Chain locker ventilation?

[jhance]

Chain locker is always super damp. Does anyone have any solutions? Deck and hull sweat and drip all the time. Drain plugs are clear and I've tried damp rid bags. Apart from installing a thru deck vent or leaving deck washdown hose storage door open for ventilation, am I stuck just dealing with a damp chain locker like everyone else?

 

[Comodave]

Do you have a grid or something to keep the anchor rode off the bottom of the locker so the water can drain easily? Something you might try is a passive vent that will suck out air as wind blows over the deck.

 

[Larry M]

I’m assuming your rode is chain since you refer to the “chain” locker. Rinse with fresh water, the chain and locker, after use which will help the drying.

 

[jhance]

I have 50' chain and the rest is rope. Good idea on the grid at the bottom. I'm trying to avoid cutting a hole in my deck for a vent. The problem is that it's cold outside and warmer inside, so the inside of the walls and deck are sweating... the cold pop can on a warm summer day scenario.

I do have a screw-on cap for raw water washdown storage... maybe a modification of the cap and sure that as a vent seems like a good option, but I haven't seen any such devices around.

 

[AusCan]

Mine is 100 feet of chain and the rest rope. The rope acts a sponge on the bottom holding onto the water.

I installed a divider wall so the rope is stored on one side and the chain on the other and it stays much drier now. This also gives the chain more depth to drop so I don't have to knock down the castle as often..

 

[Lepke]

I have a wood grid. I only wash off mud. I have a wood boat so want the salt as a preservative. The chain locker has a rotatable ventilator and a fixed outlet, both about 4". It's always dry.

 

[BruceK]

A previous boat had diamond pattern 1" rubber type mat at the bottom. That might help. So might a final wash off with fresh water into the locker to remove the salt.
Do you wash the rode with water(?salt) washdown during retrieve? You can get serious mud build up if you don`t, I only discovered the diamond mat concealed in mud when I got in there with a pressure washer.

 

[O C Diver]

I use a pressure wand to clean the chain before it hits the bow roller and then mist the chain with fresh water before it reaches the windlass. It requires a gallon or 2 of fresh water, the chain is dry when deployed the next time will little or no salt residue. Also hose down the chain locker and chain when in port.

My main engine room air intake pulls through the chain locker which moves a lot of air for drying the locker.

Ted

 

[markpierce]

We wash the recovering chain with fresh water and have never noticed an odor coming from the enclosed locker.

 

[Maerin]

Had the problem with my chain laying in saltwater in the bottom of the anchor locker. With the potential for 650 pounds of chain slamming the bottom of the locker when the bow pitches, I wanted a rack that would withstand that punishment. Found a great solution from McMaster Carr in the form of industrial fiberglass grating. It keeps the chain up out of the water, the narrow openings insure the chain won't catch, and enables the locker to drain. It can be cut with a circular saw & diamond blade, won't rot, and wasn't terribly expensive.

As far as the damp locker, it helps to rinse the chain with fresh water. Saltwater rinse will get the mud, but the saltwater residue will pull moisture so the chain stays damp.

 

[South of Heaven]

I have an all chain rode. I have never noticed an odor coming from the locker and I have literally stuck my entire head in there and sniffed!

It does stay damp but I'm not worried about it. Wipe the walls with some anti mildew spray every few weeks. The "damp rid" idea seems good too. Maybe you could also just keep the locker door open and prop up the canvas cover, then let it air out for a few hours or so.

I would not go drilling into the hull. That seems like overkill to me. Camano designed the locker that way and I'm fine with it.

 

[aboatman]

I have a combination chain/rope rode and haven't noticed any excessive dampness or smell from the locker. The suggestion to install a grid in the bottom of the locker might help. Make sure the drain is open of course.

The problem with a vent is the possibility (likelihood) of rain or sea water entering.

 

[Comodave]

If some rain comes in a vent, so what it will drain out if the drain is open. As long as you are not taking solid water in the vent from waves it also should not be a problem. Most vents won’t let solid water in. You can always go with a removable vent and for offshore passages install the cover plate. Most windlasses let some water into the chain locker since they do not seal around the chain. The chain locker should not drain into the bilge but rather overboard.