covering vents

Do you cover your engine room vents? If yes what works well? I am a first year live aboard and need too keep some of the cold out.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Greg

Engine Vents.

I have stainless steel louverd plates held on by 6 SS screws each. I took one off to use as a template. Then use 1/4' plywood that had been coated with CPES. This kept the air flow in/out to 0. I have seen vessels where the owner put F.G insulation in a plastic bag then loosely stuffed in the engine vent ducting from inside the vessel. I also place red tape over my fuel tank vents to keep moisture out.

I had a seamstress make foam filled covers for mine, they help hold what heat there is in the engine compartment & bilge. I have oil pan heaters on the mains & generator & keeping the wind from circulating thru probably helps them maintain a more stable temperature. The best thing I've found for keeping the boat comfortable in the winter is having the F/B & cockpit enclosure on & closed up.

Thanks Ron T and River Cruiser,

Ron are the I/4" plywood panels used to replace the vent covers? River Cruiser how are the insulated cover attached?

Thanks again

Greg

River Cruiser said:

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I had a seamstress make foam filled covers for mine, they help hold what heat there is in the engine compartment & bilge. I have oil pan heaters on the mains & generator & keeping the wind from circulating thru probably helps them maintain a more stable temperature. The best thing I've found for keeping the boat comfortable in the winter is having the F/B & cockpit enclosure on & closed up.

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Greg, we have covers similar to RiverCruisers- they are snap on covers.

Ours aren't insulated, but the simple cover makes all the difference in the engine room. Our ER's temp is consistently around 50° in the winter- the only heater is one of the West Marine pie pan type heaters.

no mas petrol said:

Thanks Ron T and River Cruiser,

Ron are the I/4" plywood panels used to replace the vent covers? River Cruiser how are the insulated cover attached?

Thanks again

Greg

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I have them marked so they go on in the same position each year. I use brass #6 screws to hold them to the vent.

Thanks for the reply, I think I will take the corner screws out of the vents and replace them with snaps, like those used on tops and rail covers and get some top gun material and install the female half of the snap for fastening.

Thanks all for the help, first year live aboard job list is getting quite long.

Greg

no mas petrol said:

Thanks for the reply, I think I will take the corner screws out of the vents and replace them with snaps, like those used on tops and rail covers and get some top gun material and install the female half of the snap for fastening. Thanks all for the help, first year live aboard job list is getting quite long. Greg

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I didn't go with the snaps because I thought they may hang up on the roof supports when backing in to the slip when it's real windy.

Thanks River Cruiser. I haven't started the job yet, I am still gathering parts. I looked at the vents and if I use snaps I can put them below the height of the vent louvers and this should not create a problem. Thanks for all the input, I hope your kindness is returned many times over. Merry Christmas.

Greg

Greg, we take a pool noodle and cut pieces to fit into our vents. It is quick, eaasy, and you can get them very cheap.