Preventing condensation in forepeak after sleeping

[patrickkidd]

The forepeak on my 1984 C30 has no natural venting and so everything is moist and covered in condensation when I wake up in the morning. The rest of the boat stays dry, and the forepeak dries out within one hour of opening the companion way once I'm awake. I bought a Nicro 4" stainless solar fan which my Father had success with on his J-35 in Alaska, but am not sure where to put it. Forepeak hatch despite the slight curve? Midship hatches? Drill a new hole in the fiberglass?

What have other's done to prevent condensation in the forepeak? Air flow? Heat? What and where did you install it?

Thanks!

 

[Capt jgw]

Putting it in a hatch is the least scary place to cut a big hole, but makes it very easy to break into the boat. Pop the vent off, reach in and undo the latches, and they're in. Might as well not lock the boat at all. A lot of boat burglars get in this way. Mounting it directly in the deck, out of reach of any hatch is more secure, but more traumatic and more work.

 

[zeehag]

i prevented condensation by having the hatch a lil open. ventilation ... and make sure there are breathing areas between bilge and your bed so air movement can prevent the condensation that will build up in an unventilated area when moist warm air is introduced into the interior of a boat. (you breathing)
you say you have no ventilation there, but you have a hatch. why not use that for ventilation and save some dough. the solar powered nicro vents are pricey and have a limited lifespan.
good luck with making your boat breathe again.

 

[woodster]

if you just have to cut a hole in your boat put in a dorade box and one of those brass air horns to promote ventilation...the box is built in such a way that the water stays out and the air goes in

 

[mortyd]

i know this is a little off the subject, but do you guys really have boat burglers? even in da bronx we never hoid of such a thing.

 

[Capt jgw]

i know this is a little off the subject, but do you guys really have boat burglers? even in da bronx we never hoid of such a thing.

It happens. We had a rash of them here a few years back. Somebody took an unlocked dinghy and hit several boats out on the moorings. We're in a formerly industrial town, high unemployment and crime rates.

 

[zeehag]

during my four, err five years here in mexico i have never locked my boat. my dink to a dock, yes, my dink to boat , yes, but never my home. no need. the only thieves here who enter homes to steal seem to be from out of town, usually gringos with bad drug habits. the locals are accountable and sola females of their mothers' grandmother's age are revered and watched over.

during my tenure in san diego i needed to lock both boats constantly against intruders.

 

[centerline]

Ventilation is the answer to letting the moist air escape from the boat, but air movement is the answer to preventing that most air from settling on a surface and turning to condensate.... so both ventilation and a fan is the best thing you can do to prevent the acute wetness you are experiencing... the chronic wetness, such as saturated air inside the un-ventilated boat will penetrate the cushions, bedding, clothing, books/paper, food, woodwork and all other permeable objects whether you have a fan or not.
Good ventilation with a little air movement from time to time will keep the air a lot dryer so there is less chance that it will ever happen.. again.

and yes to the boat alarm... who knows if it will ever do any good or save me anything in the event of a break-in, but at least it backs up the sticker, near the lock on the slider warning that the boat has an alarm... just in case someone trys to call my bluff.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Do you close a door to the V berth? If you do, then leave it open.

 

[mortyd]

and, i have a nicro fan in the v-berth hatch and have never had a moisture problem.

 

[markwbird]

Nicro solar vent

 

[seadaddler]

Nicro vent in the vee berth hatch and have had one all my boats and disagree with
being easy to break in and is harder than breaking a lock

 

[ArkadiyS]

In hot and humid summer days, we also had some condensation on the ceiling of the v-berth. We had an older Nicro solar vent already installed/cut into the smaller hatch over the area between the locker and the door to the head, but it did not work well. After replacing it, we no longer have this problem. I bought the day/night model, and we hear it running through most if not all of the night (very light noise). Our boat has 3 smaller hatches, and one of them was sacrificed for this vent. We also have a solid door to the v-berth, and I have deliberately left about 1" opening on top to help move the air.

 

[mortyd]

about the only thing wrong with the boat when we bought her was the accordion door to the berth was gone, but we have never missed it.

 

[ArkadiyS]

I could not stand that door, and ours was also falling apart. These are the pics of what i replaced them with, and love it. More privacy, looks better, and fits into the same space.

 

[woodster]

I could not stand that door, and ours was also falling apart. These are the pics of what i replaced them with, and love it. More privacy, looks better, and fits into the same space.View attachment 117344 View attachment 117345 View attachment 117346

that's a nice looking innovation you have there