Has anyone retrofit dorades to their boats?

We're looking at long periods on the hook, when we'll be off the boat all
day (commuting, in the Caribbean) and are looking at mold and mildew
prevention.

For whatever reason, I seem to be particularly sensitive to mold, having
just had another recurrence of a burst eardrum here at home (clogged
Eustachian tubes, infection follows, pressure builds up and necropsy
finishes it). Thus, making sure we have a free flow of air will be
important.

We'll have full awnings, but don't want to leave the boat open, nor do we
want to go to bars/grates which would allow leaving the hatches cracked/open
but (in my, prior security industry-experienced, view) severely compromising
emergency exit.

Thus the thought of dorades. Two questions about that:

Is it a big deal in our cored deck, or about the same as installing a winch
or other topside item?

If you've done it, are you happy with the outcome?

I'm thinking in terms of a couple forward, facing forward, and another
couple aft, facing aft, when we're at anchor, with caps for in and out when
we're in the Briny (I'd sure hate to dump a bucket of water down on the new
bedding!!). That, I presume, would allow for a pretty consistent air flow
through the boat. Finding somewhere to put them which won't screw up our
deck space any more than is already the case will be the biggest challenge.

So, experience??

Thanks.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

I'd look very hard at the Nicro Day&Night solar vents.
They do work, especially if there's wind or sun.
They don't ship water in normal circumstances, but can, in extremis, be replaced with a plug.
They're cleaner and are less likely to snag sheets
They have batteries to keep 'em going all night. A good thing.
Installation is simpler . Burrowing out some core and backfilling with putty is a good idea. Inside trim rings are available.

"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach sez use my name at earthlink dot fishcatcher (net) - with apologies for the spamtrap wrote in message news
Has anyone retrofit dorades to their boats?

We're looking at long periods on the hook, when we'll be off the boat all
day (commuting, in the Caribbean) and are looking at mold and mildew
prevention.

For whatever reason, I seem to be particularly sensitive to mold, having
just had another recurrence of a burst eardrum here at home (clogged
Eustachian tubes, infection follows, pressure builds up and necropsy
finishes it). Thus, making sure we have a free flow of air will be
important.

We'll have full awnings, but don't want to leave the boat open, nor do we
want to go to bars/grates which would allow leaving the hatches cracked/open
but (in my, prior security industry-experienced, view) severely compromising
emergency exit.

Thus the thought of dorades. Two questions about that:

Is it a big deal in our cored deck, or about the same as installing a winch
or other topside item?

If you've done it, are you happy with the outcome?

I'm thinking in terms of a couple forward, facing forward, and another
couple aft, facing aft, when we're at anchor, with caps for in and out when
we're in the Briny (I'd sure hate to dump a bucket of water down on the new
bedding!!). That, I presume, would allow for a pretty consistent air flow
through the boat. Finding somewhere to put them which won't screw up our
deck space any more than is already the case will be the biggest challenge.

So, experience??

Thanks.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

We took the dorades off Leonidas ten years ago and then used four types
of solar vents. None worked very well. They all leaked badly. In
ideal conditions they provided only small amounts of air, but their
batteries frequently were too low, they do not work in sultry overcast
conditions and then they just stopped working. The makers/agents were
uninterested in problems.

We have gone back to dorades, and if you install them I suggest:
* biggest cowls you can find (sucks in more air),
* rotating cowls so you can orientate them to the wind,
* we face them away from the wind in stronger winds & they then suck
air out of the boat,
* when boat is left in marina we face them in opposite directions to
cope with wind shifts,
* "three legged" rope guards over all cowls,
* insect screens inside the boxes,
* fairly large dorade boxes as they work as water separators, and this
requires space,
* some way of sealing the vent into the boat (eg screw down mushroom
cap). The traditional pair of sox is suboptimal.

Best of luck and fair winds

Graeme
sv Leonidas



Jim Conlin wrote:

I'd look very hard at the Nicro Day&Night solar vents.They do work,
especially if there's wind or sun.They don't ship water in normal
circumstances, but can, in extremis, be replaced with a plug.They're
cleaner and are less likely to snag sheetsThey have batteries to keep
'em going all night. A good thing.Installation is simpler .
Burrowing out some core and backfilling with putty is a good idea.
Inside trim rings are available. "Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach sez use
my name at earthlink dot fishcatcher (net) - with apologies for the
spamtrap wrote in message
news dorades to their boats?

