[Rhodes22-list] Solar Vent Installation in Pop Top

[Jesse Shumaker]

Joe, nice job on the project and write-up.  Thanks for sharing!

Jesse Shumaker
S/V Zephyr

On Sun, Feb 14, 2021 at 11:15 AM Joe Dempsey <joedempsey at hughes.net> wrote:

> Reuben,
> I posted yesterday to Jesse's post, so maybe you didn't get it. Here are my
> drawings for the poptop hatch installation of the two Marinco Solar vent
> models. As I said, I preferred to keep my cowl vent on the foredeck so I
> can
> close it up for really bad weather.  The following is the entry I made in
> my
> Project Journal for the Installation:
>
> SOLAR EXHAUST VENTS – MARINCO Day and Day/Night Solar Vent
> Modified Installation for Rhodes 22
> I wanted to install a solar powered exhaust vent on my Rhodes but finding a
> suitable location was challenging. The obvious location was in the existing
> 3” anchor chain locker opening. The problem with that location is reaching
> the control and the removable screen. Also, keeping the Cowl Vent that can
> be removed and capping the port was important to me, as well as providing
> thru-cabin intake for the aft mounted solar vents. All other locations on
> the foredeck or on the Cabin Top presented problems with tripping over it
> when going forward, although with both roller furling and IMF main, it
> shouldn’t be a problem, I just didn’t want to bore a hole in the deck. I
> began considering mounting on the Pop-Top Slider. It’s out of the way,
> provides a central but far enough aft location to draw air through most of
> the boat.
> I purchased the Marinco Solar Vent and decided on the Pop-Top location.
> Once
> I had the vent I realized that the Pop-Top only allowed ¼” clearance from
> the cabin top when in the forward position.  The Solar Vent required 1”
> clearance. What to do?  Simple! Raise the Solar Vent up high enough to
> provide the clearance. To do this, I used ½” and ¼” PVC plumbing “flange
> spacers” plus a 1/8” neoprene gasket which I epoxied together to provide
> 7/8” lift, giving the clearance required. I used a 3-3/4” hole saw to bore
> the hole, which I placed off center in case I wanted to add a second fan.
> Since installing, combined with eliminating some port lite leaks, below
> decks has improved considerably but still has a hint of the mildew odor
> when
> opening up. One of the issues with the Marinco Solar Vent is that when the
> sun goes down, so does the exhaust vent.  I have since purchased a Marinco
> Day/Night Solar vent that does just that by charging an internal battery
> during the day that will keep the fan operating all night.
>                 Modification for Day/Night Solar Vent
> As things would have it, nothing is simple. The Day/Night model does not
> have the same profile as the Daytime only model. It is about  2-1/2” taller
> and requires more spacing. For this project, I cut a piece of 3” PVC
> schedule 40 pipe to 2-1/4” which was epoxied to a ¼” flange spacer and
> bolted to the Pop-Top Slider, separated by a 1/8” neoprene gasket.  Once
> it
> was in place it’s only a matter of adjusting the trim rings at top and
> bottom.
> The appearance on the Pop-Top slider is somewhat awkward because the two
> vents are different heights, but         the extra ventilation is much more
> effective than with just one.
>
>
> As for a drain in the anchor rode tray, I also have been wanting to install
> one. Possibly a thru hull just aft and below the level of bottom of the
> tray. It wouldn't need to be a sea-cock type. Look at the water tank and
> holding tank vents port and starboard just below the toe rails.
>
> <
> http://rhodes-22.1065344.n5.nabble.com/file/t752/Deck_Vents_Fore_and_Aft.jpg>
>
>
> <
> http://rhodes-22.1065344.n5.nabble.com/file/t752/Solar_Vent_Installation_PopTop_Sliding_Hatch.jpg>
>
>
> <
> http://rhodes-22.1065344.n5.nabble.com/file/t752/Solar_Vent_Installation_Marinco_Day-Night.jpg>
>
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> -----
> Joe Dempsey
> s/v Respite
> Rhodes 22 1989/2005
> Deltaville,VA
> --
> Sent from: http://rhodes-22.1065344.n5.nabble.com/
>