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I'm planning to close the space under and behind the cockpit seats on my Vacationer and fill them with flotation.  All the frames and panels will be encapsulated in epoxy and the joints filleted.  It will be a watertight space, and most probably airtight as well.  PAR has said that such spaces must be vented when the boat is stored, to prevent mildew/rot.  How real is that concern in a situation like mine?  I think the chances of rot or mildew forming in an airtight/watertight compartment on a daysailer like my Vac are essentially nil.  Any thoughts? Do I have to vent?  Seems like overkill.

Dave

Enclosed spaces produce condensation and if combined with a dark, stagnant air location, mildew, mold and eventually rot develops. The various beasties that grow in this environment, seem to break down surface coatings and this is how it starts.

One technique I've used is to foam fill a locker, but space it off the sides of the locker (or confined space) with small "stand offs". This lets the walls have breathing room, lets condensation run down and out (weep holes), but doesn't let the space hold water (not much anyway).

The last time I did this was in a 34" long, by 14" tall by 16" wide seat locker. I spaced 1/4" plywood strips around the sides and bottom, leaving a 1/2" gap between them, spaced about 6" apart. The "rows" made by the gaps all angled towards the low point of the locker. I covered this with a plastic bag, cut to fit the space and lightly tacked down with spray adhesive. Then I filled the space with pour in foam. When it cured, I popped out the foam block, which didn't stick to the plastic bag, then I removed the plastic and the 1/4" spacers. The resulting foam "casting" had little ribs on it, where the gaps in the plywood had been, perfectly form fitted to the space, but lots of room around the foam block for air to circulate and condensation to drain off. Lastly I coated the foam with epoxy, so it wouldn't absorb moisture and glued it in place inside the locker. The bottom of the locker had two drain holes and the top had three breather holes, so the space could vent. All totaled up, the gaps around the foam would hold a little shy of a quart of water, in the event of a capsize or flooding. The four lockers on this boat would hold a total of less than a gallon of water, which considering their size, wasn't enough to get worried about. The total buoyancy from these lockers was about 570 pounds, so the 8 pounds of water they might hold, wasn't a big issue..

This may seam a bit anal about it, but you must remember, these spaces will never be opened again, so they need to be a "non-issue" space. The seat top was glued to the foam, the foam glued to the boat, so the areas were fully enclosed and effective as floatation, but also not going to rot, mold or mildew either.

I've repaired many boats that had ventilation issues and they all have the same causes: poor air circulation, trapped condensation, huge mold and mildew buildups and limited access.

I realize different boats have different spaces but I use foam pool noodles in my spaces for floatation.  They may not have the lift of trapped air but they are cheap, can be easily cut or folded to fit in spaces, are easily removed to allow those spaces and what little water the noodles soak up to dry.  When I built my boat I added cut outs in everybox, space or enclosed area to allow for water to drain to a low spot where it can be bailed, sponged or pumped out while sailing.  I store or trailer the boat nose high which drains any water to the rear.  I store the boat out of the weather so water doesn't collect.

I use inspection port holes with airtight screw on lids. Close the compartments tightly when going sailing. Unscrew when not sailing. High or low/ warm or cold air pressure throughout the years do play big part in ageing the boats.

I do the same Dave,

I closed off all of the various compartments around the cockpit on my weekender just for the purpose of being able to use them as floatation.  I cut inspection ports in the main bulkhead allowing for access to the area behind the seat backs.  This allows me to check if I have any rot problems as well as prevent it in the first place.  Water tight covers aren't that hard to make.  Mine will probably seep a little, but not before I can right the boat an get going again.  I am particularly happy with having the lazarette sealed off for floatation now. 

I finally got out on the water yesterday to shake down all the changes I made over the winter.  It was a glorious day of sailing.  The over the transom tiller that I made worked better than I had expected. 86ing the mast hoops was also a big improvement as far as sail shape goes.  Now that I know it works so well, I will re-do it with better line.  I finally took off the training wheels on my jib which seemed to make it pull noticeably better.  Also, the new setup helped with tacking quite a bit.

I hope to see you at Pepin next weekend.

Al

Al, you've discovered what most do, once they get some time with their little yachts. Way to go. Water tight areas don't need to be really water tight, as you've noticed, but just tight enough to permit a 15 minute soak, while you right the boat. I do like to make areas that are in the cockpit, well sealed, as these places (like seat lockers) are where the boat can be threatened the most. Now, we need pictures my friend . . . lots . . .

Ok, I'm going to try again to post a pic to this board.  If it works out this is the port side of my cabin with a hanging cabinet, the galley box and the inspection port into the seat back area.

Very nice looking work there Al. I'm not much on the "fiddly" stuff, but on these boats, I can see why folks like it.

Al. I did the same thing to yours. Also has inspection port serving the compartments above the seats to my pocket cruiser.

Thanks for the kind words Paul,

The galley box is designed to be used in the cockpit.  The lid on the box acts  as a counter top and the stove is one of those flat and wide butane jobs.  The whole thing works pretty well except that it is kind of heavy to pull through the companionway. 

The best thing in that picture is the hanging cabinet.  It doesn't show here, but I mounted my VHS on the side of it so it is right where I can hear it and grab it quickly.  The cabinet is mostly used to hold things that I might want while underway.  The first aid kit, bug dope , sunscreen, coffee cup, etc. live there 24/7.  I like to keep the cabin as neat as possible because there is a lot of junk in there when I stay over night. 

Now that I seem to have figured out how to post pics, I have some interesting ones to show.

Al