One of THOSE days

May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
I went down to the boat to do some work on her despite the snow on the ground. The day already started off rough for other reasons.

I got down to the boat and when I opened it up I found condensation everywhere. There was the very beginnings of mold/mildew. One of my cushions was damp and it was the main source of the new stuff.

This has never happened before. Even more irritating is that these are newer cushions.

I wiped everything down and the boat was open for most of the day so it is dried out okay. I have a few chemical dehumidifiers to put it in the boat when I leave it this time.

So I started working on putting the fresh water pump into the boat. The company sent me the wrong fittings (I had ordered an extra fitting that was in the right size so I put one side of the system in). Then I discovered that the bolts that I bought to fix the pump to its location were too small so I ran out to get 4 longer bolts. I didn't even bother finish wiring the pump in because there is no sense in doing it until I have the hoses attached.

I went to install my new water faucet. Well, there were two holes that the previous owner had in the slide out sink thing (one had the old faucet and one larger hole that I have no idea what it was for). I ended up having to drill a new hole to put the faucet in. Now I have to figure out a nice way to clover the old holes.

Finally a project that went right. I put a new hose in for my sink drain. This actually worked the way it should.

Then I started looking at how I would run the wires for the rewire of my mast (new deck plug that goes from 2 wires to 4 wires) and I also had to run the coax cable for my VHF.

Well, of course the area to run the wire was way too small. I routed it out some but it still wasn't enough.

I put that aside to look at my deck fittings. I ended up installing them. The 4 prong connector actually went on with minimal frustration.

I decided to put the coax deck pass through on. When drilling it out I broke a brand new titanium bit in the boat. Of course I couldn't get the bit out because it was in the middle of what I was drilling. Finally I drilled at a slight angle to avoid the broken bit piece and that worked out okay. I heated the butyle tape and deck and I was able to get it sealed okay.

Back into the interior and I managed to hide my wire run. It is okay and passable but I wished I had more room to fit the wires.

There is so much left to do before I splash in April. As always, I have two more projects that I need to work on that I just discovered needed to be done sooner than later. I had intended to do these projects but they were on the back burner. One of them is the cabin woodwork and the other was a bulkhead area where the PO had put a piece of wood to cover old instrument holes. The bulkhead wood cover is leaking now so I will replace with starboard and seal it with butyle tape.

What a frustrating day!!!!!
 

JamesG161

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Feb 14, 2014
8,020
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
What a frustrating day!!!!!
As the guru says....
"Become one with your boat!"

If you care for her, see will take care of you.

BTW...
Moisture absorbing chemicals work in enclosed space...
if you have them well dispersed and enough to absorb the humidity entering your boat.
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
I use to use 4 of them in my old boat. This boat is much smaller and I have 3 to put in there. I never had a moisture problem in the cabin before. It is frustrating that this happened but I think that I know some of the cause of it. What a PITA!
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,989
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
It sounds like a pretty normal day of boat projects. One went well, two are completed but the results are a compromise and the others are in varying states of disassembly with complications preventing being done - at least one needs more parts. And, more projects are on "The list" than when you started.
 
  • Like
Likes: jeffclown
Jan 27, 2008
3,092
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
I use to use 4 of them in my old boat. This boat is much smaller and I have 3 to put in there. I never had a moisture problem in the cabin before. It is frustrating that this happened but I think that I know some of the cause of it. What a PITA!
I had a catalina 25 for 10 years and had the same problem, My 35 has dorade vents and it is like night and day. Your problem is lack of ventilation, the air needs to circulate in the boat to avoid the condensation/mold. I highly recommend you install a Nicro solar powered vent to exhaust the air in the boat, and add a passive vent elsewhere to allow fresh air into the boat. I am assuming full blown dorades might be a bit much for a 23 size boat.
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
I have a solar powered vent. I have a few other passive ventilation features too.

A piece of wood that is on an exterior bulkhead leaked. That is a big part of the problem. I will fix that soon.
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
If you have mildew started, get a fan in there... mildew does not thrive where there is air movement.
A fan will minimize the growth while keeping the moisture suspended better so the ventilation can remove it...
 
Aug 31, 2013
62
Hunter 26 Saylorville-Des Moines
It sounds like a pretty normal day of boat projects. One went well, two are completed but the results are a compromise and the others are in varying states of disassembly with complications preventing being done - at least one needs more parts. And, more projects are on "The list" than when you started.
We are wintered in and I'm making my first boat check/project attempts in a month today. I just wanted to say thanks to you and Bad Obsession for expressing that - we've all been there - and maybe the sense of community helps Bad Obsession's next project day.
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,961
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
The problem is not ventilation so much as poor deck insulation. What changed recently is that the snow on deck (cold) was followed by warm 50F air flowing through the cabin. More ventilation will just bring in more water and cause more condensation (this is well known in high-snow coastal areas--folks in non-snow areas or the mid-west where it is more consistently cold don't know about this). Is the deck cored or solid glass?
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
Solid deck except in areas of high stress. Then it has foam core. The foam core is only in a few places. It is a pretty thick deck. It also has a solid liner inside of the boat that increases stiffness on the cabin roof.

