For your boat, a Mr. Heater. It uses 1 lb Propane bottles and has an oxygen depletion sensor to turn it off if the O2 gets too low. Never use a burning heater for sleep, heat the boat, turn it off and use a blanket. We use reverse cycle A/C which down here puts out more than enough heat. Have used it maybe twice.
How do you heat the cabin of your boat?
- Thread starter dserrell
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Furnace
I finished installing a Wallas 40D diesel furnace in our P42. The unit is installed in the port side stern main deck locker, mounted on the magazine cabinet bulkhead. Seemed to be the best place considering it was close to the stern and the fuel tank, plus it can draw intake air through the opening into the quadrant well that also supplies air to the heat pump. I surface mounted the control panel on the aft cabin port side bulkhead just below and to the left side of the magazine cabinet. I used a three inch hole saw for the registers and a three and one quarter inch hole saw for the ducting.
Everything is connected: fuel, power, control panel, exhaust pipe and warm air ducting and registers. The dealer advised to install the system before ordering the exhaust pipe and sock because of its high cost. One duct and two registers are located in the aft cabin at the base of the double berth, with another duct with two registers in the main cabin port side setee. Since we do not plan on installing a washer/dryer combo I'm going to use the engine compartment vent duct route for part of the warm air ducting.
One duct runs behind the rudder post to registers located at the base of the berthing cabinet port and starboard side. This has worked out pretty well because I can direct heat into the aft head. I installed two registers at the base of the port setee and one under the navigation station.
The new furnace has made a huge difference in cabin comfort for the admiral while on the hook. The system is quiet, efficient and really pumps out the heat. Cold weather comfort should make a big difference during winter cruising.
Our first boat, an H28 had a smaller bulkhead mounted Wallas forced air heater that worked great. It burned kerosene. That is what I recommend you do.
Terry Cox
I finished installing a Wallas 40D diesel furnace in our P42. The unit is installed in the port side stern main deck locker, mounted on the magazine cabinet bulkhead. Seemed to be the best place considering it was close to the stern and the fuel tank, plus it can draw intake air through the opening into the quadrant well that also supplies air to the heat pump. I surface mounted the control panel on the aft cabin port side bulkhead just below and to the left side of the magazine cabinet. I used a three inch hole saw for the registers and a three and one quarter inch hole saw for the ducting.
Everything is connected: fuel, power, control panel, exhaust pipe and warm air ducting and registers. The dealer advised to install the system before ordering the exhaust pipe and sock because of its high cost. One duct and two registers are located in the aft cabin at the base of the double berth, with another duct with two registers in the main cabin port side setee. Since we do not plan on installing a washer/dryer combo I'm going to use the engine compartment vent duct route for part of the warm air ducting.
One duct runs behind the rudder post to registers located at the base of the berthing cabinet port and starboard side. This has worked out pretty well because I can direct heat into the aft head. I installed two registers at the base of the port setee and one under the navigation station.
The new furnace has made a huge difference in cabin comfort for the admiral while on the hook. The system is quiet, efficient and really pumps out the heat. Cold weather comfort should make a big difference during winter cruising.
Our first boat, an H28 had a smaller bulkhead mounted Wallas forced air heater that worked great. It burned kerosene. That is what I recommend you do.
Terry Cox
When a me and a friend brought the boat I bought down from CT. to Md the third week of may, I had along a "Heat Mate" http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|406|1066337|1066189&id=1198066
We used it in the evening to take the chill off then turned it off, then used it in the morning for an hour or so while we had breakfeast and coffee. I wouldn't count on it as a stove like the add says, the heat wasn't very high. Maybe enough to keep food warm but not to cook. I just took it back to the boat last week for the Fall.
Brian
We used it in the evening to take the chill off then turned it off, then used it in the morning for an hour or so while we had breakfeast and coffee. I wouldn't count on it as a stove like the add says, the heat wasn't very high. Maybe enough to keep food warm but not to cook. I just took it back to the boat last week for the Fall.
