Condensation in the winter

J

jmauld

Well-Known Member
Jun 9, 2020
2,844
Carolina Beach
Boat Info
2010 Sundancer 390
2016 Sea Hunt Ultra 211
Engines
Twin 8.1l of gas guzzling iron
I don’t winterize my boat, since I can use it during the winter. However, I do keep the heater on in the cabin when it gets really cold out, which makes for an Ideal situation to create condensation in the cabin. I use a little de-humidifier which collects Water, but not fast enough.

Do you guys have any other tips/tricks to help avoid condensation in the winter time?
 
Like we've been talking about in this thread I've found great utility in the high capacity Damp Rid buckets. I did a ton of work on my boat last winter and felt that the buckets really help reduce ambient humidity. It might be worth placing a few in the cabin.

Now this is not an active humidity reducer, so if your boat is open and you're getting in a lot of water or tracking in wetness from rain that's probably not going to help too much. But it might help keep the humidity levels down enough to help.

Maybe you need a bigger powered dehumidifier? Or maybe you can run the air conditioning to pull more water out of the air. If your problem is windows fogging, I've seen little 12v heated blowers designed for truckers to help keep the glass fog-free. Might be worth a look.
 
I leave all windows open, hatches propped up slightly. The trick is ventilation. All these years ive never had a problem with condensation, mold, etc.
 
For our bigger boats that stayed in the water year round, always left the heat on 55* and a small fan moving air all the time. 260DA on a trailer, the damp rid buckets and a small fan to move air and never an issue.

Bennett
 
I use one of these in the galley:
www.westmarine.com

Air Dryer with Fan, Dehumidifier, 120V AC | West Marine

Check out our Air Dryer with Fan, Dehumidifier, 120V AC and more from West Marine!
www.westmarine.com www.westmarine.com
And a couple of these, one in each stateroom:
Power draw from these units is negligible. I also use Damp-rid rechargeable buckets. The supposed shelf-life of the Damp-Rid in use is usually shorter than the time I am shrink-wrapped so the powered units are a bit of insurance.
 
When I was shrink, wrapping my boat up north, I would always leave everything propped open with a small 10 inch fan in the cockpit and one in the cabin. I also had several vents installed in the shrink wrap.

I have a small peltier element dehumidifier that I used last winter while the boat was out down here in Florida. This winter, I will just adjust the air conditioning temperature accordingly so that it cycles. I leave the same small 10 inch fan running in the cockpit under the mooring cover.

I have a little WeatherStation sensor that lives in the cabin to give me temperature and humidity that I can read in the kitchen. On cooler nights where the AC doesn’t cycle and just the peltier dehumidifier is running it still stays in the 50% range
 
Stray Current said:
When I was shrink, wrapping my boat up north, I would always leave everything propped open with a small 10 inch fan in the cockpit and one in the cabin. I also had several vents installed in the shrink wrap.

I have a small peltier element dehumidifier that I used last winter while the boat was out down here in Florida. This winter, I will just adjust the air conditioning temperature accordingly so that it cycles. I leave the same small 10 inch fan running in the cockpit under the mooring cover.

I have a little WeatherStation sensor that lives in the cabin to give me temperature and humidity that I can read in the kitchen. On cooler nights where the AC doesn’t cycle and just the peltier dehumidifier is running it still stays in the 50% range
Click to expand...
Many (most?) marinas won't allow boats in winter storage to be plugged in overnight. Kinda hard to run a fan continuously under those restrictions.

I also open up all my cabinets during storage.
 
We do a combo of Damp Rid canisters/hangers and a modified dehumidifier: we drilled a hole low on the exposed vertical side of the collection drawer and installed a rubber grommet with aquarium style clear tubing long enough to drop into the sink drain. Although not designed to run continuously, the first one we had lasted a few seasons (maybe 4?) and I think we're on our 3rd season with the current one.
 
thanks for the feedback.

Every winter I get water on my forward berth speaker covers. And the best I can tell is that the water is collecting on the bottom of the glass hatch on the bow and then travelling to that speaker.
 
I purchased a dehumidifier intended for a 800sq ft room and it has knocked the humidity down enough to get rid of the condensation. Now I'm trying to find the point where condensation occurs, because I think 35% humidity is too low and is bad for the wood. It's definitely too dry for me. :)
 
jmauld said:
I don’t winterize my boat, since I can use it during the winter. However, I do keep the heater on in the cabin when it gets really cold out, which makes for an Ideal situation to create condensation in the cabin. I use a little de-humidifier which collects Water, but not fast enough.

Do you guys have any other tips/tricks to help avoid condensation in the winter time?
Click to expand...
Boat sized dehumidifiers are never adequate. Forget it. Turn the **** heater off. What is it that needs to be kept warm? If you have a fresh water system in the boat, drain it and winterize it. If you still use the boat you can live for awhile without water. Maintain open vents where ever you have them and the boat will stay fresh all Winter.
 
GypsmJim said:
Boat sized dehumidifiers are never adequate. Forget it. Turn the **** heater off. What is it that needs to be kept warm? If you have a fresh water system in the boat, drain it and winterize it. If you still use the boat you can live for awhile without water. Maintain open vents where ever you have them and the boat will stay fresh all Winter.
Click to expand...
I stay on the boat a couple times a week. I need a heater. The dehumidifier solved the problem.
 
jmauld said:
I stay on the boat several times a week. I need a heater. The dehumidifier solved the problem.
Click to expand...
You said the dehumidifier collects water but not fast enough. So, how did it solve the problem?
 
GypsmJim said:
Maintain open vents where ever you have them and the boat will stay fresh all Winter.
Click to expand...
My side Taylor windows and aft cabin windows never close, summer winter rain snow, never. The screens do a good job of keeping the rain out. No mold or smell inside, fresh as a daisy.
In winter, i open the hatches about 1/2”. Enough to let fresh breezes in but keep rain out.
 
Go buy a box of powdered laundry detergent what ever scent you like and lay it on it big side then cut open the side thats up and your boat will smell good all winter then when spring comes use it up by washing your clothes, it also absorbs moisture and then to take care of the rest of the moisture get a big bag of charcoal for a grill and cut open the bag as it will absorb a ton of moisture. They have different size bags of charcoal and detergent so get the size that suits your boat or get two of each. Been doing the above for years on my boats and never had a problem with moisture or odors and its cheap enough.
 
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