[C320-list] FW: Cabin ventilation over winter

[Allan S. Field]

Martin - Ventilation, keeping the boat dry, and stopping odors from mildew,
mold, and a nasty head/holding tank are important.  The Chesapeake Bay with
its high summer heat and humidity creates a constantly challenging
environment that, we have found, defies any one single solution.  But here
is what we do:

1.	Solar Nicro vent installed in the forward hatch that is set to bring
air in.  (NOTE: We probably have more sun than do you, especially during the
winter, but these things will run 24.7 for a few days on a good charge and
seem to charge even on overcast days.)
2.	Solar Nicro vent installed in the mid hatch set to take air out.
3.	4 cabin fans left running whenever we are away - one in the V-berth,
one in the aft cabin, and 2 in the main cabin.  Again, the purpose is to
keep air moving.
4.	Everything wet goes home with us - towels, sponges, wash cloths,
etc.
5.	DampRid bag hung in the main cabin.  In the summer, we go through a
bag in less than 2 weeks but one every 2 months or so in the winter.
6.	Head and galley sinks left with a rubber stopper over the drains.
Sinks wiped dry with a towel.
7.	Since we have A/C and the condensate line drains to the bilge, we
keep a wet vac on board and vac the bilge before leaving.
8.	2 cups of water left in the toilet with a plate left in the toilet
over the water to prevent evaporation.
9.	A small plug-in ozone unit is left on in the head about every 3-4
weeks for a few hours.
10.	Flush the head only with fresh water.
11.	Under sail, the only hatch open on the boat is the main hatch.  If
we start to take water on deck, we close the main hatch.  The purpose is to
keep seawater out of the inside of the boat.  Nothing smells worse than dead
seawater!
12.	When heeling over hard, we also put a stopper in the head sink as
water can back up through the drain and splash into the head.  
13.	We have not found a Nicro vent that will fit the head hatch so we
leave the head door propped open when away.  

A future initiative is to cut a hole in the head door and install a louvered
vent.  I'd also like to run a small fan into the head but like the vent,
both projects remain on the Good Intentions List.

We also installed a computer cooling fan in the fridge.  This not only cuts
down on the cold plate icing over but also keeps mildew under control and
keeps a more constant temp throughout the box.  In addition, we had a custom
make fridge blanket made to go inside the box but that lays over everything.

Constant vigilance is the key.  After 8 years, we can leave the boat for
several weeks (we just returned from a week in the Olympics and a week in
Burnaby, BC, up your way!) and not have that blast of "boat breath" greet us
when we lift the hatchboards.

Hope this helps.

Allan S. Field
Sea Shadow - #808
Herrington Harbour South
Rosehaven, MD

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Martin Bayly
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2009 11:52 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] FW: Cabin ventilation over winter

Proper cabin ventilation is something I still have not really addressed and
as we move into summer's end and the boat is going to be used less
frequently, it's moving to the top of my To Do list again.

I've been considering investing in a couple of Nicro solar vents.  But not
sure of the best place to install them.  I don't like the idea of cutting
into the deck so thinking of installing into the hatches.  Maybe a small one
in the head hatch and a larger one in the hatch over the saloon.  But not
sure how well a solar powered vent will perform over the winter in not so
sunny Vancouver, BC.

I was at a friend's boat over the weekend and he's come up with what I
thought was a novel system for venting  during extended absences. 
He bought a standard ceiling extractor fan and hose from Home Depot, created
a box for it and hard wired it with a plug.  Then he just plugs it in and
attaches the hose to a cracked open portlight.

I was thinking I could build one of those and maybe even install a passive
style Nicro vent in the aft cabin hatch to which I could attach the exhaust
hose.  Not sure if there is a overheating/fire risk from running one of
those extractor fans 24/7, but you could probably just plug it into a timer
to give it a rest and keep the electricity bills down.

Any comments/insights?

Cheers
Martin
Serendipity #1023