Ventilation behind and under C-25 cockpit

[Edward Thieme]

A friend and I pickup my new 25 replacement for my 22, [I don't want a big boat, just a few more ft] at Lk. Union SeaRay in Fife last April. After we spent a week putting all the goodies on Lk. Union launched it for me at Tacoma and we proceeded to Prince Ruppert and back over 2.5 months.

Looking at the batteries and battery switch everything was dripping wet. After the trip I added ventilation by removing both storage compartments in the sides of the cockpit and drilled seven 1.5 inch holes in the top of each and cemented a screen over the holes. I talked to one of he engineers at C-Dory and he said they were looking into ventilation in this area.

Since I have been home to Colorado, and spent two weeks at Lk. Powell where moisture isn't much of a problem I don't know how much this will help but if you boat in a wet damp climate it might be something to consider.

Hope this will prove useful to some one.

ED

[thataway]

Unless they make a more satisfactory bilge pump system, I fear that moisture will still remain a problem in this area. At least in our boat, the sump is about in the middle of the aft deck, and only a part of the water which finds its way thru leaky hatches, can be easily removed. Thus the humidity will remain close to 100%

[seahooked]

Ed,
Adding ventilation in that area is an intriguing idea. I've eliminated most of the water entry through the hatches by reinforcing them, however any water that does get in that area is hard to get out.

You stated that a C-dory engineer commented the factory was thinking along the same lines. Were they supportive of your method, and amount of ventilation? What material did you use for the screens? The only downside I can think of is possible water intrusion through the vents during washdown. Has this been an issue at all for you?
Thanks,

[Edward Thieme]

Chris,

I talked to C-Dory before I decided how to add ventilation, they just said they were looking into ventilating the area, no method was talked about.

For screen I used standard house fibreglass, I think, screen material not metal screen and held it in place by dribbling polyester resin on it.

I haven't had a problem during wash down but keep the water from splashing up in the storage compartment. I get water in since the storage compartment isn't sealed to the cockpit side. I have been thinking of adding foam strips under the storage compartment to solve this problem.

I have used strips of 3/8 x 1/2 aluminum channel on the floor hatches which actually bowed the hatches down at the corners and this stopped most of the water leaking in.

Ed

[Sea Wolf]

I'm unfamiliar with the area you guys are talking about, and don't know how much water you're trying to remove, but I'll run an idea by you that I've thought about for somewhat similar applications.

First of all, bilge pumps, unless you buy a diaphram type, don't remove all the water, and even those leave a bit behind.

Secondly, instead of a pump, one needs a more passive system, like a giant wick, to pull the moisture away and evaporate it, when at dock, moored, or on the trailer.

Thirdly, to promote evaporation, a computer muffin fan, running on 12 volts could be used to aid the evaporative process.

Fourthly, rather than use battery power to power the fan, a small solar panel, such as one used to trickle charge car or boat batteries, could be used as a power source.

Given these components, a number of possibilities come to mind.

The easiest would be to mount the fan or fans in the area to be ventilated with the solar panel somewhere convenient above on the deck, etc.

Next, a fan could be mounted in a flexible tube to pull air directly out of the area to be ventilated. This could be as simple as the situation would allow, or the fan could even be mounted to a stylish fog-horn shaped ventilator horn with the tube led to the area to be ventilated.

Now comes the wick. A wick made from a large diameter rope or bundle of ropes can lead water up and out of an area by capillary action to where circulating air can evaporate it.

The wick can be used alone, leading up to where air can circulate, in the simplest application, or.....

A more complex system would lead the wick up into a flexible tube with a muffin fan pulling air out at the top powered by a solar panel. Here we get the wick effect aided by positive ventilation as well. Additionally, instead of an expensive ready-made marine ventilator horn, use a 3" or so 90 degree PVC pipe elbow with a short piece of pipe and a coupling as a cheap substitute.

Other possibilities exist as well. The basic idea can also be used to ventilate other parts of the boat. It works like a regular commercially available solar powered vent ($80), but is directable (through the hose), and cheaper as well.

The wick idea can be approximated with a towel with one end pushed into the area to be dried out, but these ideas are a little more sophisticated in their execution!

Have fun thinking about it anyway!

Joe.