We're looking at long periods on the hook, when we'll be off the
boat all
day (commuting, in the Caribbean) and are looking at mold and mildew

prevention.

For whatever reason, I seem to be particularly sensitive to mold,
having
just had another recurrence of a burst eardrum here at home (clogged

Eustachian tubes, infection follows, pressure builds up and necropsy

finishes it). Thus, making sure we have a free flow of air will be
important.

We'll have full awnings, but don't want to leave the boat open, nor
do we
want to go to bars/grates which would allow leaving the hatches
cracked/open
but (in my, prior security industry-experienced, view) severely
compromising
emergency exit.

Thus the thought of dorades. Two questions about that:

Is it a big deal in our cored deck, or about the same as installing
a winch
or other topside item?

If you've done it, are you happy with the outcome?

I'm thinking in terms of a couple forward, facing forward, and
another
couple aft, facing aft, when we're at anchor, with caps for in and
out when
we're in the Briny (I'd sure hate to dump a bucket of water down on
the new
bedding!!). That, I presume, would allow for a pretty consistent
air flow
through the boat. Finding somewhere to put them which won't screw
up our
deck space any more than is already the case will be the biggest
challenge.

So, experience??

Thanks.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things
you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

What are, "three legged" rope guards over all cowls"?
Thanks,
Greg Luckett

wrote:

What are, "three legged" rope guards over all cowls"?

Another term is "dorade guards." Look he

http://www.marinershardware.com/ProdGuard.htm

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.home.comcast.net/

Skip Gundlach wrote:
Has anyone retrofit dorades to their boats?

Dorades are great. They look "right" when done well, and they do the job
(with some limitations). The downside is that a good installation is
onerous, and an effective dorade (i.e., in the 5" range) is expensive,
especially if you go with bronze or chromed bronze.

First I would not just drill a hole and fit a dorade. You will be most
pleased if you mount a dorade "box" of some sort (either wood or
purpose-built plastic) that retards water ingress, and then mount the vent
itself on the box. This is not simple since most surfaces on a sailing boat
are curved to some degree.

I think you will be happier (and have more leisure time) with the Nicro
solar units mentioned in another post. Get the big ones and start drilling.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.home.comcast.net/

You can;t really just mount a dorade without a dorade box. Otherwise
you have no protection againt almost any moisture like rain, etc. A solar-
powered vent is a good choice.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach sez use my name at earthlink dot fishcatcher
(net) - with apologies for the spamtrap wrote in message
news
Has anyone retrofit dorades to their boats?

We're looking at long periods on the hook, when we'll be off the boat all
day (commuting, in the Caribbean) and are looking at mold and mildew
prevention.

For whatever reason, I seem to be particularly sensitive to mold, having
just had another recurrence of a burst eardrum here at home (clogged
Eustachian tubes, infection follows, pressure builds up and necropsy
finishes it). Thus, making sure we have a free flow of air will be
important.

We'll have full awnings, but don't want to leave the boat open, nor do we
want to go to bars/grates which would allow leaving the hatches
cracked/open
but (in my, prior security industry-experienced, view) severely
compromising
emergency exit.

Thus the thought of dorades. Two questions about that:

Is it a big deal in our cored deck, or about the same as installing a
winch
or other topside item?

If you've done it, are you happy with the outcome?

I'm thinking in terms of a couple forward, facing forward, and another
couple aft, facing aft, when we're at anchor, with caps for in and out
when
we're in the Briny (I'd sure hate to dump a bucket of water down on the
new
bedding!!). That, I presume, would allow for a pretty consistent air flow
through the boat. Finding somewhere to put them which won't screw up our
deck space any more than is already the case will be the biggest
challenge.

So, experience??

Thanks.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

I think we have some confusion of terminology.

'Dorade' is a successful ocean racer designed by Olin Stephens.

