H37C dorade ventilation.

[Ed Schenck]

Any of you folks have solar vents on your dorades? Since moving to Florida it seems much more important to be cycling air through the boat. The vents come in 3" and 4" sizes but I am 1200 miles from the boat. I should check, might have an old horn down in the junk box.

For a couple of seasons I had a 110v fan from some old computer equipment on a timer. It was behind a louvered vent on the hatch board. But it always bothered me to have anything 110 running on the boat.

 

[seadaddler]

Hi ED

Funny thing my 24/7 solar vent on the vee berth hatch stopped working only second year on my H-36 and noticed the difference when ever entering the boat it was not a fresh smell more funnky not real bad I do have a dehumidiefer mode on my AC that keeps the moisture and mold under control but I missed the nicer smell since the solar vent stopped working.
Any way after hours of trying to repair and the price of $160.00 new one seemed crazy I did find an old 12volt computer fan that after cutting and grinding fit it into the vent and just ran wires to 12 volt which runs all the time but was in a hurry before going away on vacation and it does a good job freshing up the boat,I also run a fan inside the boat moving air around .
My 2007 boat is really clean and being new in Florida been trying different things to keep it that way.
I am hear all year so still experimenting with fans and vents.
I go for new type back surgery in March and should be short recoup time.
Nick

 

[Johnb]

Ed,

I will be at my boat this weekend, where do you want that measurement taken?

John Brecher

 

[Ed Schenck]

Thanks for the offer John. My dorades have the original plastic ring to which the horn is inserted. So just the inside diameter which I guess to be four inches. Pretty sure the cowl vent is bigger than the other size which is three inches.

Years ago I replaced the top of my dorades with plastic teak. I kept the old teak top with the hole around for eight years UNTIL I moved a few months ago.

 

[guidera48]

Hi Ed
So happened I am working on my dorades this morning. The wood top is 5 1/2 wide by 11 long. The old cover had a 4" hole for the vent. The actual sleeve on my new vents is 3 1/2 in wide. However they call it a 4" vent. As you can see, the actual screw flange as almost to the edge of the wood. If you use a vent, the top part will be wider than the actual wood base. Some vents have a 4" hole and an 8" top.
I am installing new baffles and fibreglassing the interior of the dorade box. It' s ugly in there.
Cheers

Jose Guidera
S/V Bonheur

 

[Ed Schenck]

Thank you Jose. And your new tops look really good. Yeah, if the box is original the inside is pretty scary. I did the same thing. With the top off and after a good cleaning I painted a thick coat of epoxy over the whole thing. Of course you have to be careful to keep the drain hole open. The vents look so nice when they are new.

So from your measurements I will probably have to enlarge the hole to 4". But there is room. So I can order what they call a 4" vent. And the fan part of the solar vent will extend beyond the back and sides. That is a concern. Later models of the H37C had that nice stainless rail protecting the horns. Not on my '79 though.

 

[guidera48]

I am too looking for that rail that goes over the vents. So far no luck. I have some 1" electrical conduit here at the shop, so I may take the conduit bender and make a test guard with it. Hate to screw up a $50.00 piece of stainless pipe. I purchased 2 round 1" bases from marinepartsdepot.com and a stick of 1" stainless. Next pretty week end I may give it a go. I will let you know how it turns out.

Jose Guidera
S/V Bonheur

 

[Bill1565]

I'm really excited about this thread. I have some squashed dorades, no sissy bar and I have just avoided dealing with them. Will take pix and dimensions manana.

 

[Bill1565]

Here 's pix. looks like less than 3" in the hole, 4ish to the threads.