Adding a dehumidifier.

I found that adding a dehumidifier to my Cal 40 kept our boat dry, light and mildew free. After a long day of sailing i can put wet gear including a soaked spinnaker down below and come back the next day and everything is DRY.

Step 1: Buy a Dehumidifier

You need to get a special unit that has an attachment for an external drain. This enables you to route the drain to the bildge so you can run the unit all the time. I bought a ComfortAire for around $130 at my local hardware store. You will also need a 5ft garden hose to attach to the unit. Each unit may vary so check and make sure to get the proper hose for your unit.

Comments

[usmmjenny]

Why didn't I think of this before? The Silica gel is just not working, my sailboat always smells like eau de bilge, I put pool shock in the bilge and now it smells like chlorine, almost knocked me out! I'm going to try this, I think I'll also use a timer, so that it only goes on for a few hours each day and its not running around the clock, running up your electric bill. I have a timer, now I'm searching craigslist for a dehumidifier, Thanks for the tip! Jenny

[servant74]

Silica gel has limits. If it did work for you for a while, try this:

Take it out, heat it to about 212F (100C) in an oven for a few hours to drive off the water. Then take it out, and let it cool. Put it in a air-tight container or zip-lock type bag until ready to use again.

Having a second set of Silica Gel sealed away if the first stops working is a good idea. So you can rejuvinate one while using the other!

[derhul]

Having a dehumidifier for home is a must!! Especially if you have a basement.

[chriswallace]

I wonder if this stuff is specific to basement dehumidifiers or if this is all around advice.

[Basement dehumidifier]

Yea, having a good dehumidifier can be very useful. But you also have to make sure you don't get too much water stored in the machine.

[theprofessor]

been doing this for years, problem with that design is you still have to pump the bilge (unless you have an electric pump) we just check the bucket a couple times per week and dump it overboard.