Solar vents in the Pacific Northwest

[matts997]

I've got a Hunter that is woefully under-ventilated, so this has become one of my winter projects. A few questions for those with ventilation experience, especially in the Pac Northwest:

-once the battery is initially charged, can the vent's solar panel keep the fan going consistently throughout the winter months in Seattle, or would I be better off with 12-volt powered vents or a couple passive vents? My plan is to get 2 vents for the main cabin, ideally with one of them pulling air out, the other pulling outside air in.

-the previous owner installed an older NICRO 2000 day/night vent (currently the boat's only vent), installed vertically on the stern. Not surprisingly, it hasn't worked in quite a while and it probably needs a new battery. Not sure if it's worth replacing/repairing though, as I question it's value--all it does is pull air out of an aft compartment (below the cockpit) that houses the fuel and holding tanks, which is sealed off from the rest of the boat by a bulkhead in the aft sleeping berth. Am I missing something here, is there a good reason to have a single vent there? I could replace the old solar vent with a passive vent, as the location and vertical mount would restrict the amount of direct sunlight even in the summer.

Thoughts about any of this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Matt

 

[PaulK]

We had a Nicro solar vent die on us. It must have been about 20 years old. So we replaced the battery maybe 10 years ago. No problems since. Getting odors from the fuel and holding tank away from the boat may have been the original owner’s goal. Perhaps he was in a slip and not always pointed into the wind on a mooring.

 

[jssailem]

Getting odors from the fuel and holding tank away from the boat may have been the original owner’s goal.

That sounds like a possible conclusion. I sure had the same thought as I read the thread.
Summer cruising you will want some air in the boat. Ways to make this happen.

1. Open the companion way. Lots of ventilation .
2. Open a hatch or port. Usually the bow hatch with a side port and the companion way will provide more then enough ventilation.
3. Once you solve the inflow of air you might want a fan or two in the boat to move the air about
4. With all that inflow you also get out flow. Turn some fans towards one of the openings and you’ll get great air exchange

At anchor or in the Marina, I’d put a cover over the boom and draped to the boat’s sides to provide shade to the deck. The interior of the boat will be 10 degrees cooler.

in winter you will want to reduce the air inflow a lot. Any opening is a way for the warm air to escape. I put dorade in the stern to draw fresh air into the diesel heater. This keeps the moisture down and the heat up even on the coldest evenings. 40 knot breezes and temps in the teens is not unusual for the Puget Sound in winter. A good diesel heater can make your life livable in the boat.

 

[Terry Cox]

Had one our first sailboat, an H28. Installed by PO. Ineffective, IMHO. What I’ve done for years on our current boat during the winter months while in the slip is to place a space heater on low with a dehumidifier in each cabin (3). By leaving a main cabin hatch cracked most moist air escapes. Virtually no mildew forms and the boat stays pretty dry. Out on the water and at anchor our forced air diesel furnace keeps the interior comfortable, as John suggested.

Odors are kept at bay by keeping a small tin can (mandarin oranges) on one of those mug warmers with a couple squares of melted scented wax from Walmart. Boat smells wonderful.

The one I use on the boat in each cabin is here.

Boat Dehumidifiers | Wholesale Marine

Combat moisture and mildew on your boat with Wholesale Marine’s line of boat dehumidifiers. Find effective solutions for maintaining a dry and healthy cabin.

www.wholesalemarine.com

 

[markwbird]

The vent alone will not prevent mildew. Put a heater onboard. That works best. Doesn’t have to be super warm. Just a little warmer and dry.

 

[Mr Fox]

If you are installing any day/night fans or replacing the battery (not saying it's the right solution here) - something I have found to help- the fans come with a cheap 5000mAH battery, you can replace it with a good quality 8000mAH lithium ion one very easily. Also let the battery charge to full capticity before running the fan, makes a substantial difference.

 

[FastOlson]

Plan B:
Reduce the general complexity by putting in a really good aeolian ventilator.
I installed a couple of Beckson "Vent-o-mate" ventilators with their SS cover piece, about 20 years ago. Vastly reduced moisture and odors inside, year around.
No fan motors to make squeaky bearing noises and no batteries or solar panels to worry about. In pretty much any... breeze at all they really remove air, 24/7.

beckson vent-o-mate ventilator - Google Shopping

www.google.com

 

[matts997]

Hey thanks everyone. I wasn't getting the usual email alerts to replies, so didn't know anyone had replied until checking today. Lots of good ideas here. I like the the Beckson vent-o-mate, thanks for that link. I do have a couple of the West Marine air dyers with fans on board...I've always been worried about leaving my heater on in the winter months, but sounds like others do it--I"ll give it a try.

