T&T: Aft Cabin Ventilation

[Truelove39 at aol.com]

Hi  Phil-
 
Our  aft cabin has a 7" x 14" port on each side, plus a 14" x 24" on the  aft 
bulkhead, which is really an escape hatch. At anchor, or in a slip, air is  
naturally drawn into the aft cabin thru the side ports, flowing  forward 
through the companionway, up into the galley/saloon, then up  into the pilothouse, 
exiting thru windows or a hatch there. Opening  any ports or hatches in or 
forward of the saloon would reduce this airflow, so  we keep them closed. Because 
the side ports are fairly close to the water, air  drawn through them is 
cooled by it and we seldom have to run a fan except when  there is zero wind. We 
also have two 4" muffin fans in the overhead,  connected to dorade cowls on 
deck, but we only run them in case of a downpour  which necessitates closing the 
ports. 
 
Spending  summers on Lake Champlain, where the water temp seldom exceeds 75,  
helps! 
 
Regards,
 
John
"Seahorse" 
 
 
 
>  How do folks get good night ventilation through an aft cabin? We are  
beginning
to contemplate our retirement/extended cruise boat, are limited to  a max of 
40
feet (own our slip), and want more living space for guests. We've  shied away
from considering an aft cabin trawler because of this concern and  because we
like the convenience of a comfortable aft deck cockpit. Home base  is the
Chesapeake. We expect to travel north in the  hot season and south in the 
cold,
so for the most part conditions would be  relatively moderate.




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