremyF]

Dehumidifier best buy

Ive just bought one, wanting to retain that 'new boat' smell, and avoid that dreadful clammy musty smell that permeates in boats left without dehumidifiers.

Sailing Today has done a report, and the Best Buy is £175, called Dry Buoy, and available from sces.co.uk. Delivered free as well. It got its Best Buy status as it has a mechanism normally only found on expensive units that lets it go down to zero and still work, though as 'leccy is included at my marina, I'm also going to heat the boat as well.

It came with an exit hose to buypass the tank, and within 30 mins had extracted half a cup of water. These new ones are pretty light now ; Ive an old one at home and it must weigh 30 kgs

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[nicho]

Re: Dehumidifier best buy

Thanks Jeremy, I'll look at their site.

 

[KevL]

Re: Yes to dehumidifer and heating

Just one final point on your final point. I during my time have designed a fair few electrical products and these include electric blankets. The number one cause of fire caused by electrical appliances in the home is electric deep fat friers, in a close second is (or at least was) electric blankets. I personally would never use one no matter how nice and cosey the bed felt.

All IMHO, FWIW, without predudice etc.

KevL

--
It may be the early bird that catches the worm but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.

 

[tripleace]

Re: Yes to dehumidifer and heating

personally

I purchased more of the smaller 2 ft tube heaters as I can spread them around the boat more.

de-humidifier in front shower room with overflow to bilge.

without de-humidifier boat will get damp, especially if you use the boat and brew up a cup of tea during the winter (steam and condensation)

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