Matt

 

[heritage]

If you are installing any day/night fans or replacing the battery (not saying it's the right solution here) - something I have found to help- the fans come with a cheap 5000mAH battery, you can replace it with a good quality 8000mAH lithium ion one very easily. Also let the battery charge to full capticity before running the fan, makes a substantial difference.

I think you mean 8000mAH "NiMH" battery. There are small Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries that have recently come on the market, but they require a unique charging system. I recently bought a 4 pack of aaa rechargeable Li Ion batteries that use a micro usb charger.

The jury is still out on how well they work. One noticeable feature is when one of the batteries gets low, the internal bms will shut it down. I use them in a head lamp and there is no dimming as the batteries discharge. Goes from bright light to no light.

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Matt, I chose for our boat a good quality space heater that is designed for the marine environment. Been using it for years, compact and easy to store when not in use. https://www.amazon.com/Caframo-Heat...keywords=marine+heaters&qid=1578454093&sr=8-1

 

[matts997]

You guys are right about using a higher mAH battery for these solar vents--a Marinco tech told me that's the best solution for a solar vent mounted vertically and/or one in a less sunny environment.

Terry, I've got the West Marine version of that heater--and when I was last on the boat 3 days ago, I left it on a low setting when I left. Haven't received a call yet from the marina. so my boat must still be intact.

 

[Terry Cox]

I've got the West Marine version of that heater--and when I was last on the boat 3 days ago, I left it on a low setting when I left. Haven't received a call yet from the marina. so my boat must still be intact.

Whew! Other than the electrical cost, it works pretty well. Hopefully, the marina staff will call you before the boat burns to the waterline.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Is solar even a good option in the PNW?
A PO installed one on our fwd hatch. It probably helps keep the temp down but I doubt it does much for humidity, but lower temps make it more bearable. We were using dessicant bags and they depleted pretty quickly.
Practical Sailor did an article on this. From it I bought a recommended AC dehumidifier. We leave it on whenever we close up and leave.

Dehumidifier Field Tests - Practical Sailor

Since 1974, Practical Sailor’s independent testing has taken the guesswork out of boat and gear buying.

www.practical-sailor.com

 

[heritage]

I have been using the small Eva-Dry dehumidifier for a couple of years, most of the time at a dock with 110v access. But for a few months in Florida, I ran the unit on battery power while on a mooring. I only had a 100 watt solar panel for charging the batteries, so had to have a 12v timer that limited the on cycle to about 4 hours in the morning every day. No problems so far with the unit.

 

[Terry Cox]

Eva-Dry dehumidifier

Boating buddy used one of these on his boat and was surprised at how much moisture it removed from his boat. Of course he was a live aboard where moisture was a problem. Not so on our boat with our current setup and not a live aboard.

 

[jssailem]

not a live aboard.

Well this is a confusing concept. I know you take the boat out of the marina. When this occurs I always thought that you lived aboard the boat. Learning this new information has me perplexed. What do you do when the boat is moored or anchored in one of the San Juan Island bays... Is this a case of Vampire boat behavior?

I think I will stock some garlic aboard just in case.

 

[Terry Cox]

What do you do when the boat is moored or anchored in one of the San Juan Island bays... Is this a case of Vampire boat behavio

Sheesh. What a hair splitter. You have a point there, John. However, at the moment we're at home with six inches of snow on the ground; that pretty white sticky stuff and no school. The boat will have to wait for awhile.

 

[jssailem]

"Wait for awhile".

I know a couple of guys who saw the snow of 2019 and ran to their boat to go for a cruise. Not saying they had fully thought all of the idea out, and maybe the impulse was wine enhanced.

But still, a little snow stops the school buses now. Back in the day when I was growing up we walked 2 miles through knee deep snow drifts to get to school by 7AM. The Nuns were very unhappy if you showed up late.

Enjoy your snow day.

 

[Mr Fox]

I think you mean 8000mAH "NiMH" battery.

Whoops quite right- I was mistaken. Yes a good quality NiMH rechargeable with a higher capacity is the one I used, not a lithium ion. Will run for a few days with no sun.

 

[Terry Cox]

knee deep snow drifts to get to school by 7AM.

Uh John, you left out the better part, that two mile walk where you had no shoes because they were not in the family budget, just feet wrapped in gunny sack cloth, eh? Those were the days that made tough men.