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Old 28-12-2008, 17:32   #1
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Dew Dropped In

Today in the NYC area the temps must have hit the mid 60s and melted most of the snow which was dissolved by the recent rains. I went to the boat yard to work on the boat which is stored in water for a few hrs. It was overcast, almost foggy. When I open the hatch and went below it was colder INSIDE than out!

Not only that but most of the surfaces - wood bulkheads were sweating with condensed moisture from the air! I opened the hatches and got some air movement even some heat and dried it out. But it was really amazing how much moisture was pulled from the ambient air... even in the closed boat which feels quite dry in the winter.

That was weird.
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Old 12-01-2009, 18:15   #2
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Same problem...

We have a solid fiberglass boat- no core, no insulation. We have a constant issue with condensation. The boat heater helps out a bunch, but whenever it rains or the temps really drop we get condensation.
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Old 12-01-2009, 18:26   #3
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Its not cold air holding the moisture. Its warm air holding the moisture and then the water condensing when that parcel of air cools, since warm air holds more moisture than cool.

Just keeping a little heat in the boat makes a huge difference.

I use these in the winter. They only use one watt per inch, but its enough. They are certainly safer and use much less energy than running a space heater. They never even get so hot that you can't touch them.

GoldenRod Dehumidifiers - Marine Application - Oxnard, California USA
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Old 12-01-2009, 20:21   #4
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Originally Posted by David M View Post
Its not cold air holding the moisture. Its warm air holding the moisture and then the water condensing when that parcel of air cools, since warm air holds more moisture than cool.

Just keeping a little heat in the boat makes a huge difference.

I use these in the winter. They only use one watt per inch, but its enough. They are certainly safer and use much less energy than running a space heater. They never even get so hot that you can't touch them.

GoldenRod Dehumidifiers - Marine Application - Oxnard, California USA
They are enough for SF Bay Area but what about New York?
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Old 10-01-2010, 12:07   #5
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They are enough for SF Bay Area but what about New York?
My guess would be no!

But after seeing my first electric bill, after running 2 small ceramics even in their lowest setting most of the time. I'm thinking just enough heat, so nothing freezes, and I'll just walking around dressed like Han Solo on Hoth all winter.
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Old 10-01-2010, 12:59   #6
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The boat's inside temperature is approximating the coldest recent outside temperature.
The atmosphere has warmed up faster than the boat structure, and it's also acting as a cold radiator (a colder mass than your body, so you radiate heat towards it).
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Old 10-01-2010, 13:20   #7
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I have used the dri z air dehumidifier and similar products to control moisture in my boat in the winter with good success. Cheaper if you get it at an RV supply store than a marine. The best thing I ever did though was to paint my boat dark blue. Everytime the sun hits it it warms the inside. Not good if you're in the tropics.
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