Below-deck tricks for enjoying the boat in winter

The boat in winter, below deck we can do a lot to make it more comfortable than a home. Here are some tips and tricks for enjoying the boat even in the cold season, dictated by Luigi Gallerani’s (a.k.a. Lutz) personal experience after 3 years on board.

• In the previous installment: Deck tricks for enjoying the boat in winter

The boat in winter, the tricks below deck

The boat in winter below deck, presents some challenges related to comfort on board and good maintenance of facilities:

• Humidity and ventilation
• Heating without fire hazards
• Dust and hygiene
• Operating facilities

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MANAGING HUMIDITY IN CABINS

Winter comfort below deck is only guaranteed if we keep the interior dry. The trick is to ventilate and keep an interior temperature above the dew point. Using Bluetooth thermometer-hygrometers, which record temperature and humidity in each cabin and with an app generate the graph for the whole year. By matching the data to the history of a small outdoor weather station, I know precisely when to open the hatches to ventilate, to lower the relative humidity, or when to close everything and anticipate turning on the heating if moist air is coming in outside. In Genoa, for example, it is easy to go from 90 percent humidity with the sirocco to 40 percent with the tramontana the next morning, so it pays to take advantage, before any other device, of this natural variability.

INFILTRATIONS

If the boat stays damp, it is a sign of seepage. I have the through-mast, I have had rain seepage from the coaming, solved by affixing over the original cap with a round of self-culcanizing tape. Even small freshwater plant leaks can leave water residue under the dunnage.

FORCED VENTILATION AND RECIRCULATION

I use small rechargeable battery-operated fans, which I leave on at idle even when not on board. On becalmed days, I temporarily install a bathroom exhaust fan on the aft hatch, and leave it slightly open at the bow for continuous air exchange.

To dry difficult areas in the lockers or under the floorboards I also use a small battery-operated blower to circulate air through the drainage holes (snake) and dry the inside of the structural spider, or a hair dryer.

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WARM UP THE BOAT

For heating, I have Webasto, but for those who don’t, I recommend on board an electric fan heater with a ceramic radiator, thermostat, auto-off timer, and tip-over protection, essential in case of a wave. If the boat is very humid, heating it every now and then is unnecessary, better a few watts that generate continuous maintenance heat for several days: a thermal terrarium bulb for exotic animals, greenhouse heaters for plants, thermostat-controlled silicone heat panels are alternative, portable and safe solutions for small boats. The thermal blanket is also very useful.

WINTER POWDER

Much more dust accumulates on board than in a house. The causes are small volumes, doors almost always closed, heavy clothing or blankets that release fibers, and forced ventilation that raises dust. No special tricks: 12volt vacuum cleaner, microfiber cloths, disinfectant spray, anti-static wax on the woods. I usean ozone generator once a week and a small air purifier with HEPA filter in the dinette.

ENGINE AND WATER AND GAS SYSTEMS

Keeping the engine and systems operational, using them continuously, ensures I am always running. In cold weather, the starter battery is more likely to abandon us, so I keep an emergency starter on board. I put anti-algae additive in the diesel tank. I use citric acid in the fresh water tank to remove limescale from the system and from the boiler-exchanger, which I use in electric mode and therefore accumulates more residue on the heater.The gas cylinder gauge pressure drops due to temperature, this is normal. It is not a charge indicator: to know how much gas I have left just weigh the cylinder.

LIGHTS AND REMOTE CONTROL

The early dark: I had 5 flashlights on board, and one evening I tested them by leaving them lit on the deckhouse. None lasted until morning. As a security light solution I use mini-led usb lights to plug into a powerbank: Not much light, but they last 15 days on with a 10Ah powerbank. With a powerbank I also power the remote surveillance webcam.

• In the previous installment: Deck tricks for enjoying the boat in winter