A couple of basic questions - we don't know what we don't know.

[MV Wanderlust]

Hi folks,

I'm new to the forum. Like so many other people, we're considering buying a boat. We're looking at a Cruiser 405 with a flybridge or something similar for cruising from Florida to Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico ports. We have a couple of questions and we're hoping someone can help.

Our boat could be docked two or three weeks without anyone being there. Mold and mildew is a factor in Florida. While we're away, should the a/c be left on (maybe set to 80 degrees or so) to prevent mold and mildew from building up? Should the refrigerator be left on or is it normal procedure to empty it and turn it off?

Also, if we cruise to the Bahamas, we would have to stop and clear customs upon arrival. How do they feel about having a personal weapon on board for personal protection?

Thanks for any insights.

John

[S/V Antares]

Welcome,

If you go to the Bahamas you must check in ad get a cruising permit. $300 for one year. (There may be short term rates )

You can take firearms but you must declare it and give them an ammo count.

You WILL go to a very 3rd world jail if you do not declare it and it gets found.

You will need to check in with Customs when returning to the US. You can get a DTOPS sticker before leaving and avoid having to go to the customs at the port or airport when you return to the USA. You simply call in. You can go to the coast guard station to get signed up.

[StuM]

A small domestic dehumidifier would be a lot more efficient that leaving the aircon running.

[J Clark H356]

When we took our boat to Florida for the winter of 2013-14 from November through February, we left the AC running the entire time, but set on about 78, and we left our refrigerator running. We spent about half the time on the boat and half time back in Tennessee. We had no problems with humidity or mildew/mold. We have a wireless thermometer with sensors for both the refrigerator and freezer that gives the high and low for our refrigerator/freezer and monitor our refrigeration system with it. We didn't leave stuff in the refrigerator or freezer that would go bad during the time we were gone. It was nice to drive down to Punta Gorda from Tennessee, get out of the car and walk into a boat with some supplies and a conditioned interior. We never had any problems with the refrigerator staying within limits.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by JohnEasley

We're looking at a Cruiser 405 with a flybridge or something similar for cruising from Florida to Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico ports.

Our boat could be docked two or three weeks without anyone being there. Mold and mildew is a factor in Florida. While we're away, should the a/c be left on (maybe set to 80 degrees or so) to prevent mold and mildew from building up? Should the refrigerator be left on or is it normal procedure to empty it and turn it off?

Depending on your comfort level, be aware you can solve some docking issues during the shopping phase. Some motor yachts suffer from visibility issues (aft) and high windage... both solvable with either a different boat style or some add-on technology (back-up cameras, bow thrusters, etc.).

During our 90+ºF and 95% humidity periods (mostly July and August) we often leave our ACs on for the duration. Usually set to 80°F or so. If the heat/humidity abates, we can use the built-in "dehumidifier" mode and get by. It's not just about mold, but also about whether some of the wall coverings will begin to dry out and curl up...

When we lived in FL we found a household humidifier insufficient unless relatively large, and then there's periodic drainage to solve. Easier to use the built-in units, and they seemed to have better "reach" throughout the whole boat anyway.

We leave our fridges stocked and on. OTOH, that doesn't mean fully crammed full, just whatever's in there.

That said... we're only 10 minutes from our marina, I'm able to be there often, and we're on the boat much of the time during the season anyway. Given a more substantial distance, I think I'd be picking my marina carefully (on-site staff willing to help monitor, or react to power outages, etc.) and I think I'd also consider installing a monitoring system that could alert me (hence, marina staff) to potential issues.

-Chris

[MV Wanderlust]

Some really good advice, especially about the monitoring systems. First we had heard of these. Can you recommend some good brands/models?

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

If the heat/humidity abates, we can use the built-in "dehumidifier" mode and get by.

-Chris

Do all marine a/c units have a dehumidifier mode?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, John.

[bsurvey]

as long as air is circulating mould and mildew will not be a problem. I have connected seeral DC pancake fans together to a dedicated battery with solar panel and just let it run

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by JohnEasley

Some really good advice, especially about the monitoring systems. First we had heard of these. Can you recommend some good brands/models?

'Fraid I don't know much about brands, but there's apparently a bazillion of 'em out there. Household system, cameras, fire/fume/high water sensors, etc... and some of those can be connected (Wi-Fi or cellular) to send you signals and so forth.

Originally Posted by JohnEasley

Do all marine a/c units have a dehumidifier mode?

Don't know, but I think it's common. You can usually check the owners manual online or a given model, once you have candidate boats in sight.

Originally Posted by bsurvey

as long as air is circulating mould and mildew will not be a problem. I have connected seeral DC pancake fans together to a dedicated battery with solar panel and just let it run

Good point. I forgot to mention that usually whenever we're not actually running the whole AC, we have the AC blowers going anyway. And then we have portable table-top fans running in each of the main areas almost all the time, too.

