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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

cabin ventilation with solar vent

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/16/2011 : 06:33:22

Get the Nicro Day/Night Plus. 24 hour powered ventilation. I love it! Found mine (white, not stainless) on Ebay for about $75. WM has them on sale online right now for $99. Got the email this morning. Our boat had 2 stainless solar vents when we bought her, but neither one worked - not battery, daylight only. I replaced the one on the foredeck, situated behind the skylight. The slotted vents in your companionway board will provide plenty of air inflow.

Edited by - on

jonfew346
1st Mate

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USA
33 Posts

Response Posted - 06/16/2011 : 08:53:19

Thanks. I guess there will always be bad reviews about any product.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3467 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2011 : 04:00:51

Wanted to report great service from Nicro. I installed a new Nicro Day/Night Plus in the Fall after buying it on sale from WM last Spring. It stopped working a few weeks ago and it wasn't the battery since I replaced it with a new fully charged battery and besides, the vent is designed to run in sun when the battery is not installed and it did not work in that mode either.

I sent an EMail to Nicro and they forwarded an RMA form to be filled out decribing the issue and also to return the form electronically with a scanned in copy of my receipt. I was waiting for them to send me the official RMA Number to use that to ship back the non-working unit but Nicro sent an EMail that they were shipping me a new unit to get me up and running and that there was no need to send them back the old unit. A few days later, I received the new unit. Great service !!!

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2011 : 06:53:25

Now you can reply to their e-mail and tell them you posted about it here, where several hundred sailors participate and probably hundreds more lurk.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5381 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2011 : 20:22:13

That's good news, I just became a customer. Plan on mounting it in the hatch cover.

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Tomas Kruska
Admiral

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Czech Republic
522 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2011 : 23:54:22

I also have worn motor sleeves and here is the discussion regarding motor replacement for only $9

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/47138-nicro-day-night-2000-solar-vent-repair.html

The second problem is that the plastic cover above the cell lost its original transparency from the UV light.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3467 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2011 : 04:08:20

That is a great article to save as a reference !

Edited by - on

skybird
Navigator

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USA
135 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2011 : 13:00:29

I installed the Nicro stainless 4 inch day/night in the head (offset to port). I have a cover which completely covers the cabin attached by the snaps for pop top cover and extends to the bottom of the companion hatch. Ventilation is still adequate with the cover completely installed. One installation detail--the hole saw I used would not penetrate the roof lamination completely from topside. I had to line up the pilot hole with a longer bit and finish cutting from the inside out. Otherwise the toughest part was deciding to cut a 4 inch hole in my boat!!

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2011 : 18:37:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> I had to line up the pilot hole with a longer bit and finish cutting from the inside out. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That is the best way to cut anyway. It avoids chipping and cracking.

Edited by - Dave5041 on 06/18/2011 18:39:16

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2011 : 18:49:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by skybird
Otherwise the toughest part was deciding to cut a 4 inch hole in my boat!!

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yeah....I hear ya on that one....went through the same pain recently trying to fix a loose traveler bolt......

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TCurran
Admiral

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USA
588 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2011 : 04:55:20

This thread inspired me to get off my butt, go to WM, buy a Nicro (while still on sale this time) to replace the one on my C25 that resisted all repair attempts. Thanks. Another good Sat tinkering with a boat, hope to finish the weekend off by having the wife take me on a Father's day sail.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/20/2011 : 05:15:01

Just installed mine about 3 weeks ago and it has quit working. What a pain.. sounds like the motor is out of round, tries to turn, and just stops. Oh well.. I wish I had left mine out in the sun for a few weeks before the install.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/20/2011 : 13:15:49

The folks at Nicro were great and said they would get a new motor assembly out 2 day shipping, and for me to return the one I had, and that the switch out was easy.

Very helpful.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/20/2011 : 17:54:14

Sounds like a good resolution, Ray, and good customer service.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2011 : 04:38:37

Incredible customer service. I thought I'd gone back in time. Shipped the the replacement part immediately, emailed the RMA ( a return authorization form ) and asked if I needed any further help.

Wow..

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jonfew346
1st Mate

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USA
33 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2011 : 06:38:56

I jumped on that great sale at WM too, but it is frustrating to hear of these breaking after three weeks. Please let us know if the replacement last any longer.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2011 : 07:58:49

I'm sure the next one works. The one I installed had something funny with the motor, you could hear it was not smooth running and I noticed it right away, but I pretty much needed to fill a hole at that point.

I'm very impressed with the design, easy to replace a motor.

Now... cuttin that hole was an adventure.. but then I did it without shore power.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2011 : 04:34:53

Got the new vent in last week and changed it out in about 2 minutes. Remove 3 screws and put on the new unit. Nicro support could not have been better. They sent me a whole new vent and the new one works just fine. Something with the first one was not right with the motor.

Again, great design, I'm impressed.

Edited by - on

Jan Briede
Navigator

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USA
162 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2011 : 11:53:53

I jumped on it as well and installed it on my boat this weekend. Very nice design and easy to install. I'm sure it is doing its job, although I was not impressed with the amount of air the fan seems to pull. But then who would want to live in a wind tunnel; again I am sure it's doing its job.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2011 : 12:11:29

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jan Briede
 ...I was not impressed with the amount of air the fan seems to pull...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">The point is not to create a breeze or keep the boat cool on a hot day, but rather to change the air overnight so the moist daytime air doesn't condense on everything inside the cabin--the prime cause of mildew. It also takes care of the moisture from your breathing when you sleep on board. The solar Nicro will change the air in a C-25 many times overnight, drawing in cooler air that has already dropped its moisture. It does that very well.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2011 : 12:52:43

That's funny cause I was actually very impressed with the amount of air it was pulling through. What a neat little fan to run off of solar power only. The whole design makes me want to look closer at anything solar.

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jonfew346
1st Mate

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USA
33 Posts

Response Posted - 06/28/2011 : 08:42:33

I installed mine on Sat. I highly recommend using a Rotozip. It worked great except for the huge mess of shavings down below. Do cover interior near cutting site or duck tape a piece of plastic up to catch all the shavings. Important... the deck in front of the mast is not quite 1 inch think so make sure you buy the spacer or use some type of 1/4 inch spacer on the inside trim ring. Otherwise the solar vent will not mound flush to the deck.
After you cut the piece of deck out, count the rings. It will tell you how old the boat is!

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2011 : 04:04:38

<< the deck in front of the mast is not quite 1 inch think so make sure you buy the spacer or use some type of 1/4 inch spacer on the inside trim ring. >>

I didn't need a spacer on an '84 Catalina 25 when mounting it to the port side, and bit forward of the mast. There was a gap between the deck and liner. It would probably be easy to cut the top of the trim ring if you did not have the spacer. If you had the right tool....

Edited by - redeye on 06/29/2011 04:13:04

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2011 : 07:35:54

One thing I noticed when I replaced the vent on our foredeck (between the skylight and the anchor locker) was that the deck/trim ring had been cut back because it extended below the ceiling in the V-berth. This was done so that a teak rimmed screen could be installed over the opening on the inside. The new vent's deck/trim ring did the same, but I chose to leave it as it was and put away the trim screen. So the new vent sticks down about 1/2" below the ceiling. I'll have to look at it again, but I think that the motor/battery arrangement precluded cutting the ring back.

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