For the last 15 years Hera has enjoyed the luxury of over-wintering on our drive with an electricity supply for a small oil filled radiator and sometimes a dehumidifier and a "smart" charger for the batteries.
So now she is parked in a farm yard without electricity. Whilst she is covered with tarpaulin, which helps to keep the rainwater getting in through those leaky deck fittings etc, she is already rather damp inside.
So what do folk do when there's no electricity? Are those crystal moisture things any good? Do you take the batteries home to keep on charge? I think I will remove all the cushions and contents to bring home.
Any advice would be much appreciated - she looks a little forlorn at the moment
Mike
Hi Mike
I use the moisture absorbers, they make a difference but not 100%. You need decent size ones that take a pack of 500g crystals each, and use at least 2, 4 would be better in a 26. They will likely need refilling before spring, especially if it's a damp winter.
Removing cushions and fabrics is a good idea, as is spraying surfaces with an anti-mould spray. Otherwise you'll have a lot of wiping down to do next spring. Nothing special, just regular household stuff.
I have permanent solar panels, so the batteries stay charged. Doesn't Hera have a wind turbine? You don't need much just to keep the batteries up, as they're.not actually supplying power.
Just be prepared for a day spring cleaning as next summer approaches!
Rick Jones (Treasurer), former 26X & 19 owner, Isle of Wight
Fresh silica gel can absorb about half its own weight of water so 1kg can absorb about half a litre of water but this doesn’t happen at a constant rate. The way it works is that the higher the humidity the more water it will absorb but the initial rate of moisture removal slows as the silica gel absorbs more water. If left in the open it will usually be used up in a week or so even in winter so needs to be refreshed regularly or use a large excess to give a reasonable rate of removal over an extended period of time. It can be regenerated by heating in an oven at about 120°C for at least an hour – preferably 2 - which will drive off the water absorbed and leave it good to use again when it’s cooled. Allow it to cool in a closed tin is a good idea as it will start to absorb water from the surroundings as soon as it cools below 100°C. It needs to expose a large surface area to the atmosphere to be effective so spread it out on a tray or keep it loose packed in a shallow pillow will make it more effective than just placing a container full that doesn’t expose much of the surface to the air. You will need at least 2 or 3 kg of silica gel three or four location to have any real benefit. It will not prevent some condensation forming but will help to minimise it and keep the area drier than not using it. Mould can form at relative humidities above about 60% which is difficult to avoid in winter. But the use of silica gel helps in a boat interior that’s protected by a tarp. Our 26M is wintered with a small tarp over the hatch and cockpit area to help minimise weathering and minimise air movement into the interior and doesn’t seem to suffer from mould even without any heating or moisture control. Maybe we are just lucky with our location although our interior is always dry as we don’t have any leaking fittings. (We did have to remove and reseal a deck window this year though). We lay up by removing the fuel tank and covering the motor and steering pedestal with canvas covers that don’t trap water inside them then cover the whole cockpit and hatch area with a tarp held up by the mast (which is down).
The batteries are left in place with a small solar pane to keep them topped up and that’s it. The motor is always flushed with fresh water after use so doesn’t get salted up. Late winter I change the oil, oil and fuel filters as well as the plugs and we clean and polish the topsides and hull ready for first launch. This takes a couple of days with an electric polisher for the hull but we only take her out of the water every other year so it’s not a big deal. The hull is copper coated so doesn’t need any attention other than pressure washing off when she is lifted onto the trailer. This has worked well for the last 10 years or so.
Mike & Dot - Tarka 26M
Thanks for the comments
I wasn't sure if the wind turbine would do enough to keep the batteries charged all winter. It usually only works well in moderate breezes. Any gusts will stall it and this is more of an issue when around buildings. I've brought the batteries home now so I will leave any further experiments for the next time.
I'll try some of the moisture absorbers but I am also bringing cushions etc home anyway.
Good ventilation can also stop/reduce damp, Mike. If the cabin is sealed up and some damp gets in, mould occurs faster than you can say Jack Robinson. My boat is about an hours drive away so I pop down on a monthly basis, when it is dry and open up the hatches, go to the pub for lunch, then return and lock up hoping she has had a good airing.
Simon Armitage
Sowenna 26M
Yes, I didn't quite follow Mike's comment above about "minimising air movement into the interior" because ventilation does seem to be hugely important. I suppose the point is that it is good to reduce the amount of air that flows in when the atmosphere is damp but then it's good to let it flow through when the air outside is dryer. Having a pub lunch whilst that happens sounds like a great idea!
Cheers
Hi Guys - to clarify - yes good ventilation works well at reducing interior moisture if the air is dry (below say 40% RH) and you're not using silica gel to keep the interior air dry but good ventilation will just use up the silica gel capacity if its exposed. Silica gel will remove atmospheric moisture even from what you might consider dry air at 40% RH or lower. So if your not using silica gel to keep the interior dry then open the hatch and ventilate to dry over pub lunch works well but it doesn't help if you're using silica gel to dehumidify the interior as it will already be dry if its working. Even at 15°C air at 60% RH contains 7.5g of water per cubic meter and at 20°C 100% humidity 18g of water.
So in summary - if you're not using silica gel then ventilate, if you are using silica gel as a desiccant then minimise the air movement.
Mike C - Tarka 26M
Aha - thanks Mike - that's very useful
Cheers
Hi Mike
I was thinking of you today as was preparing to put Rahui to bed in her shed. I've wintered under tarp far away from home in the past and used a large packs of crystals in special container but always in the sink as it can overflow with the absorbed water. Batteries always out so someone could keep up the charge. Took as much soft cushions home as I could. Good luck
Thanks Anneke - if it works for you up there in the far North, then it should work for us soft Southerners.
Bobbie is even further South at the moment in Reigate looking after the grandchildren whilst I am in our new home in Formby! Doing jobs!