-Chris

[MV Wanderlust]

Thanks for the info, Will. Sounds easy enough. And that's a great tip about the DTOPS sticker.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by StuM

A small domestic dehumidifier would be a lot more efficient that leaving the aircon running.

For sure. Rest it on a counter and drain into the sink.

[a64pilot]

I have a dehumidifier and the Webasto airconditioner.
First I think the dehumidify mode on an AC is a sales gimmick, an airconditioner is a dehumidifier, that is why they have condensate, so don't worry if your AC doesn't have a dehumidify mode, your house AC doesn't most likely and yet, it keeps the house dehumidified.

A dehumidifier is nothing but a small AC, just has the condenser coil just after the evaporator coil, that way water condenses on the condenser, and the refrigerated air is re-heated by the condenser, in fact since work is being done, heat is generated.
So in winter months I run the dehumidifier and it keeps the inside of the boat warm.
But in Summer months I don't want to heat the inside of the boat, so I run the AC set on 80F and it keeps the boat dry and cool.
No problems with mildew or mold yet (knocks wood)

Oh, on my powerboat I used to run the humidifier drain to the sink, on my sailboat I run it to the shower bilge, but it's easy to find a place to run the drain, water made is not all that much

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by JohnEasley

Hi folks,

I'm new to the forum. Like so many other people, we're considering buying a boat. We're looking at a Cruiser 405 with a flybridge or something similar for cruising from Florida to Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico ports. We have a couple of questions and we're hoping someone can help.

Our boat could be docked two or three weeks without anyone being there. Mold and mildew is a factor in Florida. While we're away, should the a/c be left on (maybe set to 80 degrees or so) to prevent mold and mildew from building up? Should the refrigerator be left on or is it normal procedure to empty it and turn it off?

Also, if we cruise to the Bahamas, we would have to stop and clear customs upon arrival. How do they feel about having a personal weapon on board for personal protection?

Thanks for any insights.

John

Hi John,

Welcome to the forum.

We also have periods of absence from our boat, so I will share what we do for the following 3 aspects you touched upon:

• Mold/mildew control
• Remote vessel monitoring
• Refrigeration [and food storage] while we are absent from the boat

Mold/mildew control:
As others have mentioned, an efficient dehumidifier [or two...] is more energy efficient than running your AC while gone. [And keeps the hours off your AC...] By draining the dehumidifier into a sink, or better yet, a shower sump- which requires no through hulls be open in your absence- it will run self sufficiently in your absence.

We had to replace our old, air conditioning compressor type of dehumidifier last year. I researched and found some newer technology that is far superior [e.g., smaller, lighter, much quieter and energy efficient. Here is our brief blog post with more details if interested.]

The unit we went with is:
EcoSeb DD122EA-SIMPLE Desiccant Dehumidifier, 15-Pint, White, 120V

We also have AC, but don't need to run it as often as you do. It is great for keeping the boat dry [and cool of course...] IF it has a drain from its sump... The rest of the time the dehumidifier takes care of everything, along with circulation fans in the various cabins...

Remote vessel monitoring:
You also asked about remote vessel monitoring systems. We needed one too, and after careful research, installed a fully remotely configurable Siren Marine unit a couple of years ago. Fantastic peace of mind.

We can program and change settings remotely from our smart phones, and it notifies us of everything via text messages and/or emails. [We do both; emails mainly for the record...]

It has internal battery [and is connected to the house bank]; GPS; and an international SIM card good in 180 countries [but ours has only been used in Alaska and Canada so far...]

Among many other things, we routinely monitor: [and are automatically alerted when thresholds we set are reached, exceeded, and when regained...]

• Battery voltage [with hi/low alert thresholds we set]
• Shore power
• Bile pump events: runtimes and cycles
• High water alarm
• Temperature inside the boat [With an additional probe in the freezer...]
• GPS Location, and whether boat has moved [We set a 200 meter perimeter...]
• Intrusion detection
• We can also activate deck and/or interior lights from our phone. [Typically as we approach the boat in the dark. We have both programmed to automatically shut off 5 mins after activation...]
• Etc.

Here is our blog post with many more details and links to other resources if you are interested.

Refrigeration:
You also asked about leaving refrigeration running: When we dock the boat for a land adventure of days, weeks, or sometimes even a month or more, we leave everything stocked and running- just like a home; because it is our home. Longer absences may need to be dealt with differently, and of course perishables that will perish during our absence are dealt with before we leave the boat.

Best wishes getting everything sorted out for your new adventures!

Cheers!

Bill

[dkroar]

This is a good reference for leaving your boat behind.

Leave The Boat on the Hard Checklist