'cowl ventilator ' is a bent funnel which is mounted on a deckplate and encourages air below.

'Dorade box' is a water-trap box on which a cowl ventilator is mounted. Keeps most water from going below. First seen on Dorade.

'dorade vent' is the combination of a cowl ventilator and a Dorade box.

I hope this helps.



"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote in message ...
You can;t really just mount a dorade without a dorade box. Otherwise
you have no protection againt almost any moisture like rain, etc. A solar-
powered vent is a good choice.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach sez use my name at earthlink dot fishcatcher
(net) - with apologies for the spamtrap wrote in message
news
Has anyone retrofit dorades to their boats?

We're looking at long periods on the hook, when we'll be off the boat all
day (commuting, in the Caribbean) and are looking at mold and mildew
prevention.

For whatever reason, I seem to be particularly sensitive to mold, having
just had another recurrence of a burst eardrum here at home (clogged
Eustachian tubes, infection follows, pressure builds up and necropsy
finishes it). Thus, making sure we have a free flow of air will be
important.

We'll have full awnings, but don't want to leave the boat open, nor do we
want to go to bars/grates which would allow leaving the hatches
cracked/open
but (in my, prior security industry-experienced, view) severely
compromising
emergency exit.

Thus the thought of dorades. Two questions about that:

Is it a big deal in our cored deck, or about the same as installing a
winch
or other topside item?

If you've done it, are you happy with the outcome?

I'm thinking in terms of a couple forward, facing forward, and another
couple aft, facing aft, when we're at anchor, with caps for in and out
when
we're in the Briny (I'd sure hate to dump a bucket of water down on the
new
bedding!!). That, I presume, would allow for a pretty consistent air flow
through the boat. Finding somewhere to put them which won't screw up our
deck space any more than is already the case will be the biggest
challenge.

So, experience??

Thanks.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

I think everybody knows what the disussion is about. Now provide us with
the pronounciation of "dorade"? Is it DOR-ADD or DOR-ADE?

"Jim Conlin" wrote in message ...
I think we have some confusion of terminology.

'Dorade' is a successful ocean racer designed by Olin Stephens.

'cowl ventilator ' is a bent funnel which is mounted on a deckplate and encourages air below.

'Dorade box' is a water-trap box on which a cowl ventilator is mounted. Keeps most water from going below. First seen on Dorade.

'dorade vent' is the combination of a cowl ventilator and a Dorade box.

I hope this helps.



"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote in message ...
You can;t really just mount a dorade without a dorade box. Otherwise
you have no protection againt almost any moisture like rain, etc. A solar-
powered vent is a good choice.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach sez use my name at earthlink dot fishcatcher
(net) - with apologies for the spamtrap wrote in message
news
Has anyone retrofit dorades to their boats?

We're looking at long periods on the hook, when we'll be off the boat all
day (commuting, in the Caribbean) and are looking at mold and mildew
prevention.

For whatever reason, I seem to be particularly sensitive to mold, having
just had another recurrence of a burst eardrum here at home (clogged
Eustachian tubes, infection follows, pressure builds up and necropsy
finishes it). Thus, making sure we have a free flow of air will be
important.

We'll have full awnings, but don't want to leave the boat open, nor do we
want to go to bars/grates which would allow leaving the hatches
cracked/open
but (in my, prior security industry-experienced, view) severely
compromising
emergency exit.

Thus the thought of dorades. Two questions about that:

Is it a big deal in our cored deck, or about the same as installing a
winch
or other topside item?

If you've done it, are you happy with the outcome?

I'm thinking in terms of a couple forward, facing forward, and another
couple aft, facing aft, when we're at anchor, with caps for in and out
when
we're in the Briny (I'd sure hate to dump a bucket of water down on the
new
bedding!!). That, I presume, would allow for a pretty consistent air flow
through the boat. Finding somewhere to put them which won't screw up our
deck space any more than is already the case will be the biggest
challenge.

So, experience??

Thanks.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Hiya, Skip,

Count me as another vote for solar vents. Unless you just gotta have
the aesthetics of dorades, there's no contest, IMO.

Frank