Clearing up a disagreement

[hornsfan]

First time owning a boat ever. The boat stays on a lift. We only ever get to the boat right now every three weeks and since it's winter really just drive it around, not much moisture getting into the boat right now.

I think we should cover it all the time (keeps it clean) , especially since there isnt much moisture getting in the boat, co-owner thinks covering it will just cause mildew.

Your thoughts?

We are nin Texas so there is a humidity issue.

[Hlymons]

RE: Clearing up a disagreement

cover it and put a couple of those moisture grabber's in it. They work great!

[NautiqueJeff]

RE: Clearing up a disagreement

I agree. Cover it.

[Grant_West]

I would say Your both right. If moister gets inside and it gets warm you will go mold fast.
I say cover it and put a fan in the boat moving air seems to help. I havent tryed the trapper Idea

[hornsfan]

"Moisture grabber?"

[crowland]

I have the same problem - but the moisture results from the boat sitting on the trailer in the garage being stored and/or winterized. So I remove all the seats cushions from the seat backs and raise the passenger jump seat to help it dry out, and this seems to work pretty well. We place the cover on it too -which is sunbrella, supposedly very breatheable. Ultimately we just live in an area that has alot of shade trees and is sandy - so the resulting environment is just more humid and doesnt allow things to dry out when on land. I had a whole post going on the forum when I realized that things werent drying out. During the summer when the boat is on the lift we leave it covered at all times - for the reasons you mentioned above. I have never had an issue with the boat drying out under the lift or any mildew. I am assuming that your lift is covered and semi-protected from rain and wind.

One thing you might try as mentioned is moving the seat cushions around or wiping between the seat cushions and backs with a towel - like I mentioned above. Also try moving the cushions so that the compartments that are wet will have air flow to dry out. I have grown up doing this for the past 15 years, so it is like second nature when we are done boating for the day.

[gride300]

the key to keeping your interior clean is to wipe down all the seat cushions, fiberglass under them, , lift the rear hatches and do the same and do your best to air it out.

[skiking]

I live in Austin, TX.....assume you must live close too....thus your name. :grin:

I have had a boat here since early 80's and follow the same pattern. I keep my boat in a storage unit. During summer I leave it uncovered in the storage unit. Since we use it about 3 or 4 times a week. If it is going to sit longer I cover it, but only after it has dried out.

First as others have said, wipe the entire interior dry with towels as well as you can.

If it is sitting on a lift I would certainly cover it. I would also get a cover made of Sunbrella which will breathe much better than other cover material. We get a lot of moisture buildup overnight here due to the heat in the day and the cool air from the water in the night. Throwing a dehumidifier in may be overkill on short terms between uses, but may help if your still having trouble. Also good to keep a coat of 303 protectant on the vinyl. 3M also makes an anti mildew spray you can try as well.

For long storage or winter. I completely wipe down the seats with 303 protectant to keep the vinyl protected and prevent drying. I also lift clamshell, center storage locker and crack rear deck to allow airflow. I put in a Air Dryer Dehumidifier. They are great if you have electrical close by the boat. You can get them at West Marine or some place similar. I have the Sunbrella type cover and breathes much better than the covers of old.

I used to have moisture and mildew problems years ago. But, because of these newer products I can come back to get my boat after several months and it still will not have mildew.

My $.02

[cam05210]

When I winterize, I put 2-3 Damp Rid's (these are your moisture grabbers) in the boat. They are containers that have a "gravel like" substance in them that extract moisture out of the air. You have to replace them every month or so but they do a great job of pulling the moisture out of the air and prevent mildew. During the season, I make sure to wipe down under the cushions and between the seats since that's where most of the moisture ends up from wet suits and such. 303 all the way...

[Roddyj]

+1000 on damp rid....you can get it at your local homedepot, lowes, or grocery store usually....the added bonus to no moisture is they leave your boat smelling like fresh linen.

[harddock]

When I winterize, I put 2-3 Damp Rid's (these are your moisture grabbers) in the boat. They are containers that have a "gravel like" substance in them that extract moisture out of the air. You have to replace them every month or so but they do a great job of pulling the moisture out of the air and prevent mildew. During the season, I make sure to wipe down under the cushions and between the seats since that's where most of the moisture ends up from wet suits and such. 303 all the way...

I used to leave boats rack stored in Florida for weeks at a time. Those containers worked the best for a moisture guard. I highly recommend them. The biggest trick is trying to have the boat dry when you store it.

[DavidF]

I will trumpet the Sunbrella horn. I have used Sunbrella and other cheaper covers. The cheaper covers ALWAYS caused mildew. With the Sunbrella never, unless the sunbrella was in direct contact with the vinyl. I live in Austin and keep my boats outdoors year round. Yes, I have two Nautiques. Anyboady want an exceptionally nice TBI '93 SN?

[Chexi]

The gravel like substance is most likely your everyday activated charcoal that you can find in a pet store (used in fish tanks). It is also extremely useful for eliminating odors (about 10,000 more times so than baking soda). I have a dish of the gravel in my fridge. The secret is that 1 little piece of charcoal has miles of absorbant surface area.

[Rick]

Damp Rid is not charcoal. It is a calcium product that traps water and dissolves. The best place I have found it is in the RV section at Wal-Mart. Its about a 5lb pail and you can use it to refill the 1 lb size.

[jjgag60]

I can't take credit for this idea, but I know it works well. Take a five gallon paint bucket and put a paint strainer cloth inside it. Using a zip tie attach the strainer so it hangs only about a 1/4 of the way down inside the bucket. Duct tape will also work. Place the absorbing pellets in the stainer and then the bucket inside the boat. The five gallon bucket will last you all winter before you have to drain it. Lot more effective then those little quart containers . We are trying/testing three buckets this winter to see how much water/mositure we collect. The same stuff used in the pellets, is also used in mixing concrete so if you are to "cheep" to buy the packets at walmart you can buy the chemical in bulk from your local concrete mixing company.