I am a new owner of a H34 and it is getting cool on Long Island Sound. What do I do for heat if I want to overnight on the boat? What is safe and "normal"? Tom Chastain
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Dave C.
2 Choices
1. Buy a small electric heater (ceramic type is best) and plug it in. 2. Join the thousands of other sailboats heading South to escape winter.
1. Buy a small electric heater (ceramic type is best) and plug it in. 2. Join the thousands of other sailboats heading South to escape winter.
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Frank A.
Heat in a 340
Hi Tom..... Like you, temps are rapidly cooling here on Lake Michigan. I purchased the BoatSafe portable cabin heater from Boat US and it seems to do a real nice job. Has kept the cabin at 70 degrees while the outside temp has dropped down into the mid-thirties. It's small, quiet, has a fan speed and temp setting, and an overheat switch and switch to turn the unit off if it gets knocked over. I've a new 340 and ordered too late in the mfg cycle to have the factory a/c installed. This winter's project is going to be to install the Marine Air reverse cycle unit for both heat and a/c. Have heard a lot of good things about the unit. On the other hand, Dave C's idea has a lot of merit also.!!! Head south.!!
Hi Tom..... Like you, temps are rapidly cooling here on Lake Michigan. I purchased the BoatSafe portable cabin heater from Boat US and it seems to do a real nice job. Has kept the cabin at 70 degrees while the outside temp has dropped down into the mid-thirties. It's small, quiet, has a fan speed and temp setting, and an overheat switch and switch to turn the unit off if it gets knocked over. I've a new 340 and ordered too late in the mfg cycle to have the factory a/c installed. This winter's project is going to be to install the Marine Air reverse cycle unit for both heat and a/c. Have heard a lot of good things about the unit. On the other hand, Dave C's idea has a lot of merit also.!!! Head south.!!
C
Clyde Lichtenwalner
H-34 Heat
Depends where you want heat. If you are at a slip with AC current, the choices are: 1) typical ceramic or coil heaters. Two will keep you cozy until the temperatures drop well below freezing. 2) Oil radiators. I used two 1500 watt units to keep the boat warm for a whole winter in the Chesapeake. They are more bulky than the ceramic heaters but have no fan to fail and they create no drafts. 3) Reverse cycle air conditioning. These produce the most heat per amp of power consumed, but can be drafty depending on the installation. As the water temperature drops, so does their efficiency. They will not work at all as the water temperature approaches 38-40F. Away from the slip: 1) Heater Craft (if memory serves) makes a nice heater core with 3 speed fan that plumbs into the engine hot water side stream that feeds the hot water heater. I have one and it does a nice job while the engine is running. It is of no use with the engine off. 2) Pressurized kerosene bulkhead heater. Taylor (an English Co.) and Force 10 manufacture units that are worthy. These units require some involved installation, but can be used anytime. Depending on what year H-34 you have, you have a kerosene stove. These heaters use the same, or similar burners with the same positive and negative attributes. 3) Propane bulkhead heaters. Again, somewhat involved installation. Your boat does not have a propane system, and you may not want one (I don't). 4) Diesel bulkhead heaters. There are several varieties, some use a drip burner, some use pressurized burners. Some of these take up serious cabin space and produce serious heat. Perhaps best for liveaboads 5) Espar, or other, remote burner diesel air heaters. These have circulating fans and heat like a home heater. You could probably replace your home heater for less than a professional Espar installation. I have heard that these units are wonderful when they work properly, but expensive to fix when they don't- which can be frequently. 6) Diesel water heaters with hot water circulation to radiators or circulation units. Expensive but even heat, a nice choice for serious liveaboards in that they can also heat your domestic hot water. Espar and a few others make these units. You could heat your house for less. Last are the non-vented heaters. Made for camping, these units can kill you in a tight cabin. I have never considered them seriously, but some people use propane, Coleman Fuel, and Alcohol catalytic heaters with success. All put tons of moisture into the cabin making a soggy, drippy mess, and I have never experienced one that does not smell. There are the choices. I use the heatercraft to get the cabin toasty at the end of the day while the engine is running. We tough it out in the morning. Making coffee on the kerosene stove helps warm things up. For a bit more comfort, I would opt for the bulkhead kerosene heater by Force Ten. I really donn't know where I would mount it. It seems like there is no perfect p></t, which is the only reason I don't have one. Hope this helps.