Brian
Ross you meant sleep naked didn't you?
Many people make the mistake of sleeping with lots of clothing on to keep them warm. This is a wrong, you got to take them off. A good blanket, candles, a favorite beverage, (some Barry White...haha) and my wife is all we need here up through Nov.
And there is no fight, I get up and make the coffee. We all have our concessions!
Many people make the mistake of sleeping with lots of clothing on to keep them warm. This is a wrong, you got to take them off. A good blanket, candles, a favorite beverage, (some Barry White...haha) and my wife is all we need here up through Nov.
And there is no fight, I get up and make the coffee. We all have our concessions!
No. I said what I meant. Sleep naked and you won't want to expose your bare "feet" to a frosty morning. A thin shirt goes a long ways to make getting up easier. I didn't say don't go to bed naked, that is a whole different discussion. 
Velero...
No, I don't keep the boat in the water over the winter. It goes on the hard usually the first week of November and gets splashed usually the end of April or early May (depending on Spring weekend work weather!).
If I did keep it in the water and use it over the winter I would look into something else besides the heat pump for the coldest months as the water does get hard many times at the top of the Bay due to its lack of salinity. Ross's Force 10 would get looked at as would Brad's heat exchanger using engine water (just like your car does). We don't anchor out due to my wife's health issues so shore-powered heating is our primary concern.
I've found that the heat pump is taxed to produce heat from the early spring water temps, which is why the quartz cube heater is aboard and gets a workout then. The water at the top of the Bay stays warm enough to produce a heat exchange up to the time the boat is pulled in November, so the heat pump is favored in the Fall. Actually, I like to use the quartz heater overnight as its fan is quiet and it doesn't recycle loudly like the ac/heat pump does. Makes for a better night's sleep!
No, I don't keep the boat in the water over the winter. It goes on the hard usually the first week of November and gets splashed usually the end of April or early May (depending on Spring weekend work weather!).
If I did keep it in the water and use it over the winter I would look into something else besides the heat pump for the coldest months as the water does get hard many times at the top of the Bay due to its lack of salinity. Ross's Force 10 would get looked at as would Brad's heat exchanger using engine water (just like your car does). We don't anchor out due to my wife's health issues so shore-powered heating is our primary concern.
I've found that the heat pump is taxed to produce heat from the early spring water temps, which is why the quartz cube heater is aboard and gets a workout then. The water at the top of the Bay stays warm enough to produce a heat exchange up to the time the boat is pulled in November, so the heat pump is favored in the Fall. Actually, I like to use the quartz heater overnight as its fan is quiet and it doesn't recycle loudly like the ac/heat pump does. Makes for a better night's sleep!
David:
We use the same cat heater as you when anchored out. Coldest nights at anchor have only been in the mid 30's F, so can't relate to the winters you and others on here deal with. Works great but usually have to re-load bottle before night's over. I do leave small opening in hatch and a couple of small ports just to be safe on the CO levels. Have a couple of CO detectors on board, also.
We use reverse cycle AC when at marina under shore power. Stayed over in single digits (though rare in middle Tennessee) a few times. Cabin stayed around 70 degrees F. Efficiency of rev. cyc. AC dependent on water temp. Some say they don't work well when water temp is below 55 F. However, I have found it to heat up when water temps are in mid to high 40's F, but it takes a good while before the heat starts building (approx 1 hour).
We use the same cat heater as you when anchored out. Coldest nights at anchor have only been in the mid 30's F, so can't relate to the winters you and others on here deal with. Works great but usually have to re-load bottle before night's over. I do leave small opening in hatch and a couple of small ports just to be safe on the CO levels. Have a couple of CO detectors on board, also.
We use reverse cycle AC when at marina under shore power. Stayed over in single digits (though rare in middle Tennessee) a few times. Cabin stayed around 70 degrees F. Efficiency of rev. cyc. AC dependent on water temp. Some say they don't work well when water temp is below 55 F. However, I have found it to heat up when water temps are in mid to high 40's F, but it takes a good while before the heat starts building (approx 1 hour).
