El Niño Preparation

I own a 2023 Ranger R25 located in the Marina in Santa Barbara. I typically leave my boat in my slip from mid-October to mid-May. I have a Dehumidifier and air purifier running 24/7 in the enclosed salon and have a rear cockpit enclosure made of Sunbrella Fabric that matches the factory bimini. This year I have waterproofed the Bimini and enclosure with 3 coats of 3M Waterproofing for exterior canvas use. I also sprayed a Mold Inhibitor on the inside of the canvas to help prevent mold. I plan on leaving a few small openings for airflow. What are other West Coast boaters doing to help prevent water from penetrating their enclosures and hopefully prevent water damage to the rear cockpit and massive mold issues? Thanks in advance.

I know it may not be 1 of your options but...
My best friend owned boats all his life and he talked me into spending the extra money for a covered slip. The lower maintenance costs over the years has offset the covered slip cost. I would highly recommend it if you ever get the opportunity.

SKing said:

I know it may not be 1 of your options but...
My best friend owned boats all his life and he talked me into spending the extra money for a covered slip. The lower maintenance costs over the years has offset the covered slip cost. I would highly recommend it if you ever get the opportunity.

Click to expand...

I know of no covered slips here in Southern California. Especially in Santa Barbara, where the harbor is rather limited.

SKing said:

I know it may not be 1 of your options but...
My best friend owned boats all his life and he talked me into spending the extra money for a covered slip. The lower maintenance costs over the years has offset the covered slip cost. I would highly recommend it if you ever get the opportunity.

Click to expand...

It keeps the rain and snow off but dang, it still sure gets dirty! What I get is a lot of wood fibers from the dock structure itself chaffing off onto the boat. I have managed to control the birds with rubber snakes. P.S. if you DO get a covered slip, check your clearance, they are not all the same. (Lesson learned the hard way.)

Your plan sounds good for the cockpit. I'm usually on the boat 1-2 times per week and keep things ship shape by routine maintenance. Coating the canvas for waterproofing is something I might consider as a way to extend its life, I just replaced the 3 small pieces that I have. I'm in Half Moon Bay and there's always a lot of moist air to deal with. I run 7x24 two Davis Air-Dryr Marine Dehumidifiers inside the pilothouse, one in the main berth and the other in the salon. I also have a couple non-electronic units with moisture absorber. I monitor conditions with a humidistat/temp.unit.