It is not uncommon to tow a dinghy, but towing creates additional drag on the boat and risks damage. Many boaters will either: lift and tie the bow of the dinghy up on the transom; place the dinghy on deck; or raise the dinghy up on davits, dropping the dinghy back in the water only when needed. Davits are expensive and require proper installation.
Laundry
Washing machines and dryers are luxuries. They use lots of fresh water, lots of electricity, and take up a large amount of space. There are units intended for marine conditions that are designed to function on less water and electricity than domestic units. As far as amenities go, onboard laundry machines are reserved for those with resources (both money and space) to spare.
Some laundry machines are designed to wash and dry the laundry in the same unit. I have heard mixed reviews of these units. There are also manual machines that allow for the effective washing of clothes, along with a manual spin cycle. They need very little water and no electricity.
Lights
Courtesy Lights. It is easy, economical, and aesthetically pleasing to run courtesy lights in white or amber (among other colors); these provide a nice romantic ambiance at night without undermining night vision. They draw low voltage and were my primary lights for entertaining.
Cabin Lights. Cabin lights come in all varieties, including the kind that switches between white light and amber for improved night vision. It is not always necessary to drill and run wires to install added lighting, for there are wonderful battery options that last quite long, as well as 110-volt solutions for those who reside primarily at dock.
Lanterns/Oil Systems. The greatest ambiance is provided by lantern/candle light. Beautiful systems can be installed that are safe, efficient, and effective. Remember to overstock on the fuel and wicks so the system is available whenever you desire.
Flashlights. You can never have enough. Flashlights should be mounted either visibly or inside cabinets so they can be found instantly in an emergency. My recommendation is to purchase at least one battery-free light (powered by shaking the flashlight) and one good hands-free flashlight that can be worn on your head for engine repair problems or when you have to go to the foredeck to do something. Also, hands-free lights are terrific to read by, often offering multiple power settings.
Marine Heads and Sewage Treatment
Marine heads are not standard. Many marine heads are short and stubby, making the user almost have to do a full squat. More expensive models might be more typically sized. Some have an up-and-down pump, and others pump back and forth, regarded by many as much easier but more space intensive. Electric heads are nice as they don’t require any special training for use, while manual heads must be explained to guests and have been known to flood a boat or two by unsuspecting users not remembering to switch the toilet back to “dry” when finished (causing water to siphon into the toilet). Electric heads typically require more maintenance than manual heads, and have significant power draws, albeit for very short periods of time.
There are some interesting options for sewage treatment, and it is important to know what is and is not permitted in your cruising area. Chemical treatments designed to kill coliform bacteria may be used without a holding tank in areas where pumping treated waste overboard is permitted. Incinerating heads turn sewage into ash; these systems also claim to be legal for overboard discharge. Non-holding tank solutions have the potential to allow for the removal of the smelly holding tank, also allowing for much more space. Do pay careful attention to the rules set forth in no-discharge zones, as an inspection finding a head without a holding tank might result in very significant fines if the type of waste treatment aboard is not permitted.
There is also a variety of holding tanks and odor treatments available economically. Everything helps a bit, but as long as there is sewage on board, nothing is likely to entirely solve the odor problem.
Security Systems
Boats have always been easy targets for theft, particularly when allowed to sit unattended for days at anchor or mooring. Gear is often placed aboard with only a couple of adjustable screws on either side, making for the easy removal of electronics. Stereo systems are often easily removed, as well. Many boaters work toward solving the problem by taking gear below deck and locking the boat before departing. Still, as typically only a padlock separates the thief from the interior, some boat owners opt for more protection, such as motion detectors and alarm systems just like those used for land-based residences.
Tarps provide protection from the sun, wind, and rain.
[1]Chris Birch’s recommendation. Between his boat-temperature drinks, removal of the shower, and replacing of the toilet with a 5-gallon bucket, cruising with Chris is beginning to seem like a bit of a challenge.
[2]A third and often less appreciated system is to have the sun heat the water. It is a challenge but often done by cruisers, and I think the showers just feel better..
10. Climate
Liveaboards in temperate or tropical climates will have a much different experience than liveaboards in a cold-climate area or in an area in which the temperatures are extreme, both hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
There are many other climate issues in addition to temperature. The prevalence of rainy conditions, humidity, exposure to hurricanes and other tropical storms, wind, snow, and blizzard conditions will all certainly have a significant effect on your experience. Competent marinas employ measures to protect boaters from climatic conditions that could damage boats or injure boaters. I believe that beyond providing a slip to the boaters, every marina should protect the boats and provide safe conditions for boaters; the best marinas perform this task with a stunningly effective and efficient process.
