[Rhodes22-list] Solar Vent Installation in Pop Top

[Reuben Mezrich]

Joe
Thanks for the drawings and comments
Why did you decide to put it on the sliding companionway hatch rather than on the hatch over the head?  

Reuben Mezrich
Cell: 410-499-8922

> On Feb 14, 2021, at 3:32 PM, Jesse Shumaker <jesse.laten.shumaker at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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>
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----
>> Joe Dempsey
>> s/v Respite
>> Rhodes 22 1989/2005
>> Deltaville,VA
>> --
>> Sent from: http://rhodes-22.1065344.n5.nabble.com/
>>