marinco.com VENTILATION 96 Ventilation Explained Maintenance Ventilation In most climates, boats that have been closed for a period of time will become “stuffy.” The temperature differential that develops between the boat cabin and the outdoor environment will cause the humidity level inside the boat cabin to rise. When the humidity level in the closed cabin rises, moisture forms, resulting in mold, mildew and musty air. In these conditions, fabrics, boat electronics and even the boat’s fiberglass structure can be damaged. By consistently replacing trapped, stale air in the closed boat with fresh outside air, the humidity equalizes from inside to outside, resulting in effective maintenance ventilation. Comfort Ventilation Combining different types of vents, with one vent providing “intake” air flow while another vent provides “exhaust” air flow, creates crossflow ventilation. A cross-flow ventilation system will make the interior cabin more comfortable and pleasurable because air is constantly moving throughout the cabin. No matter what your boat size or cabin configuration is, you can increase your boating enjoyment with the addition of ventilation. Safety Ventilation Most boaters are unaware of the hazards that exist in the boating environment. Any number of serious ventilation problems can occur when a boat is left unattended. And even if you are underway, these problems don’t go away. Fumes and gasses, ranging from carbon monoxide to hydrogen gas from battery charging, to gasoline, propane or solvents stored below, are unpleasant, and can sometimes be dangerous. Also, any open flame devices in the cabin require proper ventilation. Ventilation helps to eliminate these hazards by providing constant air circulation resulting in effective safety ventilation. How Much Ventilation Is Required For Your Boat? Ideally, the air in the interior of a boat should be circulated once every hour. A typical 30-foot boat contains approximately 800 cubic feet of air. As you will see, our solar powered models can move between 600 and 1,000 cubic feet of air every hour. The general guidelines for providing maintenance ventilation are as follows: Boat Size Up to 24'. 24' to 40'. 40'. and larger Recommended Ventilation 1 Exhaust Vent* 1 Exhaust Vent & 1 Intake Vent 2 Exhaust Vents & 1 Intake Vent * For effective maintenance ventilation, one vent assumes there will be access for air to get into the cabin (i.e., cowl vent, clamshell vent or louvered panel) It is important to evaluate the cabin layout of your boat to determine optimal locations for both intake and exhaust ventilation. These illustrations suggest placement for Marinco® solar powered vents and Marinco® passive vents. TECH TIP To specifically calculate your boat’s air volume, use this simple formula: A x B x C x 70% = Boat Interior Volume A Dimension is the interior length (excluding cockpit) B Dimension is the boat width C Dimension is the average interior height B C A
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