First help, please

[ALX357]

refresh previous question....

[Catigale]

That space behind the hatch was an area I thought about, but I watched my habits for a while and found I stepped there a lot..

Im sure the vents will not leak in a vertical position unless you put them underwater

[Richard O'Brien]

.. but i am reluctant to drill a 3-3/4 hole without some research on that location. .

I just drilled the port side just above the motor well for new cables. I measured carefully for a 2-3/4" hole, and seemed to have enough clearance. The problem was the inner liner 3" space was 1" below the outer liner space, so I drilled , "burrowed" horizontaly through my inner liner for 3". Now I've got a big patch job, plus a wire to mend. Next time, I'll drill a small 3/16" hole first then check the alignment inside.

[ALX357]

would be great if someone had a set of aligned blueprints of the boat's fiberglass parts that could be registered together to check that kind of stuff. maybe some x-rays of certain areas that are unaccessable before drilling. thanks for the replys, on my questions, ... am impatient to install ventilation while the Tennessee summer heat has not yet steamed my boat's interior, but keep doing research and waiting for inspiration.
meanwhile have 2 Nicro 3" vents awaiting the install.

[Catigale]

ALX 357

One word of advice I learned when putting in my 3 inch day/night Nicro near mast.

I used a hole saw (buy the right size which is bigger than your vent size of course) and then solve the 'aligning the two hole (one in deck and one in liner) problem by:

Measure Measure Measure

Drill a pilot hole (like a 3/8 inch) through both deck and liner
Now use hole saw to cut out deck hole, The inner hole needs to be larger than the deck hole for my model, so you dont want to cut the inner liner hole yet. Come to the inside and cut the inner hole with the guide hole.

I had some foam and wires to deal with when I did my deck mount. Yes I did cut my VHF and had to add a connection to my hard pulled VHF cable to mast....

Its tough trying to trim the inner liner unless you have a Dremel.

Sounds simple but I confess I brain f*rted and ended up trying to drill and trim the bottom on from inside and botched it. WHite tape to patch the craftsmandinghy.


If I were starting over, I would consider mounting a single 4 inch day/Night NICRO on my hatch for venting and calling it a day. Make sure you liberally apply 5200 to the balsa sides of your hatch exposed when you cut and add to your maintenance list.

Yours for a fair tide;

Catigale

[ALX357]

Catigale;
thanks for the info.... sounds scary like i thought....
i have another question.... can you elaborate on this "drill from the bottom" . " Sounds simple but I confess I brain f*rted and ended up trying to drill and trim the bottom on from inside and botched it. WHite tape to patch the craftsmandinghy" did you mean trim the vent-cup edge which hung down too far into the cabin or the hole
i had planned on doing that measure thing, have made hard-copies of Moe's photos onto paper via printer, to double-check positioning, first drill that pilot hole all the way thru from the bottom, recheck the location from both sides again with reference to the pilot hole, then drill a 3-3/4 hole with a hole-saw (as instructions say) from the top just thru the deck skin first, then drill with that same drill from the bottom thru the liner skin. Then i should be able to remove the two pieces of fiberglass without cutting into (possible) wires . ?? no? --are there internal solid connected fiberglass re-inforcements ?
Also note the deck plate could go into a 3-5/8 hole, but has a chamfered inner edge where it exits the deck, and would need to have the deck surface beveled in a bit to fit flush to the deck. Did your plate fit down all the way with its smaller-than-the-liner hole inside ? Hope you don't mind the detail-intensive questions, but you can see how careful / neurotic LOL i am... I do have a dremel with appropriate side-grinding bits, etc. and as a "carpenter" i have done lots of this kind of stuff, but not to my OWN BOAT !!

[Moe]

The night we slept on the v-berth that it got down to 40 degrees, it was nice not to have the draft of a fan pulling or pushing cold air over us, but it was also nice to wake up to a boat free of humidity and condensation from our breathing all night.

Pretty much anywhere you put a vent on a Mac is a compromise, with all the disadvantages detailed in the last few pages. I wonder if H&S still mounts them to the side of the mast on the M's? Anyone know?

--
Moe

[Catigale]

thanks for the info.... sounds scary like i thought....
i have another question.... can you elaborate on this "drill from the bottom" . " Sounds simple but I confess I brain f*rted and ended up trying to drill and trim the bottom on from inside and botched it. WHite tape to patch the craftsmandinghy" did you mean trim the vent-cup edge which hung down too far into the cabin or the hole

I had to trim the hole manually without a Dremel - this isnt easy and not recommended

i had planned on doing that measure thing, have made hard-copies of Moe's photos onto paper via printer, to double-check positioning, first drill that pilot hole all the way thru from the bottom, recheck the location from both sides again with reference to the pilot hole, then drill a 3-3/4 hole with a hole-saw (as instructions say) from the top just thru the deck skin first, then drill with that same drill from the bottom thru the liner skin. Then i should be able to remove the two pieces of fiberglass without cutting into (possible) wires . ?? no? --are there internal solid connected fiberglass re-inforcements ?

