Leaving boat - How to prevent mildew

[a64pilot]

Leave the bucket out an put the machine in the sink?

[HopCar]

My boat is located in South Florida and I had a terrible mildew problem until I put in a Mini Dehumidifier like the one pictured below. In my small cabin it keeps the humidity at just above 60% which is low enough to prevent mildew growth. I drilled a hole in the tank, inserted a length of aquarium air hose in it and let it drain directly into the sink drain.
I think it's important to figure out how to drain the water overboard. If it goes into the bilge, it will just evaporate into the cabin air again.



It's about the size of a loaf of bread and removes about a pint of water per day.

[krafthaus]

Has anyone used this product? It's called Damprid. Basically Calcium Chloride that absorbs moisture. You can buy the packages or maybe it's possible to buy straight CaCl, likely less expensive. No electricity required.

This review mentions boat storage over a winter:
http://www.amazon.com/DampRid-FG50T-...ews/B0029EGUNG

See here where Zero to Cruising use the product for boat storage in Grenada:
Boatyard wrap-up | Zero to Cruising!

[Moufflon]

Lets Start by dismissing all this Power based solutions. Power equals danger, danger to life, and your boat. Left unattended, power driven devices generate heat & more water; you wanted to de-humidify your boat. That water has to go somewhere, when the tank is full, Bilges, auto bilge pump, it’s a chain.
Go Back!

Attack the cause. Humidity. Air circulation and prepared your boat.

Wash everything in a Brolac solution, in the US I think this is still easy to obtain.
The Unilevers of our world, have badmouthed this naturally occurring cleaning agent for years, but, it is still mined out west.
Wash everything down, yes, Everything, in a strong solution. Leave it to dry. No! do not rinse off. Get the air moving, leave open everything you can
As Hud_3 recommended, White Vinegar, get 2 gallons and leave it every where, every crook and cranny.
This WAS, the way boats were washed out, Before the US war of Independence.
Go!

[henryk]

In 2008 My boat was left on the hard at Snead Island, Palmetto, Florida for year and a half. The boat yard advice me on keeping all the hutches closed and leave a few packs of some sort of chemical that they called 'di-gas' or something. It cost pennies and they would come aboard every three months and change them There was no mold of any kind , and also no any other living creature would be able to survive there, like cockroaches or rats. They were doing that to every boat and nobody ever complain about mold.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Moufflon

Lets Start by dismissing all this Power based solutions. Power equals danger, danger to life, and your boat. Left unattended, power driven devices generate heat & more water; you wanted to de-humidify your boat. That water has to go somewhere, when the tank is full, Bilges, auto bilge pump, it’s a chain.
Go Back!

Attack the cause. Humidity. Air circulation and prepared your boat.

Wash everything in a Brolac solution, in the US I think this is still easy to obtain.
The Unilevers of our world, have badmouthed this naturally occurring cleaning agent for years, but, it is still mined out west.
Wash everything down, yes, Everything, in a strong solution. Leave it to dry. No! do not rinse off. Get the air moving, leave open everything you can
As Hud_3 recommended, White Vinegar, get 2 gallons and leave it every where, every crook and cranny.
This WAS, the way boats were washed out, Before the US war of Independence.
Go!

All I could find under Brolac is a brand of paint in Pakistan so I am guessing you are referring fo borax?

[Moufflon]

Yes sorry to all, well spotted, it good to see you do pay attention to my input.

Brolac is a local name for Borax, that I can get here in Thailand.

sodium borate

I mix it with concentrated anti freeze to kill off creepy crawlies, ants, roaches. Also for treating / killing off spores of "Wet Rot" on my wooden boat.

Rgs///Peter

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by krafthaus

Has anyone used this product? It's called Damprid. Basically Calcium Chloride that absorbs moisture. You can buy the packages or maybe it's possible to buy straight CaCl, likely less expensive. No electricity required.

This review mentions boat storage over a winter:
Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: DampRid FG50T Hi-Capacity Moisture Absorber, 4-Pound Tub

See here where Zero to Cruising use the product for boat storage in Grenada:
Boatyard wrap-up | Zero to Cruising!

Works well, but is pretty quickly used up. I keep two little containers of it in my airplane, small area but it still usually only last maybe a month.

Stuff

[henryk]

SunPac kills mold and mildew spores
I phoned the boat yard and got information about the anti mold packs.
It seams like the brand name is called 'Mildewcide' and it's cost $2,29 a pack. # packs inside the boat every 3 months would keep the mold away, guaranteed. It did on my boat. I think I will order some and take it with me to the Caribbeans next time

[bensolomon]

I use damp rid in my 37.5 hunter legend. I love 'em!! They look like the microwave popcorn bags with a hanger. I hang one in the head, one in the galley and one in the salon. They smell nice, and do a great job. I also have a solar vent that the PO installed. Had the boat for two summers in the chesapeake and no problems with mildew. I also throw a dilute bleach solution in the bilge.

Ben

[hellosailor]

Ben-
That dilute bleach standing in the bilge? Will it cause chloride corrosion in the keel bolts? Bleach can be treacherous stuff.

[bensolomon]

I was worried about that. I use a very dilute solution....like a 1/2 cap of bleach in a gallon. I then dry it up when I get back to the boat. The bilges are usually dry collecting dust and yellow lab hair

Ben

[Downtime]

I use the damprid refillable buckets from Home Depot. Can refill them for just a couple bucks with the bag. Has seemed to keep the boat dry so far.

[Lojanica]

Sunpac---which is an aldehyde and a dehumidifier either chemical or electric.

Kills everything. Just remember to air it out as the aldehyde gases are heavier than air and will stay in the bilge unless aired out with a fan after using.

Cheap. Mothballs are the same thing. Go industrial and save money. it works. As a gas it is gone with aeration and doesn't leave a residue.