ventilate engine pods

[micky flinders]

Something this size should do.
Note it has its own battery for night use. As long it runs 18 hours a day or so it will move the warm air out. I just dont need the built in fan. Just the energy to my fan.

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[micky flinders]

PhotoScreenshot_20200910-200152_Gallery.jpg

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[gazza2006au]

Your condensation is likely from the boat being moored in warm water and the air inside the pod being cooler creating the condensation


A bit like pulling a coke bottle out of the fridge
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[inveratta]

Ok....


."it has to be condensate".......assuming you have a"sealed system" ..its unlikely of itself that there would be enough moisture held in the air itself..alone..I suggest you get a wood moisture meter and check the moisture level of ply.The final result may well be better ventilation anyway...not arguing that ...simply you may need to 'know" when the ply is really dry and coat the entire inner pods as well.

Even marine ply needs to be well sealed...it picks up moisture more readily than"conventional"marine timbers..drying it out properly is not an overnight task...which is why the moisture meter is handy..

[Fed]

I reckon you've got your own little weather system going on inside the pods and it all starts with water getting in from the outside. Salt or fresh it doesn't matter because once it evaporates it's fresh then it condenses inside the top of the pods when they are colder. I'm guessing you have licked the inspection lids and they were fresh water as you would expect.
I understand the pressure to do something and I'd feel it too but sometimes going slow is faster.
Don't make any holes until you know what's going on or at least re-seal every single pod penetration.
(Motor bolts, pod to hull bolts, inspect cover, everything)
The pods will be trying to breath in & out subject to temperature, sounds like a perfect set up to suck in water.

Just thinking out loud my little 17' boat has a sealed air chamber down each side BUT they are vented via a little curly pipe at the top rear of each chamber, why would Seafarer do that?
IMG_0002_opt.jpg

You can see it on the inner transom between the battery & the bracing knee, I bet it's to allow the chambers to breath freely without trying to suck in water.

[gazza2006au]

If the op can look in there its likely not a sealed pod

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[micky flinders]

When it was wet i could have growen mushrooms in there.
The previous owner had the pod inspection hatches sealed shut with silicone.
I tasted the 4cm of water in the pods then. Fresh.
I dried the pods, removed the rot (top layer of ply) then treated inside the pods with wood preserver. Finally i replaced the inspection hatched with water tight o ring hatches. Tested dry.
The pods dont pressurize but i cant see any holes or gaps.
That vent pipe looks interesting.
I would like to know the science behind that. It may do the trick.

I reckon you've got your own little weather system going on inside the pods and it all starts with water getting in from the outside. Salt or fresh it doesn't matter because once it evaporates it's fresh then it condenses inside the top of the pods when they are colder. I'm guessing you have licked the inspection lids and they were fresh water as you would expect.
I understand the pressure to do something and I'd feel it too but sometimes going slow is faster.
Don't make any holes until you know what's going on or at least re-seal every single pod penetration.
(Motor bolts, pod to hull bolts, inspect cover, everything)
The pods will be trying to breath in & out subject to temperature, sounds like a perfect set up to suck in water.

Just thinking out loud my little 17' boat has a sealed air chamber down each side BUT they are vented via a little curly pipe at the top rear of each chamber, why would Seafarer do that?
IMG_0002_opt.jpg

You can see it on the inner transom between the battery & the bracing knee, I bet it's to allow the chambers to breath freely without trying to suck in water.

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[micky flinders]

I reckon you've got your own little weather system going on inside the pods and it all starts with water getting in from the outside. Salt or fresh it doesn't matter because once it evaporates it's fresh then it condenses inside the top of the pods when they are colder. I'm guessing you have licked the inspection lids and they were fresh water as you would expect.
I understand the pressure to do something and I'd feel it too but sometimes going slow is faster.
Don't make any holes until you know what's going on or at least re-seal every single pod penetration.
(Motor bolts, pod to hull bolts, inspect cover, everything)
The pods will be trying to breath in & out subject to temperature, sounds like a perfect set up to suck in water.

Just thinking out loud my little 17' boat has a sealed air chamber down each side BUT they are vented via a little curly pipe at the top rear of each chamber, why would Seafarer do that?
IMG_0002_opt.jpg

You can see it on the inner transom between the battery & the bracing knee, I bet it's to allow the chambers to breath freely without trying to suck in water.

Some photos that may help. Two inspection hatches per pod.20200918_064542.jpg20200918_064529.jpg20200918_064514.jpg20200918_064350.jpg20200918_064550.jpg20200917_165031.jpg

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[micky flinders]

The pods are dusty dry now. Just need to find a sensible solution to the Condensation.
I just dont understand the science of what i am to fix.
Would a smallish pipe through the "roof" of the pods, curled to prevent green wave water, do the job?

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[inveratta]

is the pod foam cored or straight ply.? and at 11m...Im thinking permanently moored?

the little pigtail is a breather simply to allow the tank to remain unpressurised by diurnal temperature driven changes of air pressure.within the tank. If the pod has saturated air in it I doubt it would make any difference...not enough air exchange to dry the tank.

[micky flinders]

Thanks. The construction is 20mm ply on the hull faces. On the bulkhead and the engine mount it is foam sandwich 6mm ply (i think)

Think i am back to installing the computer fan through the bulkhead. If thats the only option. (Other that some expensive engineered solution.)
If thats the case, where should i out the fan hole. Up high or low.
And what height for exhaust holes?
Because i dont understand the science of what i need to achieve i can work these simple things out.
Thanks for your help.

is the pod foam cored or straight ply.? and at 11m...Im thinking permanently moored?

the little pigtail is a breather simply to allow the tank to remain unpressurised by diurnal temperature driven changes of air pressure.within the tank. If the pod has saturated air in it I doubt it would make any difference...not enough air exchange to dry the tank.

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[micky flinders]

Cut the fan hole not out!

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[micky flinders]

An inline marine blower would be good but the ones i found were way too big and powerful for less than 1 cubic meter of air. Hence the interest in the computer fan.

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[Fed]

Cut the fan hole not out!

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I wouldn't.

[micky flinders]

Well i am making a list of all possible solutions.
But until i understand whats going on inside the Pods i am reluctant to cut any holes. Because i dont know that that will fix the problem.

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