I found (2002 X) an internal member that I cut through- they are not solid, but U shaped in cross section with foam (to give the FG a shape when laid) that support the deck. I can jump on the deck (220#) and not feel movement so I'm not sweating cutting through this.
Also note the deck plate could go into a 3-5/8 hole, but has a chamfered inner edge where it exits the deck, and would need to have the deck surface beveled in a bit to fit flush to the deck. Did your plate fit down all the way with its smaller-than-the-liner hole inside ?

I mounted the deck plate flush, no beveling of deck, with lots of 5200 to seal. I could send you a picture on email if you want to PM me.
THis did make my inner plate sticks down a bit - I think with a Dremel I could take off 1/2-/3/4 inch and make it flush on the inner liner. I think the smart way to do this job is mount the deck plate, then trim the inner liner plate.

Hope you don't mind the detail-intensive questions, but you can see how careful / neurotic LOL i am... I do have a dremel with appropriate side-grinding bits, etc. and as a "carpenter" i have done lots of this kind of stuff, but not to my OWN BOAT !!

Not at all - Catigale owes this board about 1000:1 in the good advice received vs given category - thanks to Moe Chip Frank C Duane Kevin Dave Dimitri SteveK .....on and on ...and HEATH for making it all happen.

[Catigale]

The night we slept on the v-berth that it got down to 40 degrees, it was nice not to have the draft of a fan pulling or pushing cold air over us, but it was also nice to wake up to a boat free of humidity and condensation from our breathing all night.

I went with the more expensive Day Night PUSH PULL Nicros for this reason - in exhaust mode they arent drafty - even the hatch one from Vberth. You swap fans to go from intake to exhaust mode of course.

The little whirring is new noise, but not a biggie..

[Moe]

Ours has the exhaust blade mounted now and I prefer it for getting humidity out of the cabin. Haven't tried the intake blade.

ALX357, if I can take some pictures more straight-on for you, or take any measurements for you, let me know. I'd be glad to do so.

--
Moe

[ALX357]

Moe,
thanks for the offer, and yes i think measurements would be useful; amassing as much info and collective experience as possible on this vent install....
Also trying to glom out how to post photos, have seen instructions somewhere elsewhere on-site, and have got some photos in PhotoBucket site now.... got a few mods/ideas that might interest...

[Moe]

I'll try to get them Friday evening or Saturday...

--
Moe

[DLT]

I realize that this thread is about vent placement on an , but what about on an ?

I'm planning to install this vent, which appears to be about the same as this, in the window above the head.

The general consensus of my family seems to be a bit of discomfort with that large window there, especially at night, where the light inside makes it easy to see in and impossible to see out. So, we don't really mind losing most of that window.

It also seems perfect for other reasons:
1. You don't loose usable deck space, since you are not supposed to step there anyway.
2. No matter how much air it pulls, there won't be a draft on anyone.
3. That's not the worst place to have a leak...
4. Simple install - no liner, etc... Just Plexiglass
5. If we decide to change it, it is likely even cheaper to replace that piece of plexiglass than the hatch.
6. Finally, but my main motivator, has anyone ever gotten sick, trying to go to the bathroom on a boat? Wouldn't it be much nicer to have a fan blowing fresh air on you, especially on a hot humid day?

I chose that vent, besides price, since you can change from intake to exhaust with the flip of a switch and it uses standard AA size NiMHs, so replacement batterys are cheap.

[Tony D-26X_SusieQ]

These vent fans serve only one purpose: venting. If you are expecting a nice cooling breeze you are going to be very dissapointed. They will keep the air circulating so that moisture does not build up but that is all.

[DLT]

Yes, I understand that it is just going to blow the air that it finds, with that air's accompanying temperature.

However, even blowing ambient temperature air does have a cooling effect. Now, its been a long time since I took thermodynamics, but this is the whole idea behind "wind chill"... A breeze, even ambient temperature, will remove heat from your body...

Besides, at 1200 CFH, even 1000CFH, it is stronger than the comparable Nicro models.

But, ultimately, I'm hoping a decent breeze (yes, I know this is not a gail force wind, but it will be right in my face so...) of fresh air will help that queezy feeling I get in a cramped enclosed space on a moving boat, especially on those hod humid days...