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How to keep my boat mold free in the carport under cover (Western Canada -10*C max) over the winter. Should I get a heater?


Smokedvw

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Hi,

Last year we dried the boat compeltely out, put it in the car port and it was great.... until about Feb/March when it started to get mold all over the seats, steering wheel, dash and various other places.  We were able to clean it and it was OK but I would like to prevent that this year.  I can setup a wireless wifi plug which can be set with a time to run lets say once a week with a heater and fan in there to dry it out but I am wondering

  • Is that the best solution (fan/heater ran weekly)
    • Which heater/fan should I buy?
  • Is there a better solution?

It rains a ton up here in Victoria during the winter and will get down to about -10*C max.  Most of the winter will be around 5-10*C with rain.


Thank you!

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16 minutes ago, Smokedvw said:

Hi,

Last year we dried the boat compeltely out, put it in the car port and it was great.... until about Feb/March when it started to get mold all over the seats, steering wheel, dash and various other places.  We were able to clean it and it was OK but I would like to prevent that this year.  I can setup a wireless wifi plug which can be set with a time to run lets say once a week with a heater and fan in there to dry it out but I am wondering

  • Is that the best solution (fan/heater ran weekly)
    • Which heater/fan should I buy?
  • Is there a better solution?

It rains a ton up here in Victoria during the winter and will get down to about -10*C max.  Most of the winter will be around 5-10*C with rain.


Thank you!

I would fill the boat up with a few buckets of desiccant and hang some desiccant bags in the storage lockers and engine compartment.  That and perhpas a fan.  I don't think heat is the solution unless you combine it with air movement and dehumidification.  

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So a carport - not an enclosed garage?

Using a boat cover?

In my unheated garage I kept my boat covered and put a box fan in one end, always kept it running on low. Had both ends of the cover slightly open for air flow.  Garage would stay 40-50 degrees on average here north of Seattle. 

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59 minutes ago, Rednucleus said:

So a carport - not an enclosed garage?
- yes our 2 car garage is full of other stuff and it would barely fit.

Using a boat cover?

- Yes the boat cover is a fitted cover custom made for it, it has air vents.

In my unheated garage I kept my boat covered and put a box fan in one end, always kept it running on low. Had both ends of the cover slightly open for air flow.  Garage would stay 40-50 degrees on average here north of Seattle. 

So a carport - not an enclosed garage?
- yes our 2 car garage is full of other stuff and it would barely fit.  The car port is somewhat sheltered as its surrounded by rock (there was blasting to put in the garage) but it is still at the outside temps and hummidity.

Using a boat cover?

- Yes the boat cover is a fitted cover custom made for it, it has air vents.

Yeah I think the desiccant and fan will do the trick.  I was thinking a fan within the rear locker pushing through all the compartments on that side and one at the front pushing into the rear.  

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@BozboatI just called and they have it in stock here so Ill go check one out.

That looks great.  Do you remove your seats and just leave it in the middle of the boat?  Do you add any other fans or just that one?

Thanks!

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11 hours ago, Smokedvw said:

@BozboatI just called and they have it in stock here so Ill go check one out.

That looks great.  Do you remove your seats and just leave it in the middle of the boat?  Do you add any other fans or just that one?

Thanks!

When I had to store the boat outside under a full cover with poles and sides, I just left it in the middle with the seats slightly off.   Occasionally in the storage building where the boat is kept now, the moisture will get high enough that water condensates on the hull and I’ll leave the air dryr on under the boat and it dries everything up

Edited by Bozboat
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That is really just a small heater.  You could do the same thing with one or two light bulbs if you are around to change them when they burn out.  I prefer to use several 15 Watt heating pads meant for starting seeds.  You might need a bit more heat, so you could also use bigger heating pads to maybe get you above 100 Watts total.

A fan is also still a good idea.

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4 hours ago, justgary said:

That is really just a small heater.  You could do the same thing with one or two light bulbs if you are around to change them when they burn out.  I prefer to use several 15 Watt heating pads meant for starting seeds.  You might need a bit more heat, so you could also use bigger heating pads to maybe get you above 100 Watts total.

A fan is also still a good idea.

Yes, it’s a small heater that does not get too hot, is meant to be left one indefinitely, does not break, does not catch fire, and raises the temperature just enough to evaporate moisture. Dries out the inside of my boat in hours. You could probably get by just fine with the smaller version and save $20

Edited by Bozboat
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