Question about Moisture control

B

browntdb

New member
I am a new CD 22 owner and have a situation that I know many of you have already solved and I hope you can help me. I purchased a 2000 Cruiser yesterday in Stockton CA. Because the boat was stored under cover in a marina and on lifts, and the CA weather is pretty arid there, Tortuga shows no signs of any moisture related issues or odors. She looks new inside.

I have secured a place to store Tortuga in Corvallis, OR that is an RV storage facility that is open to the air, but under cover. There will be no water getting on the outside of Tortuga, just the ambient moist Oregon winter air. The storage facility has no electrical outlets where I can power a fan or dehumidifier.

I have a canvas boat cover, but I think I should NOT use it in this case. Also, since I can't get electricity to the boat, should I leave any of the windows cracked open? I plan on using Dri Z air in the berth and the cabin, but is that enough? Should I buy a marine battery to run a 12 V dehumidifier and recharge the battery periodically?

What has been the experience of those of you who store your boats in the PNW in similar conditions.

Thanks so much,

Terry Brown
 
Hi Terry

I too only use the Dri-z and they have worked fine. I have never left any windows open during the winter. My boat is under cover all winter and open to the air. I live in Klamath Falls and we have a lot of moisture as you do. Never have I found moisture to be an issue in the spring when I bring it out of hibernation. Hope this helps.

Mike
 
Temperature is low--so humidity should not be the issue in hot areas.

We kept our Cal 46 in Sequim, with no power on during the winter in the water. A friend came down and ran the engine and charged batteries etc every few weeks.
 
Terry
Hi, I also use just the Dri-z as my stand alone moisture control with great results. I place a 4x4 plastic container with about a inch of the granuals on the cabin floor right in front of the cuddy. About every 10 days or so I empty the collected water out. What ever you do, do not spill any of the water on ferrous metal that you do not want to turn into rust. The granuals are calcium chloride
 
If you want to have the same amount of ventilation as leaving a window cracked, maybe just leave the galley cabinets open. There's a fairly large pass through between the cockpit gunnel shelf and the galley cabinet for the steering/electrical cables. I was actually considering blocking this hole on mine in case critters tried to get on board over winter.
 
Used the same granule based products but placed them in plastic tubs in case they over-flowed. That stuff is corrosive. One in the cabin; one in the V-berth. Also open all the cabinets, doors etc a little so air circulates. We also removed out bedding and placed it all in a vacuum storage bag, which was stored in the boat. Not a spot of mold or anything on it.

Now we use a small oil heater on low and a fan to circulate the dry air. Works great, but you need power.
 
I don't think I would leave the windows open, unless you think you have enough granules to dehumidify the whole state. Even leaving the cabinet doors closed, which I wouldn't, there is still plenty of circulation available. I would open all the cabinets, drawers etc. and use plenty of the granules, placed in trays or container lids etc. so they do not overflow. And for sure, you do not want to get that stuff onto anything you don't want rusted.

I the damp[ western climate, they do not take long to fill/wet up.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
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