Ventilation is vital on a sailboat, even if you are not in the tropics. Dorades solve the problem of letting in air and keeping out the water but you still need to be able to close the vent, either when it is cold outside or when there is too much water on deck for the Dorade to handle. A simple solution is to put a mushroom vent inside the Dorade, with its threaded, rotating handle operable from inside the boat.

We have been testing a mushroom vent made by Mariner's Hardware. The vent is very well made of stainless steel, and the top lifts over two inches with the handle fully screwed out. The vent is just over four inches across. There is a stainless steel screen attached to the vent itself to keep out bugs.

The top has a circular rubber gasket that seals against the lip of the vent pipe, and we tested it for watertightness by attaching the vent to a scrap board and spraying it with a garden hose. We found that to make it truly watertight you have to tighten the screwed fitting firmly. You don't have to pretend it is a strength-testing device, but you do need to be firm about it. With that done, it is absolutely watertight.

The mushroom vent from Mariner's Hardware gets the BWS seal of approval for its attractive, sturdy construction and for being watertight in a storm. Contact them toll-free at 877-765-0880 to order a mushroom vent or browse their e-catalog at www.marinershardware.com to learn more.