My marina, for instance, runs safety lines across the docks and boats when heavy weather is forecast, to aid in withstanding storm conditions. These lines are tied and maintained through the entire winter as a critical safety procedure. While ice buildup in the water is not as big a problem (because of a more than nine-foot tidal range in Boston), ice can still develop in extremely cold weather. The marina regulates this and ensures that ice buildup does not occur in the areas surrounding the boats. The marina removes snow from the docks and will salt the docks to remove ice. Finger piers, however, are the responsibility of the individual boat owners.
Know what to expect, and know how to prepare yourself and your boat for weather and temperature fluctuations and the change of seasons. Many books have been written on handling various weather conditions at sea. Our focus is limited to the things that need to be understood to aid in comfort and safety while living aboard in more typical circumstances.
Dampness/Humidity
Boats are designed to be waterproof, and clearly no boat should have water coming through the hull or the deck, regardless of weather conditions. Boats, however, are not airproof, and air contains moisture in a range from virtually none, to up to 100 percent.
The higher the temperature, the more of this humidity you will feel. In hot and humid conditions, moisture such as sweat will not evaporate; you will feel damp, sticky, and in need of a shower.
The interior of a boat constrains warm, humid air; the boat will act like a steam room and be increasingly uncomfortable. This can even lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, so drink plenty of water and remove yourself from these overheating conditions before things get too dangerous. If this is occurring in your boat, in addition to decreasing the boat’s temperature, it is important to address this problem in two ways: by ventilating and by reducing humidity.
Ventilation
It is not enough simply to open a port or hatch, because good ventilation requires that stale air be removed and clean air be brought in. Manufacturers of ventilation systems often recommend that at least two fans be installed, one that adds fresh air and one that exhausts stale air. Often, the best system brings in fresh air from the bow and exhales toward the stern.
A variety of products and methods can accomplish this purpose:
Cowls can be installed and aimed in the direction of the nearest breeze; you can also use solar vents/fans, 12-volt vents/fans, or wind chutes (like parachutes that capture fresh air and force it through a hatch into the boat), as well as many other systems.
Good ventilation is not only an invaluable enhancement for comfort, but also an essential safety requirement, because oxygen can be depleted and replaced with carbon dioxide as people breathe. Also, ventilation is critical for protecting against carbon monoxide accumulation if internal systems break down or if neighboring boaters have their engines running. Good ventilation also protects against fumes generated from epoxy, fiberglass, varnish, paint, and fuel as the result of boat improvements or spills. More discussion on carbon monoxide will follow in the chapter Safety and Sanitation.
Moisture and Humidity
Reducing humidity is one of the more challenging and frustrating aspects of living aboard.
Moisture is by definition wet (yes, I’m also a rocket scientist), and we don’t like the inside of our homes to be wet. We are surrounded by water, which has a tendency to end up inside our boats, being brought in on our shoes and clothes (and cat) after rains and wet cruises, or entering through ports and hatches inadvertently left open or unsealed. Non-liveaboards get to leave to allow their boat time to dry. Liveaboards are relegated to sleeping on wet berths and sitting on wet cushions.
Moisture also brings odors and mold, which can make life aboard less appealing, and can ultimately damage possessions and even cause illness.
Condensation
Moisture that occurs inside a boat by virtue of spills, drips, or leaks is at least nice because you either know how it got there or can work to figure it out. When you see something wet, you can clean it up immediately, taking measures to dry any wet cushions and possessions so you can avoid unwanted byproducts of the moisture. [While tracking down the source of a leak can be a difficult challenge, a good trick is to use water-soluble markers. After drying the wet areas, use the marker to write on the area where the water might be coming from. You’ll see the marked areas become impacted by the water and will be able to follow the path back toward the water’s source.]
Condensation, however, is a different matter. Condensation, as seen on the outside of the drinking glasses of our cool beverages and the dew/wetness on the grass (and our decks) in the morning, is moisture that has left the air and appears on surfaces as water droplets. Condensation will appear over the entire exterior deck of a boat; in the interior, it might appear on the ceiling, walls, floor, and surfaces under cushions.
You know that you’re the victim of condensation if your ceiling starts to drip on you (i.e., it starts to rain inside your boat), or you lift up a cushion or mattress and find that the underside is soaking wet and possibly moldy and stinky. Also, you know that you’ve been the victim of condensation when all of your clothes in drawers and lockers are damp.
As a liveaboard, it is helpful if you understand how condensation occurs, and more particularly, what can be done about it.
Water stays in the air only so long as the air temperature stays warmer than a certain point, and when the temperature drops below that point, the air can no longer hold its moisture. That temperature point fluctuates and is called the dew point. The factors that cause the dew point to fluctuate aren’t our concern, but the result is.
Let’s say that the dew point is 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature outside the boat drops to 55 degrees. Water will form on the deck and other surfaces on the exterior of the boat, since the temperature is below the dew point and the air can no longer hold the water. The moisture is “falling” out of the air. Inside, as long as the temperature is kept above 60 degrees, there will not be moisture forming on the interior surfaces (with an exception we will talk about shortly). If the interior temperature of the boat drops below 60 degrees, moisture will form.
