Moisture/condensation inside RT188 locker problem solved - FINALLY

[Bill Reynolds]

Over the past 5 years, I have tried many things to alleviate moisture condensing on my reels and tackle. I have insulated the lids, damp rid buckets etc. but nothing completely solved the problem. I thought about venting the lockers for years, and finally did it: problem solved and it was not a difficult thing to do.
I added outside vents to the Starboard and port side lockers. I put a larger one in the port side in case I needed forced ventilation, and I have the wiring installed for the fan. So far I have not needed it but I am prepared for the next step.



I installed a vent port from the center rod box into each side locker to establish air circulation under the deck.

[Keystone Caster]

Looks good! Hopefully that will take care of your problem. Please post a pic of your fan set-up when you get it installed.

[n2ratfishin]

The carpet must hold water? I've never noticed that problem with my rawhide interior boat. Looks like the same fix Ranger uses on their glass line.

[Skeeterbait]

So... passive venting alone reduced the retained humidity? You are not using any fan for forced circulation? Do you have screen hole covers on both sides of each hole? And I assume the holes were cut with a standard center bit and mandrel hole saw?

[Bill Reynolds]

So... passive venting alone reduced the retained humidity? You are not using any fan for forced circulation? Do you have screen hole covers on both sides of each hole? And I assume the holes were cut with a standard center bit and mandrel hole saw?

So far passive venting has been enough, but The vents have been in for only a couple months, I will know for sure in July-August with the boat sitting under the black cover. I have a design I am comfortable with but do not want to install the fan unless I have to. That being said, while our climate is humid, I don’t believe it is as bad as LA and AL so one of those locations would be a better test.
I do not have screens behind the covers, didn’t think about it.
I cut the holes with a hole saw. The three small ones are 1 1/2 and the larger one is 4 1/4 to accommodate the muffin fan.

[Shadow4]

Bill, Looks good! Can you post a link to where you got the parts? I haven't had a problem with moisture yet, but I also keep mine garaged with all the lids open when not in use. I've also been lucky enough to not have been caught in a major downpour, only light to medium short storms, but I know my time is coming...

[tjsellsfords]

[Bill Reynolds]

Bill, Looks good! Can you post a link to where you got the parts? I haven't had a problem with moisture yet, but I also keep mine garaged with all the lids open when not in use. I've also been lucky enough to not have been caught in a major downpour, only light to medium short storms, but I know my time is coming...

I bought the vent covers that cover the holes in the bulkhead at a local marine store, for sure you can get them at BPS. The flow through vents between the rod locker and lockers are 1 1/2 through hull fittings. I cut off all but 1 inch of the threaded portion so they are flush on each side.
This is the fan: the 115 volt may be a surprise. I ran a 16/3 SO cord from the rod locker to the bilge so I can hook it into the same 115 volt circuit that powers my built in battery charger. In this way, any time my batteries are charging, the fan will be running. This is the simplest way I could figure to control when the fan operates.

[Casslaw]

Mr Reynolds always doing something to make his boat better! Good idea sir

[jrbdad]

I have not had any issues with moisture in my compartments at all.
I dont put rods away until they have time to dry out. My boat is stored out side with a cover. Maybe I have just been lucky.

[Bill Reynolds]

This was typical when leaving my boat outside (under the cover) overnight in the summer or fall. This is all condensation from the difference in temp and dew point for the air inside the compartment as opposed to that outside. This was not after a rain event. In addition, water would be dripping from the inside surface of the lids. This is for all the compartments, including the bilge.
I insulated the lids first, and this helped, but I still had moisture on my reels and tackle. So far the passive vents have solved the problem, but I fully expect to have to install the fan when it gets really hot and humid.

[Panama]

Nice job Bill....... Thanks for the post.
Hope that does it.

[alanhore]

I have the parts here to do the same thing to my VT17. Was going to wire mine exactly like you were going to. Just have to dig into it some day.

I bought the vent covers that cover the holes in the bulkhead at a local marine store, for sure you can get them at BPS. The flow through vents between the rod locker and lockers are 1 1/2 through hull fittings. I cut off all but 1 inch of the threaded portion so they are flush on each side.
This is the fan: the 115 volt may be a surprise. I ran a 16/3 SO cord from the rod locker to the bilge so I can hook it into the same 115 volt circuit that powers my built in battery charger. In this way, any time my batteries are charging, the fan will be running. This is the simplest way I could figure to control when the fan operates.

[dean c]

Impressive work sir...

[Bill Reynolds]

UPDATE:
At the time of my last post, I had not installed the fan and the passive ventilation seemed to be satisfactory, however, I fished all day in the rain and some of my gear was put up wet. It was still wet the next day so this prompted me to install the fan. I am not advocating putting tackle away wet, but just as a test, I sprayed water on my the tackle and trays in my rod box, closed it and turned on the fan. It was all dry the next day.
I have also been working with a local friend that has a 2008 Tracker 190TX that is stored outside under a cover and has extreme condensation problems in all the compartments. His lids are not insulated.
Our first step was to vent all three of the compartments that are adjacent to the bulkhead leading to the front deck and cross ventilated the forward compartments thereby creating a passive vent system for all compartments. This helped and was promising until our humidity went really high and he started having water drip from the underside of the lids. At this point, I installed the fan and hooked it to his 115 volt battery charger cord, like I outlined previously. This solved the condensation problem. We have since experimented by leaving the fan off overnight and as expected we had moisture under the lid. The following night we ran the fan and there was no moisture. We repeated this test several times with the same result.
I was happy to see that the forced ventilation system solved the condensation problem without insulating the lids. For me, insulating the lids was a pain.
Hope this saves you guys some time and aggravation since this is a problem with all aluminum boats.

[Tim Kelly]

Sounds great, but will the fans survive a day fishing in the rain? Are they protected in some way?

[Bill Reynolds]

I am using a muffin fan mounted to the bulkhead inside the port storage locker and exhausting to the outside. The two screws outside the vent cover in this photo are securing the fan to the bulkhead. The inside of the lockers are on the suction side of the fan.

This is the Muffin Fan.

[alanhore]

I did mine kinda the same way. But I mounted my fan under my console in the bulkhead. Also put vents in the opposite side in the end of the rod locker. Also vents between shared compartments under the deck. Works great. Thanks for the ideas Bill.

I am using a muffin fan mounted to the bulkhead inside the port storage locker and exhausting to the outside. The two screws outside the vent cover in this photo are securing the fan to the bulkhead. The inside of the lockers are on the suction side of the fan.