Dampness,Mildew&Rust:Oh,My!

Boat owners, especially liveaboards, have to contend with the ravages of corrosion, rust and mildew. Mildew and mold can thrive in canvas sails or upholstery, leather seats, dark cabinets or closets. Our biggest problem is mildew, it can pop up anywhere in a liveaboard’s life; not just the bathroom, but on stateroom ceilings, walls and crevices. I have even discovered mildew in drawers that I hadn’t opened in a while.


My best friend is now bleach spray cleaner Love the stuff!



You do have to be careful when using a bleach product to keep from discoloring items. If I use it in a stateroom, I strip off the bedding and make sure I wear protective eyewear if I’m cleaning mildew off the ceiling. I also make sure to have plenty of ventilation in the room. Don’t forget to wear old clothes, as you WILL get bleach spray on them.

Everyone knows best way to prevent mildew is to keep things dry. That is not always possible on a boat. We get tons of condensation in one of our forward stateroom because of the large hatch in the ceiling. It’s not too much of a problem during the summer, but when the cold and rain comes and that hatch stays closed, it is a constant battle; thus the bleach spray.

Some boaters leave a low wattage bulb burning in a mildew-prone room. I’m not a big fan of that idea, as it is a potential fire hazard and really believe that you need to have a Dehumidifier .

When we had a smaller boat, not a liveaboard, we used Goldenrod Dehumidifier Rod that comes in various lengths.

This handy item is a great way to stop mold, mildew and dampness in your cabin and compartments. You can leave it on when you are not aboard as it is safe from fire danger and it has no moving parts to wear out and no chemicals to replace. It runs on 110V AC shore power, installs in minutes and is energy efficient.

While we are on the subject of keeping things dry and warm, I found the perfect Portable Cabin Heater for a terriffic price at Amazon.




It has 2 Heat Settings and you can Stand It Up or Lay It Down so it is easy to put just about anywhere on a boat. Adjustable Thermostat / Anti-Frost Setting and a Cool Fan Function - Can Be Used Without Heat If The boat Gets Too Hot. But the most important feature: Overheat Protection Shut-Off / Power Indicator Light /Thermal Cut-Off /Fire Retardant.
We have one in each stateroom and that is all we need during a Southern California Winter.

Another of my favorite tricks is to keep an electric blanket on our bed during cold weather. About an hour before we go to bed, I turn that baby on to High and it is an absolute treat to snuggle into that nice warm bed. P.S. if there are two of you sharing that electric blanket, be sure to get one with two (2) controls! I like it real warm and the captain does NOT.