Accordingly, avoiding condensation is a primary reason to heat your boat, even during periods when the boat is left unoccupied. Otherwise, you might return to a boat in which everything is soaking wet.
Got it? Unfortunately, there’s more.
There must be some explanation for how water can form on the outside of a cold glass on an 80-degree day when the dew point is 60 degrees. The condensation occurs because the temperature on the glass is below the dew point, even though the surrounding air is above the dew point. The surface of the glass is itself colder than the dew point.
And this is every liveaboard’s problem. What if the water or outside air temperature is 50 degrees and the dew point is 60 degrees? Even when you heat the interior of the boat to 70 degrees, the inside of the hull making contact with the cold water or air might easily be colder than the dew point, exactly like the glass. If that is the case, water will form on those surfaces. The only solution is to warm the interior surfaces.
The problem is magnified because, as with the glass, there is no insulation helping to keep the cold out and away from our interior surfaces. Even worse, many areas of the interior of the boat are extremely difficult to warm because they are not exposed to the interior air, particularly the areas under cushions/mattresses, lockers, and drawers. These areas are difficult to warm because they are either behind closed doors where the warm air does not circulate, or are in fact insulated—by our clothes and cushions—ironically keeping the warm air away. Water forms on the surfaces and soaks the clothes in our lockers and drawers as well as the underside of our cushions and mattresses. You already have limited locker and drawer space, and now what space you do have is acting as a magnet for moisture, ultimately damaging what you are trying to store and protect.
Reducing Humidity and Condensation
Your ongoing challenge is the avoidance and removal of the moisture. This moisture can damage everything and cause odors and mold.
Step 1. Keep the interior temperature above the dew point. If you do this, you will be on the right track. Some heaters produce very dry heat, which will also act to dehumidify the air.
Step 2. Reduce the moisture from the air. Dehumidifiers can be used, but may be expensive and incompatible with your electrical system or space limitations. Marine retailers sell products that are designed to act as sponges for the moisture, such as small cup-like moisture-absorbing containers that can be placed in the lockers and other storage areas.
Condensation: The Bane of a Liveaboard’s Existence
“Raining Inside the Boat”
Photo by Chris Birch
Step 3. Use a system designed to heat your lockers and storage areas. There are some interesting methods for this, including a system of metal bars that, when run from a 110-volt source, will put out just enough heat to safely increase the ambient temperature of the small area in which the bar is used.
Step 4. Keep your clothes and non-water-resistant possessions away from the exterior surfaces of the boat, since you know that moisture will form on those surfaces. There are creative ways to ensure that your fabrics do not make contact with these surfaces, such as foam or bubble wrap reflective insulation sold in home improvement stores, wooden separators, and other solutions.
Step 5. Marine stores sell a paper-type product that works quite well when placed under cushions and mattresses to absorb wetness and keep it away from the cushions. Not only will this paper become wet, but it will also get quite moldy over time, so it is important to change it as needed.
Step 6. Lift the cushions and mattresses when you leave the boat, to allow air to circulate around them and to allow residual moisture to dry and surfaces to warm.
Step 7. Periodically open all lockers and storage areas to allow warm air to circulate and to dry moisture that might be accumulating.
Step 8. Avoid showering or boiling water on board, particularly in damp weather or when there is limited ventilation.
Step 9. Consider a central heating system. The venting of a central system will act as a near-hull space heater.
The sooner you become aware of the nuances of your boat, t
he sooner you will be able to develop a system to reduce moisture and keep odors and mold away. Knowing that moisture and condensation will permeate your living space, I suggest buying moisture-proof containers and desiccants for storage. Your marine retailer will have a collection of options as well. Be sure to put all of your paper documents and special possessions in moisture-proof containers, perhaps also adding a dessicant.
Another suggestion is to keep your tools and equipment cleaned and well-oiled. This will help protect them for use when needed.
Moisture and condensation pose significant problems when running a home office or personal electronic gear from your boat. While this is something that I and most liveaboards do, your challenges are not only to allow for the space for a computer, printer, and supplies (such as reams of paper)—but also to figure out how to heat the electronic gear when not in use so that condensation doesn’t form. For instance, moisture (and salt, in certain conditions) can appear on the motherboard of your computer, which can easily destroy the entire computer. While taking measures such as covering computer ports and connectors will prevent liquid moisture from penetrating (some recommend using duct tape, which concerns me since the glue residue can damage the equipment), liquid moisture isn’t really your problem. It is condensation that can wipe out your gear and destroy your supplies. The best recommendation, an unfortunate one at that, is to leave your equipment out in the open so that it is surrounded by warmer air. If you put the equipment in a cabinet away from circulating air, you might be inviting the problem.
The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat Page 17
