MacGregorSailors.com

Hello- I so enjoy this forum as a teaching tool to help us get it right the first time, saving energy, time and money. Thank you all!

With that-effective vents? I really know we are going to need one for the head as well as at least another for the cabin to keep her fresh in our damp Pacific Northwest climate. Intensive heat is not an issue but we do get 80 degree summers and freezing winters with everything inbetween happening on an unpredictable basis.

Do we need to spring the several hundreds of dollars for Nicro day and night vents or do passive systems work? Our boat is moored so we cannot air her out on a whim and we want our vents to not allow for a theft-(lots of property theft in our region).

Hi,
In the dry areas with sun, a solar vent over the head is fine. In moist areas without direct sun, no solar. Otherwise, size matters! The old fashioned dorade left in place will keep your boat dry, bigger the better. Just replace it with a closed plate when using the boat, a loop of line will always find a way to remove it for you. Take care to see that you have no leaks! Your vent must be such that it will not admit water in a driving rain.
MIke Inmon

On boats the size of our Macs. raised cowls and above deck dorade vents usually take up too much foot room or are line catchers. Definitely avoid the soft upright vinyl or PVC cowls at they do turn yellow,get sticky and attract dirt after a year or two.
The best solution and the one I've used successfully for the past 19 years is the flying saucer shaped low profile vents with stainless steel covers, whether passive or solar. Get the ones that have the best positive shut off mechanism. Size does matter, especially in the passive vents. Get the 4" model. Seal the mounting ring to deck with good sealant. Even in very heavy downpours I've never had one leak if mounted on a horizontal surface like the cabin top, front hatch cover, or sliding main hatch cover.

I installed a pair of 4 inch Nicros on our boat, and have been pleased with their operation. One, set to blow in, is installed on the forward hatch. The second, in exhaust mode, is cut into the small window in the head.

Chinook,
I purchased a single 4" Nicro vent. 2 years ago and have not installed it yet. Both of my options for placement have been where you have placed yours. Do you have any issues with lines getting caught up in the "hat" of the vent while tacking?

We haven't had any problems with sheets hanging up on either of the vents. The one on the forward hatch, being well forward of the mast, doesn't seem to be anywhere near the sheets when we tack. The one on the head window is low enough to be clear of the sheets. Also, the curved, polished surface of the vents is well designed to avoid snagging lines. I do occasionally hang up a sheet during a tack because of the way I store my telescoping spinnaker pole. I clip it onto a pair of plastic eyelits which I mounted on the front of the mast. The bottom of the pole is just above the deck, and the sheet occasionally snags there. It's a great place to store the pole when not in use, but I do need to change things somehow to eliminate those hangups. Maybe if I lower it just a little bit, there won't be anything to catch on.