Ventilation

For as many ports and hatches we have, ventilation has been a challenge.  We have fans, a dehumidifier, a heater and AC and still, we find ourselves wondering what we can do to make it better.

Portlights

Our portlights didn’t actively leak (though they did show evidence of it), but the laminated glass was delaminating and the gaskets were dry, cracked and flaking. We took off the round portlight in the galley first, removed the old caulking, glue, and gasket material, polished the bronze, changed the glass, and put it all back together.  We used butyl tape and window adhesive for sealing the glass in place; butyl tape and 4000 UV sealant for the exterior flange and just 4000 UV sealant for the rest of it.  Then we installed new gasket material.  A piece of cake, right? We estimate about 10 man-hours into this one portlight.

Getting all the oxidation, corrosion, and some sort of protective coating applied by a previous owner off the portlights was challenging.  We found toilet bowl cleaner with 9% hydrochloric acid worked well in removing most of it (be sure to neutralize the acid with baking soda when finished).  Then we used various grades of sandpaper and Flitz polish to make them shiny again.  The old gasket material and glue we removed with a wire wheel.

Once we had a procedure that worked we removed all the oval portlights (8 total) and rehabbed them.  We attempted to remove the two forward round portlights but failed miserably.  The exterior flange on the round portlights screws the rest of the portlight in place.  We had to use a blow torch to remove the one aft round portlight and we were not going to repeat that procedure.  Instead, we removed the window parts, polished them, installed new glass, and put them back in.  It was disappointing not to get all of them out, but life is full of disappointments and this is one I can live with.

Hatches

We haven’t started dealing with the two overhead hatches, other than making a screen for the forward hatch to keep the bugs out and cutting 2-inch foam pieces for insulation.  We’re not sure if they leak, but the glass is in bad shape.  Ultimately we want to replace the lenses, re-bed the hatches and possibly encase the frames in fiberglass.  This project is on the back burner for now.

Update September 2016

We removed the two overhead hatches in 2016.  We painted and reglazed them.  The forward hatch had to be repaired because it was bent where something had smashed into it prior to us purchasing it.

Hot and Cold

The Sacramento Delta is blessed with warm dry summers and cool mild winters.  For the most part, the boat is comfortable without conditioning the air.  Insulating the headliner has really helped too.  But there were days in mid-July where it was unbearably hot down below.  And now that it’s winter, it’s chilly and moist down below.  We bought a cheap window AC unit for summertime and stick it in the aft overhead hatch.  Rich fabricated a fancy cardboard duct so the air will flow all the way forward. It works great and we ran it only a few days.

Then winter came and it got chilly and wet at night so we decided to try a radiant heater.  The boat came with a small ceramic heater that doesn’t work very well.  The radiant heater works great.  We run it all night on low and leave one fan on in the main salon and one on near the V-berth.  This circulates the heat throughout the boat.  The major downside is the cost.  The heater was inexpensive ($70) but running it not.

 We contemplated installing a diesel or propane heater.  Both are very expensive (over $1,000) and require cutting a vent hole through the deck.  Since we plan to cruise south we’re not sure we would use it once we’re away from the dock.  We haven’t ruled out this option yet, but we’re going to try a dehumidifier first.  We’re hopeful it will accomplish two things – drying out the boat and adding some heat to the air.  We also bought some two inch dense upholstery foam and cut it to fit the two overhead hatches.  It’s worked remarkably well in keeping the heat inside.

Update May 2018

We did eventually buy a dehumidifier and it’s our favorite appliance.  Our first one lasted about 3 years before the control panel conked out.  We bought the same exact model again in late 2017.  For heat and AC, we decided to try an all-in-one unit.  It’s annoyingly large and in the way, but it’s a good heater, fan and air conditioner.  It sits under our table and is vented to a nearby portlight.  We decided to switch because the AC unit we had for the aft hatch was a pain to set up and remove.  This one is always in place and we can remove the vent if we need to close the portlight.  I will add that NONE of these appliances are going to make the cut when we leave.  They’re just a necessary convenience while we liveaboard for a couple more years.

One other appliance we use is an air purifier.  I originally bought it because Suki seemed to be getting some weird allergies.  The air purifier cleared them up right away.  Even though she died in January 2018, we still use the air purifier quite a bit.  In the winter there is mold.  There’s just no getting around it.  I’ve cleaned and cleaned.  It is what it is.  In the summer we have farmers.  We live in a rural area of California and the amount of dust in the air is amazing.  The air purifier really helps clean out the dust and god-knows-what-else those farmers spray in the air.

Fans

We installed four Caframo Bora fans right after we moved aboard.  They’re pretty basic, 3-speed fans.  On the plus side, they seem to move a lot of air.  On the BIG negative side, they are NOISY.  And not just “fan” noise, they rattle.  We installed one in the V-berth and discovered that it’s going to be either hot and quiet or noisy and cooler.  Either way, we’re not getting very good sleep.  One we installed in the little “hallway” just aft of the V-berth, one in the salon, and one over the nav station.  We added a Hella oscillating fan in 2016 and decided to switch the one over the nav station.  This way the oscillating fan can be pointed toward the galley while we’re cooking.

We found that if we keep the Boras clean and dust free they seem to be a little quieter, but cleaning them is a PAIN.  The four screws in the back of the fan have to be removed in order to clean it, which requires taking the fan down to get the back off.

Update May 2018

We bought three different fans this month to try out.  One is a Caframo Sirocco, a 2-speed Hella and a Vetus ventilator.  Our favorite is the Sirocco.  We mounted it to the bulkhead in the galley over the stove area.  It can be folded back to lay flat against the wall when not in use so we don’t smack our heads on it.  It’s adjustable in every direction and moves a lot of air.  It has 3 speeds and a timer.  The downside is the size; this fan is large.  We had a hard time finding a place to mount it.

The 2-speed Hella fan is much smaller but moves a lot of air and it’s quiet.  We installed it in the salon.  The downside is the back is open so you have to watch your fingers.  The plus side is, with no back it’s easy to keep clean.

The Vetus ventilator is interesting.  We installed it in the head.  It mounts to the dorade vent and sucks the air out of the boat.  It’s basically a 2-speed computer fan.  It can be switched to blow air into the boat.

We moved the Caframo Bora fan we originally had over the nav station to the V-berth.  The first fan we installed in there was on the starboard side and really only kept the person (Rich) sleeping on that side cool.  So we decided to try a second fan on the port side.  Yes, they’re still noisy, but that’s what earplugs are for.