Bob S upside down clay pots
I don't remember any post regarding the upside down clay pots, but have tried before. A number of years back, I tried them on a previous boat on alchohol burner stove. Not real warm but helped take the edge off cold. Didn't keep them burning long due to fumes from alchohol. Not sure how propane would work in this case.
Bob S
I don't remember any post regarding the upside down clay pots, but have tried before. A number of years back, I tried them on a previous boat on alchohol burner stove. Not real warm but helped take the edge off cold. Didn't keep them burning long due to fumes from alchohol. Not sure how propane would work in this case.
AC
WOW the 40's.
I guess I am enjoying living in Florida and don't miss good old NY,we are still using the AC here 24/7.
The weather has been crappy with late afternoon thunder storms,but the best sailing is coming soon.
I just get close and personnel under the sheets with my better half.
Nick
:dance::dance:
WOW the 40's.
I guess I am enjoying living in Florida and don't miss good old NY,we are still using the AC here 24/7.
The weather has been crappy with late afternoon thunder storms,but the best sailing is coming soon.
I just get close and personnel under the sheets with my better half.
Nick
:dance::dance:
Who needs heat? Just find a nice warm body to snuggle up to
Ok...I don't have one of those yet (working on that one but it is a ways off) so I really don't have a heater aboard. I am going to see how hard core I feel this fall to see if I want to get a heater for my Catalina 30.
Ok...I don't have one of those yet (working on that one but it is a ways off) so I really don't have a heater aboard. I am going to see how hard core I feel this fall to see if I want to get a heater for my Catalina 30.
Warm Body
Seadaddler and Bad Obsession:
Like your idea about warm body to keep you warm. So romantic. Works well. Of course, there are the times when those warm companions can change to extreme frigid conditions without any warning or notice from NOAA radio, and there's no manual for that. Definitely no warranty for getting your money back. Just kidding, my wife of 30 years and I have the greatest times of our lives while cruising together, regardless of weather conditions. She most certainly brightens the trip.
Seadaddler and Bad Obsession:
Like your idea about warm body to keep you warm. So romantic. Works well. Of course, there are the times when those warm companions can change to extreme frigid conditions without any warning or notice from NOAA radio, and there's no manual for that. Definitely no warranty for getting your money back. Just kidding, my wife of 30 years and I have the greatest times of our lives while cruising together, regardless of weather conditions. She most certainly brightens the trip.
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I love the candlelight and single malt idea but somehow having our Kids bouncing all around us makes it seem a "tad" less romantic
I really hope that we can sail all year around this year since our current boat as so much more living space. But With little kids on board finding a safe way of heating the cabin will be really important, are there heater that don't get too hot on the surface?
We sleep in Army sleeping bags the multilayer system lets you be comfy in pretty much any temperature getting up is the hard part
I really hope that we can sail all year around this year since our current boat as so much more living space. But With little kids on board finding a safe way of heating the cabin will be really important, are there heater that don't get too hot on the surface?
We sleep in Army sleeping bags the multilayer system lets you be comfy in pretty much any temperature getting up is the hard part
I've slept in -30F on a mountain top in Korea in these bags. I bought 2 on ebay, supposedly in used condition, but one had all the tags on it still and the other seemed pretty much brand new too.
An example is http://cgi.ebay.com/US-Army-issued-...in_0?hash=item3a52e3f392&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
The layers all zip together, one thinner inner layer can be used alone for warmer climates, a thicker layer for colder climates, combine to make even warmer, add the Gore-tex shell for additional warmth and waterproofing for sleeping in extreme cold, rain or snow.
The hard part about sleeping in these bags in extreme cold is getting out of the fart sack.
there is a trick to that. Get some good Polyphrophan underpants and undersweater, roll them up and put them in the bag near your feet. When you wake up, before getting out of the sack, put them on. They will be nice and warm and keep you warm until you get your blood going. Soon you will be like "What cold temps".
From the items I've seen listed here, that's impossible.