Depends where you want heat. If you are at a slip with AC current, the choices are: 1) typical ceramic or coil heaters. Two will keep you cozy until the temperatures drop well below freezing. 2) Oil radiators. I used two 1500 watt units to keep the boat warm for a whole winter in the Chesapeake. They are more bulky than the ceramic heaters but have no fan to fail and they create no drafts. 3) Reverse cycle air conditioning. These produce the most heat per amp of power consumed, but can be drafty depending on the installation. As the water temperature drops, so does their efficiency. They will not work at all as the water temperature approaches 38-40F. Away from the slip: 1) Heater Craft (if memory serves) makes a nice heater core with 3 speed fan that plumbs into the engine hot water side stream that feeds the hot water heater. I have one and it does a nice job while the engine is running. It is of no use with the engine off. 2) Pressurized kerosene bulkhead heater. Taylor (an English Co.) and Force 10 manufacture units that are worthy. These units require some involved installation, but can be used anytime. Depending on what year H-34 you have, you have a kerosene stove. These heaters use the same, or similar burners with the same positive and negative attributes. 3) Propane bulkhead heaters. Again, somewhat involved installation. Your boat does not have a propane system, and you may not want one (I don't). 4) Diesel bulkhead heaters. There are several varieties, some use a drip burner, some use pressurized burners. Some of these take up serious cabin space and produce serious heat. Perhaps best for liveaboads 5) Espar, or other, remote burner diesel air heaters. These have circulating fans and heat like a home heater. You could probably replace your home heater for less than a professional Espar installation. I have heard that these units are wonderful when they work properly, but expensive to fix when they don't- which can be frequently. 6) Diesel water heaters with hot water circulation to radiators or circulation units. Expensive but even heat, a nice choice for serious liveaboards in that they can also heat your domestic hot water. Espar and a few others make these units. You could heat your house for less. Last are the non-vented heaters. Made for camping, these units can kill you in a tight cabin. I have never considered them seriously, but some people use propane, Coleman Fuel, and Alcohol catalytic heaters with success. All put tons of moisture into the cabin making a soggy, drippy mess, and I have never experienced one that does not smell. There are the choices. I use the heatercraft to get the cabin toasty at the end of the day while the engine is running. We tough it out in the morning. Making coffee on the kerosene stove helps warm things up. For a bit more comfort, I would opt for the bulkhead kerosene heater by Force Ten. I really donn't know where I would mount it. It seems like there is no perfect p></t, which is the only reason I don't have one. Hope this helps.
R
Rod Leonard
Heat
How about a hot spouse or girl friend? Occasional you have to come up for air but who cares at that point. Don't forget the Jack Danials!
How about a hot spouse or girl friend? Occasional you have to come up for air but who cares at that point. Don't forget the Jack Danials!
Origo Heater too.
Tom: Origo makes an alcohol heater that works OK. The advantange of these is that you can use them away from the dock. The electrical space heaters do a good job at the dock. When it gets really cool you just need more clothes.
Tom: Origo makes an alcohol heater that works OK. The advantange of these is that you can use them away from the dock. The electrical space heaters do a good job at the dock. When it gets really cool you just need more clothes.
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Gary Wyngaarden
Keeping Warm in Holland, MI
Hey Rod, I didn't think the Dutchmen in Holland, Michigan were allowed to think about hot women or Jack Daniels. What gives?
Hey Rod, I didn't think the Dutchmen in Holland, Michigan were allowed to think about hot women or Jack Daniels. What gives?
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Rod Leonard
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Jerry Keto
Serious heat
Tom, I've wintered aboard in Boothbay Harbor Maine and in Mystic Connecticut. The heat of choice is the electric ceramic heater, I use two 1500 BTU units. I do supplement when the temp dips below the twenties with an installed deisel heater made by volvo. It is ducted into the aft cabin and to the main salon (under the chart storage tubes). The heater itself is installed underneath the area between the starboard lazarette and the aft starboard lazarette (above deisel tank). This heater has a thermostatic control and puts out a great deal of heat. The drawback and the reason I only supplement with it is the exhaust smell sometimes makes its way into the cabin (depending on wind direction). If your on the dock like I am I think electric is the way to go.
Tom, I've wintered aboard in Boothbay Harbor Maine and in Mystic Connecticut. The heat of choice is the electric ceramic heater, I use two 1500 BTU units. I do supplement when the temp dips below the twenties with an installed deisel heater made by volvo. It is ducted into the aft cabin and to the main salon (under the chart storage tubes). The heater itself is installed underneath the area between the starboard lazarette and the aft starboard lazarette (above deisel tank). This heater has a thermostatic control and puts out a great deal of heat. The drawback and the reason I only supplement with it is the exhaust smell sometimes makes its way into the cabin (depending on wind direction). If your on the dock like I am I think electric is the way to go.
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