T&T: Aft Cabin Ventilation

[Bob McLeran]

The idea of the BreezeBooster looks great, and might be appealing with a 
couple of caveats:

(1) It won't work in any port light with a screen (not good in bug 
season in Florida, at least, which usually occurs during the hot, muggy 
season when you want the most ventilation); and,

(2) If used on port lights or windows near the deck, you won't be able 
to walk around the deck after you deploy it without stepping over it 
(would certainly limit those night-time strolls).

Sanderling is a trunk cabin trawler (aft master cabin) with an aft hatch 
offset to the starboard side, sliding doors on either side of the main 
saloon, and a hatch in the v-berth. We find that at anchor, with the 
pointy end generally facing the wind/breeze, we get plenty of 
ventilation by keeping everything open. The venturi effect of the breeze 
blowing down the side decks draws the air into the aft hatch and forward 
out the open sliding doors. The person in bed on the side closest to the 
hatch gets the full effect of the breeze; the other person gets a little 
bit (guess who sleeps on the breezy side). Closing anything simply 
reduces the amount of air flow.

All openings are covered with screening, either semi-permanent in the 
port lights, side windows and forward hatch, or temporarily affixed with 
Velcro on the doors and aft hatch (even the top area of the hatch with 
the hatch cover pulled forward and open).

On breezeless nights, we use those small square battery operated 
"personal" fans - they run forever on D-cell batteries and are available 
at Home Depot - and if needed, a 110 volt window unit with dual fans 
(someone else recommended those dual fan units) that just fits into the 
aft hatch opening, either laying on top or affixed in the vertical 
opening. It ain't AC, but it works on all but the very hottest nights 
while still keeping the bugs away. In our 8,000 miles of cruising the 
summers of 2005 and 2006 while anchoring out most of the time, we only 
ran the genset and the AC unit one night, and that was just south of 
Norfolk, Virginia, in 100F+ night time temp weather.

Now if it rains all night to the point that everything needs to be 
closed up, that might bring out the genset and AC.

<><><><><><><><><><><><>Mozilla Thunderbird<><><><><><><><><><>
Bob McLeran and Judy Young                  Manatee Cove Marina
MV Sanderling                               Patrick Air Force Base
Defever 41 Trawler                          Melbourne, Florida 



On 10/28/2007 10:23 AM, Bill Donovan wrote:
> I guess I didn't mention that I saw the BreezeBooster in person.  The 
> owner demonstrated putting the device in the port and removing 
> it.  No more difficult than opening an umbrella and closing it.  They 
> used them, actually just one, in the Bahamas.  His had the bug screen 
> and seemed to work quite well.  A little pricey, but should never 
> wear out -- plastic and nylon sort of materials.