I have a J/30 in (Seward) Alaska. To the extent possible, I am looking to replace a Webasto heater with something 1) much quieter, and 2) much hotter.
Though operating as intended, the Webasto is so loud that no one can sleep. It never cycles down, even in summer. It is installed in the starboard lazarette with a single duct blowing from that lazarette straight forward into the cabin via the starboard quarterberth. I really enjoyed the silence or sound of flame from a Dickinson Newport on my old Catalina in California. So much so that I installed a day tank just so I wouldn't have to listen to a fuel pump.
The Webasto also doesn't not heat up this small boat when it's below 50F. There is plenty of hot air coming out the of the duct. Outdoor recreation (backcountry skiing, for example), requires it to get WARM in the cabin (75+F) to dry stuff out and fend off chills after returning to the boat. Just keeping the cabin above above freezing doesn't cut it.
I am considering another Dickinson mounted aft of the center cabin bulkhead with one of the Dickinson's Radex fanned heat exchangers mounted on the other side of the bulkhead. I suppose it would have to be a Lofoten for maximum heat radiation. There is already a 5" chimney hole in the deck from some previous heater. My dad has an Espar on his OceanSport 30 and it does seem much quieter. He also does not use that boat with outside temps much below 55F. Forced air is certainly nicer when you want to warm a chilled and moist body up fast. Forced air is also much much simpler and safer that a combustion stove. But I don't see a pathway into the forepeak for forced air ducting, and they never seem to get very quiet. Some Dickinson plus a Radex on the bulkhead is the only way I've found to heat a forepeak.
Does anyone have experience heating at colder temps, say 10-30F? Any comments on my heater choice? I've never owned a boat in the winter and am also curious if I just need to forget the winter idea and focus on quiet summer heating...
Though operating as intended, the Webasto is so loud that no one can sleep. It never cycles down, even in summer. It is installed in the starboard lazarette with a single duct blowing from that lazarette straight forward into the cabin via the starboard quarterberth. I really enjoyed the silence or sound of flame from a Dickinson Newport on my old Catalina in California. So much so that I installed a day tank just so I wouldn't have to listen to a fuel pump.
The Webasto also doesn't not heat up this small boat when it's below 50F. There is plenty of hot air coming out the of the duct. Outdoor recreation (backcountry skiing, for example), requires it to get WARM in the cabin (75+F) to dry stuff out and fend off chills after returning to the boat. Just keeping the cabin above above freezing doesn't cut it.
I am considering another Dickinson mounted aft of the center cabin bulkhead with one of the Dickinson's Radex fanned heat exchangers mounted on the other side of the bulkhead. I suppose it would have to be a Lofoten for maximum heat radiation. There is already a 5" chimney hole in the deck from some previous heater. My dad has an Espar on his OceanSport 30 and it does seem much quieter. He also does not use that boat with outside temps much below 55F. Forced air is certainly nicer when you want to warm a chilled and moist body up fast. Forced air is also much much simpler and safer that a combustion stove. But I don't see a pathway into the forepeak for forced air ducting, and they never seem to get very quiet. Some Dickinson plus a Radex on the bulkhead is the only way I've found to heat a forepeak.
Does anyone have experience heating at colder temps, say 10-30F? Any comments on my heater choice? I've never owned a boat in the winter and am also curious if I just need to forget the winter idea and focus on quiet summer heating...
