Condensation in the cabin

[Jeff]

I recently purchased a 1978 25 footer. I think the boat was dry when I got it, and the owner told me he had no problem with leaks. Recently, when I opened the cabin after one week sitting by my dock on the lake, there was a lot of condensation on all the horizontal surfaces in the cabin. Water was dripping all over the coushions, etc. Any ideas on how to avoid this in the future? Thanks.

 

[Robert Fischer]

Air temp

No need to keep the inside of the boat at the same temperature as the outside. Leave a hatch open slightly, or add a solar fan to one of the hatches. Good luck

 

[Bob Camarena]

Heater

If you have shore power, there are low output heaters that are made to keep condensation down by continuosly circulating the air via convection and keeping it slightly warmer than the surrounding environment. As the previous response indicated, ventilation is key. If you don't have access to shore power, there are also chemical-based moisture absorbers available. Check West Marine or other suppliers.

 

[Tim]

No Chemicals

The response from Bob (below) suggests that there are "chemical" dehumidifiers available at Marine & RV stores - I'd recommend against them. They do take moisture out of the air, but it collects in a bowl that can become "tippy-full" of cruddy, corrosive liquid and you only have to forget to empty it once to get a huge mess in your cabin and carpeting.I use a "Jacks Air Dryer" - from West Marine - they come in various sizes depending on the interior volume of your boat. Additionally, I keep a small fan running to keep the air moving - the air dryer is a passive device - and as suggested below, it works on natural convection. The fan just helps things along.

 

[Hayden Watson]

What is a "Jacks Air Dryer"?

What is a "Jacks Air Dryer"? I looked for it in the West Marine Catalog andcouldn't find it. Can you tell me what page it is on in the master catalog?

 

[Tim]

Not "Jacks", but......

OK, so I bought mine (a Jack's) a while ago.Here is a similar product in the current West Marine product line (from their website www.westmarine.com )Air Dryer 1000 from Idea Development WM# 248815Sells for about $45There are other products that perform a similar function that can be found using the search keyword "dehumidifier"

 

[Bob Camarena]

I agree with Tim if you have a choice

Tim is right about the chemical dryers but, if you don't have shore power they might be your only choice. If so, you might want to put the unit in a bucket or dishpan to control spillage. I'd only use them as a last resort if ventilation fails and you don't have shore power.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Catalina Owners]

Solar fans

Another more expensive & time consuming option would be solar fans. They're somewhere in the $100 range but they run automatically & provide some air flow. Just make sure there's an exhaust.LaDonna