Historical information

A dorade is a type of ventilator that allows air to move in and out of a vessel's cabin or engine room but baffles or screens within the box it is fitted to prevent the rain and seawater from getting inside.

A Dorade was first seen in use on the "Dorade", an ocean racing yacht designed by Olin James Stephenson II and built in 1929. Since then there have been modifications to the original design. The yacht, Dorade, could have been named after the Mediterranian dorade fish.

Significance

An early piece of marine equipment from the 1930s that still is in use today on smaller vessels to improve below-deck ventilation.

Physical description

Dorade vent cowl; a cast brass ventilator. A' J' shaped hollow brass cylinder with a wide open mouth twisted to the side. The inside is painted. A Dorade vent is normally fitted into a chamber box but this was not included.

Inscriptions & markings

None