Winterization - Under Cover Mold Prevention

[5:00]

Anyone know anything about this technology
http://www.amazon.com/Eva-dry-Electr...ywords=eva-dry

Claims to dehumidify without a compressor. Sounds really simple and is getting good reviews. $50 and low current consumption. You could put in a drain on the bucket and exit it through the transom drain plug.

[sivs1]

its based off your typical small home dehumidifier that sell for under 200. We used a $200 one in our basement in NY, held about 2 gallons of water and had to empty it at least once a day during hot humid summers.

the one above only hold 16oz. when it is full it shuts off, so you'd have to check it all the time to empty.

[jrobb]

I live in the PNW 15 miles north of seattle. I use the turbo dryer fan from west marine every year when i winterize and put it away. It will not completely protect from mildew but it cuts it down about 80%. Makes for much less clean up come spring.

[beat taco]

I've had great luck and no mold by tarping over my boat with a tarp large enough to go over the tower and cover the trailer, and tie it to my trailer. I tie a 20" house fan to the tower, if you don't the rain in the great PNW will literally condensate buckets inside the tarp. Obviously I also have my Mooring cover. At first I would replace the tarp every year, but found you could easily get a couple of years out of them. This has kept my boat dry and mold free.
On V drives I found you need to keep the tarp from touching the engine and storage compartment covers or it will condensate and cause mold. I remedied this issue with two 3" 90* fittings and a length of 3" ABS pipe. I slide the 90*'s over my guide poles and run the tarp over the top of the pipe, keeping the tarp off the back of the boat.
You can put a couple of Dri-Z-Airs in the boat for extra piece of mind, they will pull some water but I didn't find the necessity to be religious about it. I made sure to put them inside a larger plastic container.
The only time I have to babysit it is when it snows, I make sure to brush it off as frequently as possible.
I went to this after my tarp carport from Costco got shredded in a windstorm for the 4th time. Got my money back

[gregski]

Have you cut a deck plate/access hole in your center locker? If not, I would. Otherwise there is a high probability that you have a bunch of trapped water in the hull and that would be a long battle of drying it through air evaporation and the air would be very high humidity until it was all dry.

[zabooda]

I keep my boat outside all the time and I have never had mildew/mold problems. I keep the drain hole open and partially blocked to keep out critters and prop (only word I can think of) everything inside open.

[trayson]

I keep my boat outside all the time and I have never had mildew/mold problems. I keep the drain hole open and partially blocked to keep out critters and prop (only word I can think of) everything inside open.

I am sure you would agree that your cold/dry eastern WA weather is less apt for these problems than those of us on the west side of the mountains with milder and WETTER winters...

[zabooda]

That is confirmed. We are much dryer but we do have period of days with damp weather but for some reason it doesn't condense. I attribute it to air exchange under the cover but I'm not sure how that occurs since I have a cover similar to the Evolution covers with no air vents and sealed along the gunwale.

I am sure you would agree that your cold/dry eastern WA weather is less apt for these problems than those of us on the west side of the mountains with milder and WETTER winters...

[bsharer]

I posted this on the supra forum a while back. I do the same thing in the winter.

I remove or move seat bottoms around, take out the tube and life jackets. I put a small squirrel cage fan in my boat on the port side floor in front of the back seat. Point it slightly up and aimed at the helm and walkway to the bow. Put the boat cover on and cinch it up. I leave the fan on 24/7 on med or high in the summer, low to medium in the winter. My boat gets really wet with all the kids climbing in and out, stuffing the wet tube back in, etc. Never any musty or mildew smell, never any mold. Keeps the air flowing around everywhere and I'd like to think it's cooler in there. I store outside and there is no roof over it, and it can be 105+* in the summer.

[5:00]

From reading all of these it sounds like the best methods and tips are to keep air (heated or not) moving one way or another and open up what you can (seats, engine compartment) so it can all get the circulation. Throw in some Damp Rid buckets also.
Probably need ventilation to the outside or a breathable cover as well or it just stays in.