I put the two chemical dehumidifiers in the boat....make that three. It seems to have already eliminated most of the moisture.

I installed my antenna bracket, rewired my two bulkhead cabin lights, and did the cabin part of the mast rewire. I am going from a 2 prong to a 4 prong connector so that I have a separate switch for my steaming light. Before I had to switch wires at the mast to go between the anchor and the steaming light. I also have the interior coax cable run about 1/2 way. The worst of that part is done
 
Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
I've been using an electric dehumidifier with a drain to the sink. It seems to work well here in rainy Washington.
For the dehumidifier to work well I also need to keep the temp up 55f or so
Ken
 
Jul 14, 2015
840
Catalina 30 Stillhouse Hollow Marina
I have found just keeping the temp above 55 and a solar vent exhausting eliminates any need for dehumidifiers. I just use a small ceramic heater set on low. It cycles on and off to keep temp stable.
 

JamesG161

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Feb 14, 2014
8,020
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
I have found just keeping the temp above 55 and a solar vent exhausting eliminates any need for dehumidifiers. I just use a small ceramic heater set on low. It cycles on and off to keep temp stable.
Right on target!:clap:
Reminder...

The Dew Point temperature controls the condensation inside your boat for your area.

Whenever the temperature inside your boat drops below the boat's interior Dew Point....Condensation!

@JohnVTX keeps the interior Dew Point roughly the same as the outside by air circulation, then raises the interior temperature slightly higher than the exterior temperature to avoid condenstion.

I looked for a Dew Point Controller that might cycle @JohnVTX ceramic heater on and off, but nothing real cheap.

This is the best thing I found for sailboats with added total weather features.
http://www.amazon.com/Ambient-Weath...=1454255460&sr=8-1&keywords=dew+point+monitor

And for sailboating, the more expensive....
http://www.amazon.com/Ambient-Weath...1454255851&sr=8-11&keywords=dew+point+monitor

The word Psychrometer = Dew Point meter.;)

If you lower your interior humidity, by whatever method...

The more you lower it, the more you draw outside moisture into your boat!
Jim...

PS: @JohnVTX uses 55°F which is good for us Gulf Coast Sailors, but not necessarily what cooler/rainier climates may need.
 

JamesG161

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Feb 14, 2014
8,020
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Sep 25, 2008
1,096
CS 30 Toronto
I learned from this site a few years ago. Someone recommended vent and open the hatch by a crack. And also, the speed sensor was removed to let air in. Air need to go from bottom to the top.
No condensation what so ever.
 
Jul 14, 2015
840
Catalina 30 Stillhouse Hollow Marina
Rememer to vent out from inside. Not bring outside in.
 
May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
Well, I got a lot of work done. I didn't finish a single project and I am okay with that because I got the hardest parts of the projects done.

I mounted the new water pump. The thing that stopped me from finishing the entire project was that I was sent 3/4" fittings instead of the 1/2" fittings I needed. Luckily I ordered one extra fitting that was the right size so I got the pump, strainer, and water tank run hooked up. Once I get the new fitting I will hook up the hose and connect the water line that is already there and brand new from last year. I also installed my new folding tap (this is going to be a huge improvement because I will actually be able to get my dishes under the tap). I then replaced my hold sink drain hose (the old one was some ultra cheap thin plastic hose and the new one is a PVC reinforced). What I have left to do is to put the T in the hose and install the shower. I also have to hook the line to the folding tap. That is going to be a nice quick project, I hope! Then again, nothing went quickly for me this weekend.

After I went as far as I could go with that project I started work on the next major project. I ran brand new wires to my new deck outlet (I upgraded from a 2 prong to a 4 prong outlet). I also ran the Coax cable for the VHF. Let me tell you, this was a tough project. There was NO ROOM behind the trim. I had to use a Dremel to make more room and I still didn't have enough room. I managed to get everything installed and it BARELY fit. I also installed the new 4 prong connector.

I added the coax cable deck pass through. Of course I had to get thrown a curve ball here. I broke off one of my brand new titanium bit in the deck. I will never be able to recover that bit so I left it there. I was able to drill around it and it worked out for the best because the cable came out exactly where I wanted it to. I was able to hide the cable run.

To finish my busy weekend I ended up running all the wires down the mast. I have the coax cable run up the mast, new anchor light wire, and a new steaming light. Each of these wire strands have long zip ties about every foot in opposite ways to keep the cables from slapping the mast. My intention was to run all three wires in a bundle and that didn't work so I ran all three wires separately. I hope that this works out okay.

I have to run the 12V wires for the VHF in the cabin, the wires for the GPS to VHF so that AIS works, and install the VHF. I also have to install the cable ends. Once that is done that project is finished.

I am not sure when I will get back to the boat to do some work. Hopefully it will be sooner than later.