Inner Hull Condensation

Hello All,
I noticed heavy condensation through the clear-view ports built-up within my H16 hulls so I brought out my hand-made vents from last season. This is inexpensive and provides a weather cover for your ports while at the same time allowing moisture to escape instead of condensing on the inner sides and "ceiling" of the hulls. (For those of you like me that do not have the luxury of a separate garage space for their boat). I store my boat trailered with a couple of CMUs under the tongue wheel to provide a good amount of tilt so that any water will run-off. (Yes, I am working on tramp and hull covers...future post in this forum).

Materials needed:
Old furnace air filter material (of appropriate size to cover your ports)
(2) Lawn/leaf bags
Masking tape
Scissors/razor
Light nylon line (enough for twice around your hull and for the knot)

Basic steps:
1. Measure suitable rectangles to cover your port/hull width
2. Take (1) of the lawn bags and form a snug, "skin" or container for the fiber mat/rectangle. Seal the cut plastic side as needed with the masking tape. Leave this container open on the lower slope/left edge (see the picture and graphic). I inserted the fiber mat into the leaf bag and cut as needed so I only had to seal one edge with masking tape.
3. On the side of the plastic/mat which will sit against the port, cut the plastic bag away allowing the fiber mat to rest against the port. The plastic bag/skin should surround the diameter of the port and contact the hull. You only need to cut-away the diameter of the port from the plastic.
4. Remove your port covers and store. Place your vents over the ports and use the nylon line to clamp down the vents on the upslope and downslope sides. Do not tie-down so tight that the fiber mat is crushed and the airway totally restricted, just firm enough so that the plastic/mat conforms to the port/hull shape. Water should be able to run off the plastic and around the port without entering.

The ports underneath:


Here's what the vent cover looks like in place:


Here's a sketch:


This works well for me allowing the hulls to dry without weather entry. Let me know if you have any questions.

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Eric
H16
Sail# 11500

Throw a trouble light in the hull. A little bit of warmth goes a long way towards drying something out. I trailer my boat with the hatch covers off, on longer trips the hulls are bone dry when I get home.

This is a good idea. I'll start doing this on return trips. Thanks Karl.

P.S.
I see you have an FX-1. I can only dream of having one!

_________________
Eric
H16
Sail# 11500

Nice solution Skipper. I can't leave my ports off because the geckos and cockroaches will move in. The tropics have lots of critters looking for homes.

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Hobie1616,
Understand your situation. Have an idea for you if like to converse off-line. My email skipper08022000 at yahoo dot com.

Fair winds,

_________________
Eric
H16
Sail# 11500