Keeping condensation out from under the cover

jfw432

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
Messages
89
I'm getting close to putting my boat cover on for the winter and I'm concerned with condensation. I have a nice cover and keeps water out but even if I put the cover on a completely dry boat at 6PM in the middle of the summer, the entire cover will be covered in condensation on the top and bottom by 10PM. It's not a huge deal when you use it every few days in the hot summer sun but a big deal if I'm letting it sit for months.

Has anyone figured out a way to keep the condensation down? Heaters are out of the question since it's a inboard boat.
 

glengold

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 24, 2010
Messages
310
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

you could try placing a few cans of damp rid under there. you can pick it up from home depot relatively cheap.
 

jeeperman

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
1,513
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

Or a box fan.

Desicants often work until they have absorbed all they are going to absorb. Without being dryed artificially or naturally, they stop doing their thing.

If you have a spot on the boat that is always the first to be wet from condensation, you might be able to use a water leak detector to turn the fan on.
 

Lone Duck

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
868
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

hang a 3" black pipe or hose over the gunnel under the cover. put it on the side that gets the most sun. hang a white pipe or hose over the gunnel on the shadiest side or end . The sun will heat the black pipe more than the white pipe ,causing it to draw the air from outside through the boat and out the black pipe. With the circulation happening,you will keep inside dry.
 

veritas honus

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 13, 2010
Messages
1,876
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

hang a 3" black pipe or hose over the gunnel under the cover. put it on the side that gets the most sun. hang a white pipe or hose over the gunnel on the shadiest side or end . The sun will heat the black pipe more than the white pipe ,causing it to draw the air from outside through the boat and out the black pipe. With the circulation happening,you will keep inside dry.

THAT is freaking ingenious:D!!! Makes perfect sense. Do you do this yourself? If so, how well does it work? I'd imagine, very well.
 

Lone Duck

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
868
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

THAT is freaking ingenious:D!!! Makes perfect sense. Do you do this yourself? If so, how well does it work? I'd imagine, very well.
Yup! my granddad built a root cellar that way white pipe on the floor and black pipe on the roof. He dug a ditch 5'deep and 20' long( by hand) and ran white pipe in on the floor. cellar was 12 x 12 and vegetables kept well . I was 10 at the time and never forgot it. Dug the cellar in the side of a hill .
 

veritas honus

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 13, 2010
Messages
1,876
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

Yup! my granddad built a root cellar that way white pipe on the floor and black pipe on the roof. He dug a ditch 5'deep and 20' long( by hand) and ran white pipe in on the floor. cellar was 12 x 12 and vegetables kept well . I was 10 at the time and never forgot it. Dug the cellar in the side of a hill .

Now THAT'S some "Good Ol' Yankee Know-How". That's AWSOME!!! Thank you for sharing the info... And, the memories:).


Safe and happy boating always!!!
 

jayhanig

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
836
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

THAT is freaking ingenious:D!!! Makes perfect sense. Do you do this yourself? If so, how well does it work? I'd imagine, very well.

I'm having trouble picturing this. Are we talking about just suspending 6' lengths of open pipe over the gunnels; one black and one white? Or are they connected to create a closed system like a radiator?
 

Lone Duck

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
868
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

I'm having trouble picturing this. Are we talking about just suspending 6' lengths of open pipe over the gunnels; one black and one white? Or are they connected to create a closed system like a radiator?

sorry bout that. suspend white pipe over gunnel down to the deck, suspend black pipe just over the gunnel. That will give you good air movement.
 

Fireman431

Rear Admiral
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
4,292
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

hang a 3" black pipe or hose over the gunnel under the cover. put it on the side that gets the most sun. hang a white pipe or hose over the gunnel on the shadiest side or end . The sun will heat the black pipe more than the white pipe ,causing it to draw the air from outside through the boat and out the black pipe. With the circulation happening,you will keep inside dry.

I would love to see a quick drawing of this if you don't mind. I can picture this 2 different ways and I'm not sure which is correct.

A picture is worth a thou...well, you know.

Thanks for the idea.
 

Lone Duck

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
868
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

I would love to see a quick drawing of this if you don't mind. I can picture this 2 different ways and I'm not sure which is correct.

A picture is worth a thou...well, you know.

Thanks for the idea.

Sorry ! I don't belong to any photo buckets or such like. But I will try again. Slip a length of drier vent under the cover on the shadiest end of the boat. make sure one end is down in the lowest part of the boat. The other end is over the gunnel beneath the edge of the tarp. position it so it just shows under the outside edge. Then take a short length of black pipe and lay it over the gunnel under the tarp on the end that gets the most sun. The end under the tarp should just be over the gunnel (making it higher in the boat than the inside end of the white pipe or drier vent) Have the outside end of the black pipe exposed to the sun (about a 1' should do it. Sun heats end of black pipe ( hot air always rises ) pulling air from inside the boat The air moving out of the boat will pull the cooler air through the white pipe into the boat. Can anyone who understands this draw a pic and post it ? the best choice would be to have the white pipe in the stern in the shade and the black pipe high in the bow in the sun. If you can, open the hatch to the bilge also.
 

woosterken

Lieutenant
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
1,431
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

JFW,
yes it dose, even on a partly cloudy day :) i also have the a/c adapter to run on completlely cloudy days.
woosterken
 

Fireman431

Rear Admiral
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
4,292
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

Slip a length of drier vent under the cover on the shadiest end of the boat. make sure one end is down in the lowest part of the boat............. If you can, open the hatch to the bilge also.

Thank you for the response. That was what I was looking for!
 

jayhanig

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
836
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

Thank you for the response. That was what I was looking for!


I must just be thick. I can't figure out if he's talking about open pipe, piping tied together to create a closed system or what. Until a picture or diagram pops up, I'm going to admit defeat.:confused:
 

LippCJ7

Vice Admiral
Joined
Sep 20, 2010
Messages
5,431
Re: Keeping condensation out from under the cover

Ok Don't laugh its a bit antiquated but heres my take on it,
Airflow.jpg


Is this right?
 
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