Upon returning to the boat in the PNW this summer the whole forward berth was full of mold. It seems that whenever there is a temp difference from inside to outside the hatch sweats, does not leak because I have squirted with a sprayer to simulate a leak with no results. Last night it was chilly and with just body heat the hatch started sweating early in the morning. Does anyone have a solution that will not block all the light? I can cover the hatch for the winter but not while using the boat.
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I dont think covering it will curb that issue. We have our zodiac over the bow in the winter, it covers both forward hatches and we still get some sweat.. we have those hanger dri-ease thingies in the master berth to help curb the mold and absorb the moisture, they have a hanger on them and a baggy on the bottom.. you dont have to watch them at all.. when filled you toss away, they smell good too, like cedar closets..... you have to keep a constant heat temp in that area so it wont sweat... hatches have special covers that filter the light, but dont make it blackout shades... they help with moisture too..
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I have covered it with the forward cushion in prior winters and the insulation does stop the sweating. I am just wondering how I can do that without shutting out all the light.
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Obviously you have too much humidity. Is there a water leak somewhere in the boat, either potable water or rain getting in somewhere? I do not use Driz-eaz because you have to keep checking on it though I have used it in the past and re-heated it to drive off the moisture and reuse the material. But if you are gone for long periods of time it will become saturated and useless. There should be enough air exchange in a '38 that humidity should not build up under normal circumstances.
I use the round, low amperage heater/circulators in my boat and have never had a mildew or mold problem since. I use 5 in my '38; two in each stateroom and one in the galley. Used them in my 2565, too, where I once did have a mold problem over winter-cured that.
My boat does not have the problem even though it stays in the water year 'round. Somewhere, you have moisture in the boat or gaining access to the boat. You need to find it. And, of course, it's been wet wet wet up here since November! Good luck!
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I use a genuine dehumidifier from Sears, the 50 pint model. I found all the dry-eze and little fans were pointless. This baby keeps the boat dry. Not sure if you are able to run one of those or not, they are power hungry. I leave mine running on cycle whenever I'm on shore power and not on the boat. However not sure if this helps your issue, as it's happening overnight. Have you considered just keeping the portholes open a little to equalize the humidity/temp ? I have seen some window covers that were like "light filtering".
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Happy Air Dryers also work very well.I have 3 in my 38 and used to have 2 in my 28. Never had any mold at all. You keep the boat locked up tight, no hatches or port holes open, and these keep the air nice and dry. They are a 120 volt unit, use almost no power and have no moving parts.I think these are the same things Flyboy III is using.
[img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/706257=29964-HAPPY AIR DRYER.jpg[/img]
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I have 4 of the pancake dehumidifiers that I put in the boat for the winter. My problem is when wife and I are sleeping and the inside temp is higher than the outside temp the hatch creates rain. Just like a cold drink cup. With limited floor space the pancake won't work well and besides that would add heat which would compound the situation.
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You need to find the source of humidity during the winter and you need to ventilate while you sleep-won't take much-because while you sleep YOU are the source of the humidity. The answer is the same.boat_dr wrote:
I have 4 of the pancake dehumidifiers that I put in the boat for the winter. My problem is when wife and I are sleeping and the inside temp is higher than the outside temp the hatch creates rain. Just like a cold drink cup. With limited floor space the pancake won't work well and besides that would add heat which would compound the situation.
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Ditto on this approach. Found a used one on CL for $75 and in the winter I only take it to the boat every other week for two or three days of running. It's for a 2500 SF house so it's way over-kill and I run the water hose into the bilge. I keep the pancake units going the rest of the time. Given the limited usage I didn't see a giant change in energy. Be sure to buy one that matches up to your expected low temperatures when you wish to use it. The various models stop working at or below certain temperatures. My Whirlpool manual show various models, some of which stop working at 59F. Given the pancake units cost $50 or so, I thought a worthwhile investment for boat and home (carpet cleaning times). I agree with 'find the source of the humidity' as well. For what it's worth, Deaniceclimber wrote:
I use a genuine dehumidifier from Sears, the 50 pint model. I found all the dry-eze and little fans were pointless. This baby keeps the boat dry. Not sure if you are able to run one of those or not, they are power hungry. I leave mine running on cycle whenever I'm on shore power and not on the boat. However not sure if this helps your issue, as it's happening overnight. Have you considered just keeping the portholes open a little to equalize the humidity/temp ? I have seen some window covers that were like "light filtering".
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