Liveaboard advice requested

[sailorboy1]

In florida hardware, and i bet other humid obes, you can buy “mold preventation spray” . I don't know or care what is in it but sprayed in places i was having issues with 3 years ago and they have been mold free since.

Then there s the total treatment approach to kill, ozone or chlorine dioxide (let the normal debate begin). I have used both and free the ozone works better and is less trouble to do.

Its a boat, you are always cleaning it and stopping odors and mold. If this is too much trouble you probably wouldnt last.

[Jebtrois]

Hi, there was/is a user on this forum named wingNwing who did exactly what you are contemplating. They had a blog called Life Afloat where they shared the challenges of living aboard while having professional jobs. They also have tons of preparatory articles on their blog.
JEB

[gonesail]

even your breathing creates a lot of moisture in a boat. this in turn creates a lot of condensation. get a good dehumidifier in addition to the heater. a full canvas enclosure in the cockpit is nice. I too would wait until I could be somewhere that does not have ice or snow.

[Renegde_Sailor]

I have been living aboard in Puget Sound for 3 1/2 years now, winter is no big deal.



Get a good dehumidifier, make sure you have a couple of heaters, other than that enjoy!

If you still have problems, foam insulation on the hull does wonders. And when you get a nice day, get the boat opened up and let in fresh air.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

.

Then there s the total treatment approach to kill, ozone or chlorine dioxide (let the normal debate begin). I have used both and free the ozone works better and is less trouble to do.
.

So what's this ozone product you use?

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Renegde_Sailor

I have been living aboard in Puget Sound for 3 1/2 years now, winter is no big deal.

Different area, different weather. Guessing your harbor rarely freezes solid?

-Chris

[Singularity]

FWIW, regarding Concrobium, cut-and-pasted from this site:

"Concrobium Mold Control is a patented solution comprised of purified water, sodium carbonate (washing soda), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and trisodium phosphate. Together, this unique, tri-salt (three salts) polymer is intensely alkaline (not acidic), which holds great advantage over mold.

Mold mirrors the human body in that it prefers a specific balance between acidity and alkalinity. Both thrive between 6.5 and 7.5 on the pH scale, but mold can sustain itself between level 2 and 9. Anything below 6.5 is considered acidic, while anything above 7.5 is considered increasingly alkaline. Concrobium Mold Control reaches a pH balance of 11+, which (considering the highest level is a 14) makes this quite a mighty alkaline mold killer solution. While mold may lie dormant for a time in an acidic environment, it cannot survive long in one of high alkalinity, which is one reason why so many antifungal diets prescribe to alkaline foods.

Furthermore, once this tri-salt polymer is sprayed on the mold itself, it begins to dry. The solution’s molecules dehydrate and pull in on each other, which crushes the existing mold spores and their colonies. Even when the solution has dried and remains in place over the mold-affected area for several months, it continues to leave a lasting alkaline barrier that prevents the possibility of mold regrowth. This aligns precisely with what the company claims."

[GrowleyMonster]

Electric space heaters help. Insulation helps, which is one benefit of winter coccooning. Even tenting helps. Add a headliner, if you don't have one, and insulate the hull sides where possible. You got to keep that moist exhaled air from directly contacting cold surfaces as much as possible. Wood stoves were mentioned, but in reality all properly vented combustion heat sources are dry. Water vapor is present in exhaust. An alcohol stove... safe for below decks, right? Well I won't argue that. But a byproduct of hydrocarbon combustion is water. If all combustion gasses are vented outside, you get heat without water vapor, and heat without introduced water allows the air to pick up surface moisture and vent it away. So obviously ventilation is important. Oh no, mustn't let cold air in my nice warm boat!!! Well, yeah. Remember, that cold air holds less water than warm air. If you warm the cold air with dry heat you get warm dry air which can absorb quite a bit of moisture before finally exiting.



Wood is good, but it is not the only game in town. A properly vented diesel stove is just as good, though pricier. If you can weld, you can build a wood stove for a couple hundred bucks. Add a flue that drafts the stove nicely and you got something. Some marinas frown on wood stoves. In my marina it is a lease violation to have wood or charcoal (coal is not a thing here) fires aboard. Too dangerous. Nice safe propane is allowed LOL! Up north I imagine they are a lot more flexible about wood stoves. Anything but an open flame is going to heat air without releasing water vapor in the cabin. A propane burner makes water. A candle makes water. A diesel or kerosene camp stove makes water. The flame is open to the cabin atmosphere, and even with a range hood, you are getting water. Well, and CO, actually. An enclosed fire stove with a good flue or radiant electric heat will do the trick and I would give the edge to the wood stove over electric. The advantage of the electric is you can station heaters where they are needed. Check your breakers for proper operation before plugging one in, though. And make sure they cant set stuff on fire. They are not idiot proof so don't be one.


No experience here with dehumidifiers though the air conditioner does a good job of dehumidification. It just sucks to run the air conditioner in sub freezing weather LOL! Definitely look into DH units though, which is one thing I would do if living aboard in the winter up north.