Tip on Keeping the boat dry in winter

[Jack Tar]

B hive desicant type air dryer. Rather than purchase the packets of pellets at several dollars each you may purchase it in 2 gallon containers from Walmart. Its in the automotive department. Made by Prestone and called Driveway Heat. Its the same chemical and the price is 1/10 as much as a Marine store.

[Dougcan]

Well this is very useful!

I also use those beehive types too, and you just helped me save a bunch!  ;D

Thanks for the tip!

Dougcan

[Jack Tar]

Go to your local discount liquor store and purchase a bottle of Gosslings Black Seal Rum. Take it down to the boat. Climb inside the boat and apply liberaly. ;D

[Dougcan]

And this winterized my boat how?  ::)

(Hic!)

[Amorous]

hehe

Brandy works too.  Especially if "she's a fine girl".

[s/v Faith]

I use a dehumidifier.

  I searched for a good while looking for the right unit, most are made for houses and too large.

  Was very happy to find what I was looking for at the poor man's WM (Wal-Mart, not West Marine)   :D

  The Wind Chaser dehumidifier was less then $50 and works well for me.

  The tank fills up about once a week (more if the humidity is really high) and it does not make too much noise if it is running while you are onboard.  I never run it away from the dock, but it is powered by 12VDC so you could rig it up easily enough. 

  The thing works the same way those little 12v cooler boxes do,
so it does not draw much current (add says 65w).

 

  Been using it for a few months now, and have not had any issues with mildew.

[starcrest]

ifyaz really wantsuh keep duh bote dry in duh wintuh jus' haul it out.kant be muchmo' dryuh den dat.especially if yuzza from joizee.

[Puget Seadog]

I have been using Jack Tars Driveway Heat in a plastic kitchen collendar placed over a 5 gallon bucket.  It amazing how much moisture it will pull out of the air.

[starcrest]

the last time I winterized a boat I lived in Joizee.the rivers phroase up and we would ice skate from one town to another.

[BobW]

For what it is worth, here is the progression of improvements I made to help keep Prelude dry during the winter.

When I acquired Prelude, she had a 3" plastic cowl vent on the foredeck, less than snug hatch boards, and a sunbrella companionway cover that snapped tight over the boards. 

The first winter I had her, I used one of those disicant type air dryers - and emptied about a gallon of water a week.  I also had to pump the bilge weekly, and vowed to find the leak.  (The leak had to have a  through-deck source as the bilge remained dry in the summer - we rarely get rain between April and November)

The second winter I installed a 4" x 8" white plastic lourvered ventalator in the bottom hatch board.  I also tucked the companionway cover under itself so it didn't block the vent.  This improved air flow enough I didn't use the disicant dryer.  I hadn't found the leak so I continued to pump the bilge weekly.


I lived with these conditions for the next two winters. 

This past fall I replaced the 3" plastic cowl with a Nicro Combo 12V/Solar vent.  I also dug out old caulking (3 different kinds) from around the mast step, and filled in the spaces with thickened epoxy.   The cabin has been dry all winter, and I am happy to report the bilge has been dry as a bone as well.

We also noted a drier (not completely dry) cabin on this year's SF Bay trip than in previous years.  We believe the solar powered vent played a big role in cutting down the condensation.

[AdriftAtSea]

I cheated and stored my boat indoors this winter... she's dry as a bone inside... :D

[Auspicious]

I highly recommend The Warm Dry Boat.

[skylark]

My boat is dry as a bone when in the water but it collects about 5 gallons in the bilge over the winter on the hard.  Some winters I have noticed water coming in through the chainplates, so I fixed that by recaulking under the chainplate covers annually.  Then there was some water that seemed to be coming in through a vent drain hole, so I stopped that up and slowed the water somewhat.  However there is still water in the bilge.  I believe that the water is coming from condensation.  The other day I got onboard, it was a little warmer than normal, about 60F, and the interior of the boat was covered with condensation.  I think the boat was cold and the humid air was warm and the result was condensation.  I can live with it the way it is since it doesn't fill the bilge over the winter.  But it would be nice to be bone dry, like it usually is when it is floating.