WINTER STORAGE

[GIBSON]

My boat is now stored for the winter, and I would like opinions on the following.
Before I part with any more money & buy a dehumidifier I'm going to try the following: Remove ventilation porthole from deck, run flexible ducting from the bow to the opening where ventilation porthole was, insert ducting through hole into cabin & seal with gaffer tape. Trial for one month. I'm hoping enough air will circulate to stop damp forming.
(The reason I'm running from the bow is because the boat cover has been made to accomodate a bowsprit, which has been removed.)

Wot d'ya fink?

 

[DeeGee]

Well, I would say you are on the right track with ventilation - hopefully the boat is under cover? As to not running a dehumidifier, that is up to you, but I always run mine through the winter. There are many days when the air is so moist, and with the cold unable to hold onto all the moisture... ventilation is not enough. The boat smells nice and feels dry and warm - with just good ventilation, she can feel damp and cold most of the time.

 

[simonfraser]

surely if you have gone through the expense, this early !, of taking it out you ought to sort out a dehumidifier ??

 

[Seven Spades]

Why take it out so early, lots of nice sailing still to be done?

 

[cookjwm]

The issue with just ventilation is the high humidity of our winter air, which is why our winters are not actually very cold but feel it in comparison with say the Alps where humidity is low. So you will find that fresh air does not always dry the boat out .On a wet day it will not help at all! If you do not want to dehumidify, best way is trickle ventilation and a greenhouse heater - but I use a dehumidifier, they are cheap, cheap to run and mine is now nearly 20 years old so they last . A good investment.

 

[pampas]

Air needs to come IN as well as out .I withdraw my log and find the boat dries well and does not smell damp at all. Also and its something that forgotten from time to time, one vent needs to be lower than the other, the bigger difference for a given area will work better

 

[GIBSON]

Thanks everyone. Why out so early? I've only recentley bought the boat and the person I bought her from had arranged for her to come out because of his going on holiday.

Looks like I'm going to have to get a dehumidifier