In a related topic, I suggested "Teach Your Children Well."
You've taught them to not jump overboard. You're teaching them how to steer. You've taught them not to stick their hands in a fire or on the stove at home.
What's so hard to get heat on the boat and teach them not to touch it?
PS I have two kids. They both survived my parenting.
...and boating...buddy heater
I have the buddy heater. no worries about CO it douses itself before the hint of
low oxygen. use mine in a pickup cab some and it works great. only drawback is it won't stay lit on high with a fresh bottle. the gas doesn't vaporise fast enough and the bottle freezes. works great on low or a bigger bottle. with extender hose. three years no problems.
I have the buddy heater. no worries about CO it douses itself before the hint of
low oxygen. use mine in a pickup cab some and it works great. only drawback is it won't stay lit on high with a fresh bottle. the gas doesn't vaporise fast enough and the bottle freezes. works great on low or a bigger bottle. with extender hose. three years no problems.
"How do you heat the cabin of your boat?"
You have all made the answer to this question FAR too difficult.
Simply leave your marina; turn the pointy end of your boat to a heading of 180deg (True,Mag, whatever), and proceed.
Turn left or right only as much as needed to stay in 6'+ water; always returning to a heading of 180.
Continue until your GPS says <25deg North. Stop .
Your boat cabin will now be magically heated; you will be comfortable, and the Admiral, the pets, the boat, the crew, and your entire universe will be happy.
My name is Buffet, and I approved this message
You have all made the answer to this question FAR too difficult.
Simply leave your marina; turn the pointy end of your boat to a heading of 180deg (True,Mag, whatever), and proceed.
Turn left or right only as much as needed to stay in 6'+ water; always returning to a heading of 180.
Continue until your GPS says <25deg North. Stop .
Your boat cabin will now be magically heated; you will be comfortable, and the Admiral, the pets, the boat, the crew, and your entire universe will be happy.
My name is Buffet, and I approved this message
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Solar heat
While Buck420 certainly has the ultimate solution, I find zipping down the sides on my bimini works great at keeping the boat warm during the day. I open up the forward hatch a crack, put a window fan on low in the companionway and blow nice warm air into the cabin. On a 30 F day the cockpit will get to 55-60 F
At night I put up my sun flys to keep the deck from seeing the "inky blackness of space" which is at something like -200 degrees. The flys make a big difference on still clear nights. Not so much on cloudy or windy ones.
At night I fire up the 1500W electrical oil filled radiator. Keeps the center of the boat and aft stateroom comfortable if I close the bow cabin door. The bow cabin has so much surface area for its volume it never gets warm in there even with it's own 1500W heater.
BTW I have 30 amp service and the main supply wire did initially get quite warm to the touch till I replaced it. It was corroded and had some solder-less connectors in it from the PO. Now I can even run the coffee pot while both 1500W heaters are running. The charger kicking in will pop the CB though.
Please check out your wiring before you start pulling max rated amps through it. The worst way to heat a boat is to set it on fire.
While Buck420 certainly has the ultimate solution, I find zipping down the sides on my bimini works great at keeping the boat warm during the day. I open up the forward hatch a crack, put a window fan on low in the companionway and blow nice warm air into the cabin. On a 30 F day the cockpit will get to 55-60 F
At night I put up my sun flys to keep the deck from seeing the "inky blackness of space" which is at something like -200 degrees. The flys make a big difference on still clear nights. Not so much on cloudy or windy ones.
At night I fire up the 1500W electrical oil filled radiator. Keeps the center of the boat and aft stateroom comfortable if I close the bow cabin door. The bow cabin has so much surface area for its volume it never gets warm in there even with it's own 1500W heater.
BTW I have 30 amp service and the main supply wire did initially get quite warm to the touch till I replaced it. It was corroded and had some solder-less connectors in it from the PO. Now I can even run the coffee pot while both 1500W heaters are running. The charger kicking in will pop the CB though.
Please check out your wiring before you start pulling max rated amps through it. The worst way to heat a boat is to set it on fire.
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