Hunter 386 Cabin Heat

[Gary Ryan]

Guys, temp is dropping here this weekend. Learning all the systems on our 386, I forgot to look and see if there is a heater we can use while docked. I looked through the manual, but no reference to one. We do have Air Conditioning. Do Hunter 386's come with a heater for the cabin? Guess we'll bring extra blankets just in case

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

A/C on boats comes in different flavors but they are all heat pump technology (except for the luggables) which means they heat as well as cool. To state the obvious, they can’t draw heat from very cold water so their efficacy dwindles in winter up your way

 

[Gary Ryan]

Thanks Don. I'll have to bring a portable heater...just in case....or move to Sarasota

 

[jssailem]

Gary, while AC Heat pumps are wonderful units, it is hard to replace a diesel heater in the winter if you want to be on the boat. There are several brands. Wallas, Espar, Webasto, Planar... All do some version of burning diesel to produce heat, then passing air over the hot burner to heat the boat. They can be piped in to use the same vent system of the boats AC, much like an auxiliary heat source for your home.

I have a Wallas. It is fantastic on my 35ft boat. I can turn that unit on in the winter and after the boat warms up it is shorts and tee shirt while the winter winds blow out side.

We had a Planar heater on my friends Catalina 36 - Mahalo - during an 18 day cruise February 2019.


It kept us toasty warm during the Canadian BC worst winter storm in 60 years.

There are also hydronic systems used. Take a look at the options to extend your seasonal boat use.

 

[Gary Ryan]

Man, that's pretty cool. That would be awesome to use the boat throughout the winter. We're on Lake St. Clair which gets a good freeze on during winter. It would be an experience to sit in shorts watching the snow fly! Thanks for the input.

 

[Tally Ho]

Bring an electric space heater....but if you have AC, it probably can out out heat..

Greg

 

[jssailem]

which gets a good freeze on during winter.

Gary, It produces lots of heat - inside the boat. If the water is frozen solid on the lake, you won't be going anywhere. We live on salt water here. Temps almost a constant 50 degrees. Not enough to freeze solid but cold enough to chill your toes.

 

[Tally Ho]

Man, that's pretty cool. That would be awesome to use the boat throughout the winter. We're on Lake St. Clair which gets a good freeze on during winter. It would be an experience to sit in shorts watching the snow fly! Thanks for the input.

I am south of you, on the south end of Lake Michigan... A friend kept his boat in the water all winter here. The marina had bubblers in the water, and he shrink wrapped the boat to keep the snow off the decks. He had space heaters in place and lived on the boat all winter.

not sure it would be the nicest place to be on a frigid winter day, but my friend was looking to save costs And gave up his apartment.

Greg

 

[glonek5]

Guys, temp is dropping here this weekend. Learning all the systems on our 386, I forgot to look and see if there is a heater we can use while docked. I looked through the manual, but no reference to one. We do have Air Conditioning. Do Hunter 386's come with a heater for the cabin? Guess we'll bring extra blankets just in case

assume same as out 2005 H38. the ac reverses and instead of cold air returns heat. we are in Chicago and it works well. haven't found the temp it doesn't

 

[jaysweet]

I've always wondered about the following: if you want to cruise in the winter (let's say not full-time), aren't you making a commitment that you have to keep your boat heated 24/7 all winter long? You've got water lines running all over the place inside, so it seems like you'd have to keep the heat on the whole time you're at the dock even when you're not using the boat. And if it cuts out (say if dock power goes off), won't your pipes freeze?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I've always wondered about the following: if you want to cruise in the winter (let's say not full-time), aren't you making a commitment that you have to keep your boat heated 24/7 all winter long? You've got water lines running all over the place inside, so it seems like you'd have to keep the heat on the whole time you're at the dock even when you're not using the boat. And if it cuts out (say if dock power goes off), won't your pipes freeze?

There is really nothing to prevent someone from sailing when the water systems have been ‘winterized’ - the only system essential for most is the engine which can be re-winterized after sailing for the price of a gallon of antifreeze.

The more limiting factor is caring for sails you would need to leave aboard all winter rather than storing them in a controlled environment. If you have a set of old sails you don’t care about, this would be a good use in winter.

 

[jaysweet]

There is really nothing to prevent someone from sailing when the water systems have been ‘winterized’ - the only system essential for most is the engine which can be re-winterized after sailing for the price of a gallon of antifreeze.

The more limiting factor is caring for sails you would need to leave aboard all winter rather than storing them in a controlled environment. If you have a set of old sails you don’t care about, this would be a good use in winter.

Well... day sailing, I guess, sure. But actually cruising without running water and a functioning head would be not so enjoyable. I guess I'm wondering what people in northern areas who cruise over the winter actually do?

 

[sail sfbay]

Guys, temp is dropping here this weekend. Learning all the systems on our 386, I forgot to look and see if there is a heater we can use while docked. I looked through the manual, but no reference to one. We do have Air Conditioning. Do Hunter 386's come with a heater for the cabin? Guess we'll bring extra blankets just in case

We used a West Marine portable cabin heater (WEST MARINE Portable Cabin Heater | West Marine) on our Hunter 386 and use the same heater on our Hunter 46. It puts out acceptable heat at low ambient temperatures, albeit I would prefer a reverse cycle AC or diesel heater.

Is your AC reverse cycle? If so, that should provide heat.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Is your AC reverse cycle? If so, that should provide heat.

Sorry, but it simply will not.
Why?
Because reverse cycle "heat" is like turning your window air conditioner around and blowing the warm former exhaust heat INTO the house.
In reverse cycle air conditioning systems, instead of turning the window unit "inside/out" it is performed by a reversing valve inside the unit.
However, what happens in reality is that heat transfer is based on temperature differences.
When the water temperature gets below around 40F the heat stops.
I won't bore you with the details, but it comes from one of what I know is ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE classes: THERMODYNAMICS.
This is also why many rev cycle AC units ALSO have electric resistance heaters in them.

Either electric heat (resistance, in the unit or separate; or oil filled) or diesel heat (like John's system) works. Others have plumbed in bus heaters (a coil with a fan) to their freshwater engine coolant lines, like your water heater), but this only works when the engine is running.

--- My 45 year career was as an HVAC engineer.

 

[Gary Ryan]

Thanks to all the replies. We brought a few comforters on the weekend...just in case. After being out on the water for 6 hours, we were all a little cold getting back in. I hooked up to shore power and turned on the AC. Set temp to70 degrees and in about 5 mins, the cabin had warmed up! I was pretty stoked as it worked perfectly through the night. Another system checked off

 

[sail sfbay]

Good to hear!! What AC unit do you have?

 

[Gary Ryan]

Not sure....it's original. I had some issues with the water line to the air conditioner in the summer, but fixed that up. The air worked great in the 100 degree heat. A real plus that it works well as a cabin heater in the cold. Pretty efficient as it didn't take long to warm up. We're going out for our last sail on Saturday. I can see if the air conditioner has a label on it with manufacturer details if you wish.

 

[Terry Cox]

We have MarineAir reverse cycle units on our boat. Water temps in the winter seem to stay at around 48-50 degrees, so plenty of heat available while connected to shore power. However, our Wallas 40D delivers warmth to the boat during our winter cruises on the hook.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I hooked up to shore power and turned on the AC. Set temp to70 degrees and in about 5 mins, the cabin had warmed up! I was pretty stoked as it worked perfectly through the night. Another system checked off

Perhaps, perhaps not. Please see reply #14. You could either have higher water temps, >>40F, or you could have resistance heating in the system' you were on shorepower.
This answers your heat question at the dock, but I thought your OP was about on the hook.