Condensation ????

[Fair Well]

Hello all:
We have been away from the boat for about 6 weeks we have been on her for five nights now. While getting dressed yesterday morning in the master room I noticed the head liner looked like it was sagging down on both port and starboard sides toward the aft of the boat. When I felt the head liner it felt like a water bed. Concerned that the hole thing was about to fall on the bed I took a needle and poked servile small inconspicuous holes and let the water out. Got about 2-1/2 qt. of water out, it was brown in color. Could this be condensation? There are no water lines and the boat has not been washer for about 2 weeks and we have not had any rain in I don't know when. Could the under side of the back deck sweet that much? The back deck is covered with teak glued down not screwed all cocking looks fair. This is on a 1988 65 ft. MY extended to 78 ft.. Has any one else had this problem on a 65 MY? We are located in Rockport TX the humidity has been in the 80% rang and timp around 85 to 90 days and nights at mid 70's. Thanks for any help.

 

[saltshaker]

It certainly could be condensation but brown water usually indicates water leaking through wet core. The water could discolor from a number of other contaminants on the underside of the headliner including some of the wooden battens.

 

[magnawake]

I have had condensation problems as well, but in the winter. The outside air temp has to be very cold. The inside warm and humid. The inside moist air will condense on the very cold surfaces such as your front windows. I have been traveling (winter) when my wife, Daughter and I took hot showers in our V-berth and the water condensed under the front head liner (under the bow deck) and ran down the side of the wall. The Fwd hatch was also getting wet. I knew it had to be condensation. I dont see anyway yours could be condensation. If you havent had any rain what so ever, maybe your wet bar fresh water in the sink might be leaking and running aft. Oh yeah, my condensation in the V-berth was brown as well. I do have core problems in the pulpit area, so that would explain the color.

 

[Pascal]

Sounds to me like it could be condensate water from an air con unit installed somewhere above the master.

Unfortunately many builders including hatteras do not route the condensate drains with enough slope for dirt to flush out with the water. Check any air handler on the main deck above and see if the pans are over flowing. If so then unclog the hose...

 

[Fair Well]

Ok I have been chasing this leak on and off all day and not found the source. I pulled out some recess lights and from what little I can see there is no condensation. This is good I guess but also means water is coming from some where. Has any one ever accessed the under side of the deck drains? I think maybe I 'll look there the one on port holds water and doesn't drain vary good. Thanks for the in put how ever I don't have the aft bar/sink. There are no a/c units above the master bedroom. I welcome any ideas don't look foreword to removing the head liner.

 

[magnawake]

OK, lets think about the A/C drain again. My salon A/C unit is under my fly bridge, under all my instrumentation. When it clogged up last year, it ran down, then aft and was coming out a window frame. It's possible the evaporator can still be the source, but only if the unit was left running when you were away. I understand you didnt have any rain. If it was the deck drain, that would make sense, but you didnt have any water in the drain from rain. How bout turn the water hose on the drains and look down below. Keep us posted

 

[Fair Well]

Well it is definitely CONDENSATION !!! Now what to do about it? Any suggestions? I was thinking insulating Hatteras has insulation above the speakers and it seems to be dry under it and in between it. Thinking of drilling some 1" holes behind cornish boards next to and on the inside of curtain track on both sides for ventilation. I have one side of the headliner down on the starboard side (this side seems to be the worst) I can't believe there is that much moisture in that area. There are no vents to outside air that I can see and I don't feel any drafts, you would think after 9 days running the A/C the air would stabilize. Hear are a couple of photos. Thanks for any help

 

[Boatnut]

Could it be that the inside is cold enough that the hot deck is getting it to form condensation. Maybe insultating the entire area where the condensation is occurring would help, with an added feature of the ac not running as much. Just my feeble thoughts. Good luck

 

[saltshaker]

That's an awful lot of condensation. Is this something new or has it been an ongoing problem? Are your decks cored? If so I would think that would cut down condensation from extreme inside/outside temp difference.

 

[bobk]

I'm with those who suspect a core issue. Here is why:

All the brown water problems I have dealt with have been due to wood (core) rot over thirty years. Can the 'underskin' of a comosite be porous enough to pass water? You bet! One of the bad engineering problems with some older boats.

Condensate is in essence distilled water... fairly clean.

Condensation requires humid air and a cold surface. My bet is your windows are much colder than the underside of a cored deck that has the added insulation of a headliner. Do you have loads of water running down your windows? If not, I'd look on for other sources as others here have suggested. Moisture meters can sometimes help.

My two cents, worth what you paid for it.

Bobk

 

[dsharp]

I think I would ask on a hvac forum to see why your ac is not pulling the moisture out of the air. I thought I read that you were in Rockport which is about 200 miles west. The humidity has been extremely high around here so I can't imagine it being much different. On a home an oversized ac won't run long enough to take the moisture out. Where is ac drawing its supply air? I know about enough about hvac to be dangerous but I can't see how there could be enough of a temperature difference to make that much condensation. Can you get your hands on a dehumidifier?

 

[magnawake]

In the winter, my fwd part of my anchor locker develops condensation drops just like in your picture. It is below where the core is wet (caused by a 25 yr old leak). Where the core is dry, it doesnt produce condensation drops. My anchor locker door is normally closed so my dehumidifier doesnt really do the job unless I open the door. Your head liner may trap air between the surfaces and then condense on the cold overhead. However, you didnt say what the temp has been over there. It has to be in the thirties to make condensation appear in my locker. I do get condensation on my windows when we all take hot showers. Thats why I have a dehumidifier I bought at Lowe's. Maybe a moisture meter will tell the story.