winterisation-bunk cushions

[captainforbes]

What do you all think about leaving bunk cushions on board over the winter? I can't decide about the merits of frost heaters and/or de-humidifiers. What is the best thing to do? My bunk cushions are too big to take home.

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[Chris_Stannard]

I have the same problem and solve it by leaving the boat in the water until March with a greenhose heater and a dehumidifier, The latter is on a time switch so it runs for about two hours twice a day, and is in the galley sink so it can drain.

Worked well last winter, althoug I did take the boat out in late January,

<hr width=100% size=1>Chris Stannard

 

[BrendanS]

unless using the boat regularly, take them home, or put in a beefy dehumidifier

Frost heater in engine bay will stop damage to engine if done properly, fabrics will become damaged by mould very easily. Frost heaters in cabin do little

Best bet of all is to ventilate the boat well, which means lots of loose covers. If the boat is tight covered, then beefy dehumidifier, with drain overboard or down a sink

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[captainforbes]

Thanks. What do you call a "beefy dehumidifier". How many Kw? Would a £95 B&Q one be the likely sort of thing, or are you talking serious money? Do you think a frost heater (500Kw) with a thermostat is a waste of time ?
I have sailed all my life and always taken cushions home during the winter, but I have just bought a Dufour 40, and the cushions are simply too big to store at home!

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[captainforbes]

I only kept my boat in the water for one winter, and I couldn't sleep at night during stormy weather thinking about chafing warps etc. Also, there must be twice the electrolytic corrosion than only 6 months in the water.

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[pvb]

Ventilation is the key...

Make sure your boat has lots of ventilation, and winter shouldn't be a problem. My boat stays in the water 12 months round, and I don't use heating or dehumidification - but I do ensure adequate ventilation.

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[Boathook]

Leave them on board but ensure good ventalation. Living in a flat I have no room and leave mine on board with no problems either afloat or ashore. When I do go down I connect up the electrics and put some heat in to air the boat. So far this has been adequate over the last 15 years.

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[muddyfeet]

Totally agree that ventilation is the most important factor - I have used a de-humidifier for the past 10years with very little water production except on rare warm days, but the fan runs all the time,together with a winter perforated washboard, the boat has constantly circulated air. No mould or problems in all that time!Stand the cushions up if you can.

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[LadyInBed]

My boat stays in all year with no access to shore power.
Ventilation is the key, hanging and bunk locker covers open, bunk cushions stored on their sides, bilge's pumped regularly. Then, around March, two or three days somewhere with shore power and the heaters on full blast.

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[wishbone]

I saw a programe where they shrunk wraped (vacuumed packed) everything for storage!

Wishbone
Rolling, rolling, rolling keep them doggies moving!
Where’s me chuck wagon gone?




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[Salty]

Dehumidifier is the way to go. Make sure you rig it with a drain pipe rather than just falling into the unit's collection bucket which will fill pretty quickly. I used a B&Q one (actually I can't remember where I got it from, but it was definitely a 'landlubber' version) and its worked absolutely fine. I don't know what power it is, but it's was sub-£100, so cheap and cheerful.

I started off with a frost heater, and yes, it was a complete waste of time. It just kept stuff warm enough for the mildew to set in with a vengeance!

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[BrendanS]

If you do that, you really will need a dehumidifier on board with somewhere to drain the water.

The temperature changes over the course of a day will cause a huge amount of condensation, and with no ventilation, nowhere to go.

Result: everything wet, and mildew

Ventilation far, far better

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[Salty]

True, but I kept my boat in last winter, and waking up on a beautiful winters day and thinking 'hey lets go for a sail' is wonderful.

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[gtmoore]

I put the dehumidifier down the boat last week for the first time this year. It's quite a large one but got it from B&Q quite cheap. I also have a Dimplex heater which I leave on low on the stat. The dehumidifier stat I leave on a little below 'normal' and this half fillled the collection bucket by this weekend. Everything inside felt great when I opened up today.

<hr width=100% size=1>Gavin

 

[Fill]

Dehumidifer & heater are fine, but worth propping berth cushions up so that they rest on their edges and the air can get to them or slats or similar underneath them.

Change over from time to time.



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