Winter. Remove humidity from saloon

[jandane]

Wintertime. Many ways of removing unwanted humid air and foul smell. Here is what I have done.
A black plastic box. A solar panel and a 12V blower.
Remove the lid from the blx. Place it upside down on top of one of the cabin’s vent holes. Attach the solar panel to the black box. Make a hole in the side of the box, fitting the frame of the blower and install the blower in the hole. When the sun shines just a little, the air inside the black box will be heated up and the solar panel starts the blower, sucking in cold air and blows the just-a-little-bit heated air into the cabin. This gives two benefits: The air inside the cabin and cockpit is circulating a little and the (relatively) hotter air reduces the relative humidity, meaning more dry air inside and after a while, mattresses and everything inside feels dry again and the “wet cellar” smell disppears.

[oceandancer]

Hi Jan,
That's a very good idea, I may try it.

By the way do I see that you now have an LM30? If so how does it compare with the 27 as far as sailing is concerned?

Regards

Mick

[Brian & Glenda]

Hmmm... They way understand the behavior of moist air, is that as warm air holds more moisture than cold air ... and as the moisture in any warmed air will condense on any colder surface it meets ... you'd want to expel the warmed air, instead of blowing it into the cabin space.

I replaced the LM factory vent (in the passage between the V berth and the main salon of my LM32) with a solar powered fan that constantly sucks air out of my boat. It has been running constantly for the six going on seven years I've owned the boat. During the winter while at dock, I also run an electric air warmer (Camfro Store Dry) in the main salon. This warms the air slightly, so hopefully any moisture is suspended in the air and expelled by the solar fan. This may be sufficient to keep the moisture at bay, but just to be sure, during the cold and wet season I also plug in a peltier effect de-humidifier. (Eva-Dry 2000) These run on 12 vdc or ac current, and have a cooling plate to condense any moisture out of the air and into the bin of the dehumidifier.

While it is said in various forums on-line that peltier effect de-humidifiers don't work well at temperatures less than 15 degrees celcius, I typically empty 1/2 to 1 litre of water every two weeks or so. This model dehumidifier does turn itself off when the bin gets full. (I live on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada which has a climate very similar to southern Great Britain. Average annual precip = 42", ~10 to 20 days with frost each winter, average January daily max temp of 7 degrees celcius, average January daily min temp = 0.1 degrees C.)

Just my thoughts... whatever works for you, is great with me!

Brian.

[jandane]

Mick...Yes, it was a LM27 for 15 years. Due to our age and my wife’s arthritis we decided to sell and try a motorboat. Very fine one. Nimbus 2600.....and had it for 3 weeks. Noisy, floating like a cork, small waves clapping on the bottom in the nights and me in a forever unresting mode looking at motor instruments. We would never leave our home fjord. So, in august I bought a LM28. Almost same layout, but 10 cm longer in the front- and main cabin and it sails much better. Especially when “old waves” are rolling in from the sides. Rolling has reduced plus it goes a little closer to the wind. Speed for half wind is almost the same. We are sailors with sails. Now I am enjoying the corona lock-down and am giving it a fine make up. New electric toilet, gravity empty holdingtank, waterheater, new varnish on all wood inside, new propeller and thruster. We did look a lot on a LM30, but one of my demands were being able to lay stretched out in the cockpit for my afternoon nap. In a 30 this is not possible as the fert cannot come in under the aft deck. On 28 and a 32 they can, but the 32 is too big for our small harbour and last summer, for my wallet as well. Now the 28 era starts

[thompsontwins]

Happy New Year All,

We use a small electric greenhouse heater. Mounted it on a small plank of wood, sits on the cabin sole. Its fully encapsulated in plastic piping and safe. Found it very effective in keeping the cabin dry and smell free. (You have to have mains electric of course). It has variable adjustment, half is sufficient. I think full on is 50 watts, light bulb wattage.