It’s not the water outside the boat that creates the problem but the water within, or in our case the moisture. Well, yes there was a case(s) last year where we left the forward hatch open, crossed the wake of a very large cruiser which thoroughly soaked our bed. Our fault. We forgot. We learned. We dried out…eventually.
This year though we faced another moisture challenge. Cold meeting warm. When the frigid temperatures of the Saint Lawrence River (1 °C – 7 °C) met the warm-ish ambient temperatures inside R.E.D.’s cabin condensation resulted. And evil mildew ensued.
R.E.D. isn’t built for such conditions and now that we are back from this summer’s adventure we have to address fixing the issues.
After scrubbing away the mildew, Francois put a substantial coating of a product that is supposed to control mold and mildew. Well if the famous Mike Holmes endorses it, it must be good, right? Worth a try anyway.
Our Froli bed system and cushions were removed from the V-berth. The floatation material was also removed and the bilge lined with mylar insulation…the same used to make the blanket for our cooler (story here)
Mylar Liner
Have you ever taken a piece of equipment apart and when putting it back together had something leftover?…
Where Does This Go?
…This was one of those cases.
Mylar Lined Bilge Cover
We are, for the moment at least, mold and mildew free. V-berth cushions and bedding has been returned. The rear bilges have been cleaned and pretty well sanitized. The one big issue remains that will have to be addressed (if I have anything to do with it)…all that carpet on the walls of the cabin MUST GO. Replacing the covering on the dagger board well turned out to be a great solution – however difficult – it was worth the effort (story here). We have discussed options. Francois has thoughts. I have thoughts and as with any good team, somewhere in the middle, we will reach a solution. More to come on that in the near future. For now we will enjoy sailing on our little lake for the rest of the season mold-free.