Winter heater, dehumidifier.

[johnalison]

I've never been aboard pvb's boat, so I can't disagree with him, but I have to say that the vast majority of middle-aged boats that I've been on do have that musty smell that goes with long term minor dampness. I guess it does depend to a large extent on the pattern of usage. We went to bed last night and it was warm, so I didn't bother to turn on the dehumidifier - we woke up with condensation on the windows of the galley and heads.

If you never use the boat all winter, and leave it well ventilated, then it is possible that you could get by without the dehumidifier.

Another factor is whether there is any salt in the boat. In spite of our best effots, I'm sure that salt gets brought into the boat with us, or even in salt-laden air. With my last boat, every bit of soft furnishing could be removed, but on my HR the seat backs are screwed on. We do clean the cushions from time to time but I have to admit that I don't do what I ought to do, which is to wipe down every square inch of the insides to remove salt before laying up.

An additional benefit of dehumidifying effectively is that the boat heats up much more quickly. Since I visit from time to time in the cold months this is a noticeable advantage.

 

[lw395]

It's like an old car in winter.
One that lets a little rain in perhaps.
If you can drive it regularly with the heater on, all is well.
If not you need some other way to remove moisture.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I became a convert to dehumidifying in the 80s and would never go back. But my current ride is a keelboat without a lid, and so couldn't be better ventilated. Still gets mildew on the grp under the deck though.

 

[scrambledegg]

What puzzles me is that the Maeco Junior is described as a "Desiccant" unit without a refrigeration unit to condense the water vapour. The only dehumidifiers of this type that I have heard of use trays of desiccant granules. These become saturated and require recharging by removing them and heating them to drive off the water. The video on the Maeco site shows a "dessicant wheel" which absorbs the water and deposits it in the tray. Can anyone shed any light on how this actually works?

The PBO dehumidifer gear test (use these terms in google) explains how it works (maybe at an idiot level).