Living On A Sailboat Tips: Controlling Mildew and Mold

While my wife and I were living on our sailboat, "Rising Star" in the Caribbean a few years ago we were constantly battling with mold and mildew. Preventing mold and mildew on a sailboat is a daily challenge but is a chore that must be done so that your possessions are not all ruined. Aside from your property, breathing mold spores can be very dangerous for your respiratory health.

The key to preventing mold and mildew on things like interior boat surfaces is to keep the boat well ventilated. We used a wind scoop up on the forward hatch, that funneled the trade winds down into the interior of the boat. In safe anchorages we left the wind scoop up all day, except for when there was an approaching storm. Unfortunately wind scoops, such as the trademarked Windscoop by Davis Industries, will funnel a lot of rainwater into your boat if you don't take them down before you head to shore. We found that out the hard way in Trinidad.

Using solar powered ventilators is another way to deep the air flowing while at anchor. When there is no breeze a couple of little West Marine solar powered ventilators will move quite a lot of air.

Lysol is a wonderful product and you can't have too much of it onboard a sailboat to help prevent mildew. Before closing the companionway hatch for any length of time we spray down the galley and bunks with Lysol. Just be careful of using it around pets since it can be toxic to cats and dogs.

Tips On Storing Clothes On A Sailboat

Space Bags, which is the trademarked name for one brand of clothes storage vacuum bags, were our choice for storing clothes onboard. While it seems like a lot of trouble to do this it is worth your while. You will need a good vacuum of course and an big enough inverter to power it. We carried a mini Shop Vac along with a small inverter type generator to run it. When we got back from shore with our laundry we too the things we wouldn't be wearing or using for a few days and placed them in the Space Bags, sprayed a whiff of Lysol on them and sucked the air out. (Probably sucked the Lysol out too.)

For wiping down your galley and head surfaces we used a solution of water and vinegar. The acid in the vinegar remains behind, forming an anti mold and mildew barrier. What the vinegar doesn't kill the Lysol will take care of.

Why You Must Be Vigilant About Mold and Mildew On A Sailboat

You must not let down your guard on protecting your things from mold and mildew. The reason is that if you get a severe outbreak in a locker, full of foul weather gear, you might lose the foul weather gear but you are also allowing trillions of mold spores to spread throughout your boat in the air. This will cause outbreaks in other areas and before you know it you have a boat - wide mold problem.

Using Chemical Dehydrator Canisters

While those chemical dehydrators will not solve your moisture problems, since they can't remove anywhere near enough moisture from the boat's cabin, they will work in closed areas such as foul weather lockers or tool compartments. We carried several of the West Marine brand dehumidifier canisters and bought more each time we returned to the states and visited marine stores. You can also use the large size of baking soda boxes in your galley fridge or ice chest to control moisture and odors there.

Sunlight, The Enemy Of Mold

Another way to get rid of mold and mildew on a sailboat is to let in as much light as possible. Open up the hatches, ports and companionway and let in as much light on sunny days as possible. I even used a large mirror, removed from the wall in the head, to focus sunlight into the darkest part of our boat on sunny days. This seemed to help our sailboat mold problem a great deal.

Keeping mold and mildew at at bay while living on a sailboat can be a big job, but with proper ventilation and routine cleaning you can save yourself a lot of work.

For more tips on how to store items on a sailboat see: Sailboat Space Saving Tips