Moisture control under v-berth mattress

[C-Wolfe]

On my last couple outing of the year (it was rainy and cold), I ended up with a good amount of moisture under the v-berth mattress in the morning. I was able to dry it by raising the mattress but its not very convenient as I store bulky thing in there during daytime .
I just received a sample of the Den-Dry from Ravenwolf Marine, It look nice but seem a bit to easy to crush if you kneel on it and will potentially reduce its effectiveness. Anyone have experience with this product? Any other recommendation that I should consider. I want to do this right but also have a limited budget for the boat right now. Thanks for any input.

[westward]

The rooftop tent and van camping communities offer lots of resources in condensation control and mitigation. An under-mattress condensation mat is pretty typically indicated, together with ventilation (make-up and exhaust). That community also lives in the 12v world, so check them out.

Best, Mike

[Hunkydory]

On our earlier SE Alaska extended cruises we had extreme condensation at times, causing our bedding in the v birth to be soaked. We solved this with Hypervent. I doubt there is still anything better for bedding moisture protection in the v birth.

Jay

[thataway]

Hypervent is the best value for the buck. There are other similar products, but generally are more expensive and do not work as well. I would extend the Hypervent up the sides of the hull on the edges of the mattress--the line the V Berth area with either back packing pads (cheap at Wal Mart" or "fish blanket" (A foam which is put between layers of fish as it is is iced in holds. We lined the entire hull of our Cal 46 with fish blanket--and it "Cured" our condensation issue. which is available in hardware stores in AK and PNW.

[C-Wolfe]

I did look into the Hypervent, I need to contact them as they do not offer shipping quote to Alaska.

Line the V Berth area with either back packing pads (cheap at Wal Mart" or "fish blanket" (A foam which is put between layers of fish as it is is iced in holds.

Bob, are you talking about side and roof or under the mattress?

Thanks

[thataway]

[C-Wolfe]

Thanks Bob, I like the idea if nothing els but for the hatch since it is collecting a good amount of moisture compare to anything els around. For the side of the hull, am I crazy to think of using floating floor underlayment? It's very thin, waterproof, ok insulation value and dirt cheap. They make synthetic cork which will look good

[Hunkydory]

Like Bob says, the pads are cheap & work really well for the sides. They are very easy to cut to fit. Mine are the blue. The Hypervent keeps the moisture off the mattress bottom & the pads keep it from being transferred to the mattress sides & the blankets. When we have heavy condensation it comes from the v birth top & then down behind the pads with the combination pads & Hypervent protecting the bedding. Very little moisture drips from the v birth ceiling & the pads also stop your body & things stored from picking up the moisture, when making contact with the sides in the v birth.

During extreme condensation periods we have had to lift up all the bedding plus the Hypervent & wipe up the pooled water underneath. This is a small thing compared to drying out all the bedding, while on an extended cruise.

Jay

[hardee]

I went for a long time with no cabin/V-birth moisture, but when I changed sleeping bags it started to be an issue. I looked at multiple options, and tried the blue "Yoga" pads first, the thicker ones. Helped but I was still getting moisture between the pad and the gelcoat, bottom and sides.

The Hypervent, I liked for it's lightness. Very airy, but also some very stiff points and I was concerned that it would leave scratch markings on the gelcoat over time. I went with a pad from American Floor Mats:

[crowleykirk]

https://www.mattressinsider.com/mattress-condensation-prevention.html

In our camper and it works amazing. No more mold growth. I haven't added it to the boat yet.

[hardee]

[srbaum]

I like the system in my boat. OSPREY has a custom 8" mattress, sitting on top of a spring looking ventilation system, called Froli. It is awesome and I would recommend it to others. Here is a link to the USA distributor: https://nickleatlantic.com

[Karl Konecny]

I had the drippy cave, dampness under the mattress syndrome and solved it by adding Vetus round portholes on the port and starboard wall of the V-berth and elevating the mattress by a adding 1/2" x 3/4" cedar slats every 4" under the mattress to allow some airflow. I open the portholes and hatch (as long as it is not raining too hard) when I sleep. Cabin windows still steam up but running the Wallas in the morning clears that.

[Boater Rob]

We used this product under our vee berth on our sailboat and under the settee also. If you kneel right on the product it will compact it some. It worked really well for us and when it had the foam on top, it did not crush when crawling in. My wife said it was fairly easy to install. It stopped the condensation under the mattress and we used the boat in the winter time, spending several days onboard when the temp was in the lower 40's. When we were not on the boat we do run a small dehumidifier that sits in the sink and keeps some air flow going. We received good customer service from them too.

[JamesTXSD]

Another who used the Hypervent under the mattress, the foam backpacker pads on the sides of the hull - from the bottom edge of the mattress to the shelf (in the CD-25), and a solar vent cut into the v-berth hatch. The foam on the sides was also nice if you happened to "back into" the fiberglass side.

We spent up to 6 months at a time onboard, and the above made a significant difference for not a lot of bucks.

Also, if it isn't too cold, putting the front hatch on the latches that keep it open just a crack is another way to help. And, running the Wallas (if you have one).