Is winter mold/mildew an issue in the Northeast?

[bsangs]

Being in the Northeast, where there's extremely low humidity during winter, do I need to overly concern myself with the moisture/mold issues that warmer winter climes residents do? I keep "Radiance" in the water all winter. She gets shrink wrapped in the slip, marina utilizes a bubbling system in case of freezing, which rarely occurs in the brackish waters of the Morris Basin Canal here in NJ. Last season, I kept a tiny dehumidifier going for most of the winter, but it rarely collected any moisture. (Unlike in the summer, when it needs to be emptied every couple days.) I kept the main hatches in the vent position and left the dorades uncapped. Wiped down all surfaces and moved V and Q berth cushions away from the sides of the hull. Used a space heater, a fully enclosed oil model which has an automatic setting to activate when temps dip below 37 degrees, just to keep anything from freezing. Had no mold, moisture or any other issues I've read about people experiencing during winter. Now that it's time to prepare for winterizing again, I'm back to hearing about "Mold, mildew, moisture!" Some of my marina live aboard neighbors experience these issues during the winter, but their situation is different. They're on board all the time, using a heater, creating condensation, etc. Anyway, just wondering how vigilant I should be checking for mold/mildew/moisture between December to March.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Interesting topic Brian. Our boat has been an active work site the two winters we've had her so not typical storage for us yet. We store on the hard so I'd be interested in folks' mold experiences with that, too. Bigger temperature fluctuations that way.

 

[Pete the Cat]

Interesting topic Brian. Our boat has been an active work site the two winters we've had her so not typical storage for us yet. We store on the hard so I'd be interested in folks' mold experiences with that, too. Bigger temperature fluctuations that way.

Yes. Mold and mildew can be problems here in Maine. What I have learned is how the boat is stored makes a huge difference in what and how much collects. The yard used to put their own dark covers over the boats and we had standing bilge water collecting from mildew after the winter and spring. They switched over to well vented heat shrink and the problem was very much reduced. Frankly I get some dusty fuzz on my boat's interior surfaces when it is warm and rainy and the boat is closed up while it is on the mooring. It is about reduction, not elimination of mold in my experience. I have tried all manner of chemicals and none of them appears to make much difference about prevention.

 

[mjsouleman]

I place two large damprid containers on Discovery and low power fans going all winter, keep the bilge dry after putting on my winter cover and wiping everything down with a 5% solution of bleach ( see practical sailor article) https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-maintenance/mildew-treatments-and-stain-removers

Bleach​

We tested a simple 10-percent solution of household bleach (3 percent sodium hypochlorite) in the moist environment test. While many predicted it would not kill the mildew and that the surface would quickly re-infect, that isn’t what happened. Because we did not rinse, perhaps there was enough alkaline residue to prevent mildew from returning. Obviously, it cannot be used on materials that will be discolored, and we are concerned about long-term physical damage to fabrics because long-term protection required not rinsing. There are short-term exposure hazards and unpleasantness involved in its use, particularly in tight places.

 

[Woody]

Being in the Northeast, where there's extremely low humidity during winter, do I need to overly concern myself with the moisture/mold issues that warmer winter climes residents do? I keep "Radiance" in the water all winter. She gets shrink wrapped in the slip, marina utilizes a bubbling system in case of freezing, which rarely occurs in the brackish waters of the Morris Basin Canal here in NJ. Last season, I kept a tiny dehumidifier going for most of the winter, but it rarely collected any moisture. (Unlike in the summer, when it needs to be emptied every couple days.) I kept the main hatches in the vent position and left the dorades uncapped. Wiped down all surfaces and moved V and Q berth cushions away from the sides of the hull. Used a space heater, a fully enclosed oil model which has an automatic setting to activate when temps dip below 37 degrees, just to keep anything from freezing. Had no mold, moisture or any other issues I've read about people experiencing during winter. Now that it's time to prepare for winterizing again, I'm back to hearing about "Mold, mildew, moisture!" Some of my marina live aboard neighbors experience these issues during the winter, but their situation is different. They're on board all the time, using a heater, creating condensation, etc. Anyway, just wondering how vigilant I should be checking for mold/mildew/moisture between December to March.

It can't hurt to hang a moisture-absorption bag or two in the fore and main cabins. Then see if they have water in them in the Spring. Mildew is definitely an issue up here, even if not as bad as in Southern climes.

 

[bsangs]

It can't hurt to hang a moisture-absorption bag or two in the fore and main cabins. Then see if they have water in them in the Spring. Mildew is definitely an issue up here, even if not as bad as in Southern climes.

Oh I do. Have a slew of Damprid bags in my arsenal.