Winter mildew prevention

[ES]

Looking forward to some education from fellow PN members: over the winter, I leave my winterized, covered, 210 on the boat lift. I guess this last winter was more mellow and warmer than previous years, I found a lot of mildew in the boat, especially the sunpad.

I am sure that it will all clean off with Totally Awesome or 3M Mildew Cleaner, sun exposure, etc. but it's just a nuisance.

For those of you that leave your boat out in the winter, any useful tricks to keep the mildew at bay? I tried one of those buckets to absorb humidity with limited success - maybe just one small one wasn't enough or maybe there is a much better solution out there.

Thanks for your help!

[nyryan2001]

small fan and cmpartments open to keep air moving? What type of cover are you using? does it have vents? if not they can be installed in about 45 seconds, super easy.

[ES]

small fan and cmpartments open to keep air moving? What type of cover are you using? does it have vents? if not they can be installed in about 45 seconds, super easy.

Using the Nautique cover that came with the boat...3 tent poles and 1 big vent in the center. I would prefer a fan-less solution, since I cut off the boat lift power over winter. Keep the ideas coming, thanks!

[pokesgrad02]

charcoal works but you need to rotate it out during the winter. Just put a couple of 5 gallon open buckets in the boat. Was the boat damp before you covered?

[DanielC]

Mildew needs two things. A food source, and moisture.
The food source is anything that has ever grown. Crumbs, pollen that settled into the boat, old dead skin cell you and your passengers lost, dog dander, almost anything organic.

If you can get any type of cover over the boat, that prevents rain from falling directly on the boat cover, that will help keep it dry.

[acs220]

Looking forward to some education from fellow PN members: over the winter, I leave my winterized, covered, 210 on the boat lift. I guess this last winter was more mellow and warmer than previous years, I found a lot of mildew in the boat, especially the sunpad.

I am sure that it will all clean off with Totally Awesome or 3M Mildew Cleaner, sun exposure, etc. but it's just a nuisance.

For those of you that leave your boat out in the winter, any useful tricks to keep the mildew at bay? I tried one of those buckets to absorb humidity with limited success - maybe just one small one wasn't enough or maybe there is a much better solution out there.

Thanks for your help!

What year is your boat. This is kinda out of the ordinary, but what I did on our 08 210 (same cover and tent poles you are talking about) was get a few pieces of 1 1/2 or 2 inch PVC and a couple of 30 and 45 degree fittings. I built them in the same shape as the rear sun pad. When you put the cover on and pull it tight, the PVC keeps the cover up off the vinyl and you won't get the mildew. I had a huge problem with that in florida. At one point the port pad was almost all black on the silver cloud vinyl. The only thing you have to watch for is pooling water if the cover isn't tight enough. Hope that gives you ideas in a different direction.

[ES]

What year is your boat. This is kinda out of the ordinary, but what I did on our 08 210 (same cover and tent poles you are talking about) was get a few pieces of 1 1/2 or 2 inch PVC and a couple of 30 and 45 degree fittings. I built them in the same shape as the rear sun pad. When you put the cover on and pull it tight, the PVC keeps the cover up off the vinyl and you won't get the mildew. I had a huge problem with that in florida. At one point the port pad was almost all black on the silver cloud vinyl. The only thing you have to watch for is pooling water if the cover isn't tight enough. Hope that gives you ideas in a different direction.

Very creative, I'll look into that, thanks! To answer your Q, I have a 2010 210 SANTE.

[acs220]

Very creative, I'll look into that, thanks! To answer your Q, I have a 2010 210 SANTE.

Same shape so should still work.

[Pjoachim]

Personally if it was a mild winter I would just run down and pull the cover off for a few days to get air flow moving.

[s_kelley2000]

I tried one of those buckets to absorb humidity with limited success - maybe just one small one wasn't enough or maybe there is a much better solution out there.

Sounds like some good suggestions so far so I will just add my experience with the mildew prevention buckets. My boat is stored with the cover on in an older Shelter Logic garage. I used 3 of those buckets with one in the belly ski locker, one in the bow and one in the main lounge. I got in the boat mid winter to check on things and dumped the little bit of accumulated water out of the buckets. I was planning to put some new buckets in but they still had plenty of unsaturated pellets in them. I had zero mildew issues in the spring.

[jroyal]

I have used one of these dehumidifiers and they work great.



Low energy consumption too. On sale now as well.

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/prod...r&merchID=4005

[toddrswenson]

Sounds like some good suggestions so far so I will just add my experience with the mildew prevention buckets. My boat is stored with the cover on in an older Shelter Logic garage. I used 3 of those buckets with one in the belly ski locker, one in the bow and one in the main lounge. I got in the boat mid winter to check on things and dumped the little bit of accumulated water out of the buckets. I was planning to put some new buckets in but they still had plenty of unsaturated pellets in them. I had zero mildew issues in the spring.

What brand and how big were the buckets that you used.

[scottb7]

I have this one, same type of unit. I generally use it only when boat has to be enclosed for mildew purposes. But I also use this in combo with a block heater in engine compartment at end of season when temps drop below freezing for a day or two and I have yet to put boat away.

http://www.amazon.com/Davis-Instrume...pd_sim_sbs_e_2

[s_kelley2000]

What brand and how big were the buckets that you used.

Hmm I am not sure what brand but nothing special and they were pretty cheap. My wife found them at a local discount chain called the Christmas Tree Shop. They were not very big, probably 24-32 oz would be my guess.

[toyota40runner]

ive got it pretty mastered at this point because ive had to leave my boat covered in hawaii for 4 months every year. I douce the seat in MoldOff and put 2 big tubs of damp rid in there and try to seal the cover as good as possible. works like a charm.