# Heating Your Boat



## CapnBones (Sep 20, 2010)

I am moving on to my boat here in the next couple weeks, need to square some painting and finishing touches up on the interior first, but it is getting colder. I am generally going to be at the dock before I head south in November and I use a little 110v space heater to ward off the chill. I can't use this when I am away from the dock, and I don't know how cold the trip South is going to be, but I would like to be comfortable if it gets too cold.

How do you guys that heat your boats heat your boats? Is it hard to install a heater, and what kind to get? The boat is a diesel, has 2 burner Origo non pressurized stove. I wouldn't want to put propane on so that is not an option. Just looking for thoughts or what others have done. Also lets assume that money is real tight so the cheapest options are encouraged


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## sailak (Apr 15, 2007)

Both of my boats have had Espar forced-air diesel heaters. They work well. Convienient in that you just turn them on and adjust output with a thermostat. For me a downside is that they are forced air -- I don't care for the hot air blowing on me...but then again on the current boat there is a duct into the head and with the door closed makes a nice drying room for foulies.

Installation of the heater itself is pretty straightforward but routing the ductwork can be a challenge.

I bought a new D4 this spring and spent around $1800 for the heater, exhaust tubing, insulation sock and digital thermostat (I used the existing ductwork from the previous Espar installation).

Some friends have a Dickinson diesel burning "fireplace" type stove. Makes for a very cozy boat, no ductwork required but you have a hot stove that could be a hazard.


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## misfits (Dec 9, 2011)

One idea that I've considered during the rebuild of our boat which is unconventional is to run a heat loop off the hot water heater. A small 12 volt blower w/ a hot water coil or a home style kick space heater would do the trick if you had an inverter. In your case being tied to a dock, shoreside power will heat the water. When you're on the move heading south, the motor will heat the water. 

From an energy point of view, this would work during the shoulder months but would be impractical if you were a live aboard in the northern climates.


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

Why no mention here of the small propane (canister) catalytic camping heaters? . . .If they're safe in a tent . . .? Flameless etc. . . .


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## BluemanSailor (Apr 28, 2009)

I second the forced-air diesel heaters, had a Webasto on my last boat hope to get another one for my present boat. Pretty easy installation, worked great and I was a live-aboard in Philly for 2 years -pretty cold winters, even when the power went out in the marine I had heat!


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## CapnBones (Sep 20, 2010)

> Makes for a very cozy boat, no ductwork required but you have a hot stove that could be a hazard.


Haha my life is a hazard. I was thinking to go with that style in a bulkhead mount. For the price and how often I would be using it, I may be able to get away with the solid fuel heater, simplistic. The site claims that they are efficient and only need a small amount of fuel to heat, I would just hate to have to use a bunch of space for wood or charcoal, or whatever I am burning. It seems like there are a lot of parts required to be added for the diesel type now that I look into it.

I thought about putting a little 12v fan to just blow from the engine compartment if I am running it to take some of that heat, plus it would keep it that much cooler, but then the boat would smell like engine, but an option nonetheless. I am getting rid of my hot water heater, though I see dickinson has a neat loop through their heater that could be hooked up.


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## misfits (Dec 9, 2011)

If you're going bulkhead, throw a propane tank on the stern rail & use one of those $400
heaters. They're not very efficient but they vent w/ 1" pipe instead of a 3" pipe that's required for the solid fuel or diesel heaters. The vent also has a lower profile thru the deck.

You did say "cheapest options" in your post so I ruled the espar/webasto out of the equation...


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## CapnBones (Sep 20, 2010)

I am seeing some of the webasto/espar setups on e-bay for $500-$600 and wow they look small and easy, with the exception of the duct work though my boat is setup where it wouldn't be too hard. I figure it is all a trade off, I want radar and an auto pilot to make my life easier... when it gets cold maybe I will want the heat more than the other stuff.


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## Svenchantress (Mar 5, 2011)

You don't say how large you boat is but judging from the photo I am guessing 32 to 34 feet? If so, there is a portable Mr. Buddy heater that uses the disposable small propane green bottles that you would use on a boat grill. The smaller one puts out about 5,000 btu and the larger model significantly more. They are safe but unvented so you keep the hatch open an inch or so for ventilation and DON'T go to sleep with it on! Wool blankets are for when you go to sleep. ;-)

These heaters are available at camping stores, Ace Hardware, online, etc. Lots of liveaboard/full-time cruisers use them here in Florida. Get south as early as you can! (GRIN)


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## misfits (Dec 9, 2011)

CapnBones said:


> I am seeing some of the webasto/espar setups on e-bay for $500-$600


Most tractor trailers have these heaters for downtime heat so if they're on e-bay, they've probably been parted out from tractor trailers. You need to be sure it's the whole kit, fuel pump, tstat, etc.

Good luck w/ whatever you decide!


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## Tim R. (Mar 23, 2003)

I run a reverse cycle AC/heater at the dock in spring and fall. 12v Hydronic diesel furnace with radiators and fans throughout the boats on 3 zones. Neither system is cheap but they are reliable and safe and the Hydronic systems can be run on the hook.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

There is a "sticky" thread at the top of the gear and maintenance section that covers the issue in some detail. Here is a direct link to it. http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/62129-wood-diesel-propane-bulkhead-heating-stove.html#post571387

I've been having pretty good luck using my Aladdin lantern to heat the boat recently. Aladdin lanterns, if you're not familiar, are a particular type of non-pressurized kerosene lantern that uses a mantle. In addition to being as bright as a 60W light bulb (and too bright to look directly at) they put out a LOT of heat. The manual says 2,800BTU/HR.

Just the other weekend I watched my thermostat rise by 1deg/min for 15mins after I lit my lantern. That was in the cabin of my 41ft boat with 6'10" headroom. Only the main salon was being heated, but I would guess you could heat an entire 27footer or most of a 30-35footer with one.

The lanterns are a little finicky until you get used to them, and you HAVE to use K-1 grade kerosene, but once you get the hang of them they provide lots of light and quite a bit of heat. They can also be found new for <$100.

MedSailor


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## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

We use our trawler lamp and a catalytic green can fired heater. There's also this, in addition to the other ideas: Cabin Heater - C34

No one, right, answer. Depends on what YOU want to do and need to have.


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## CapnBones (Sep 20, 2010)

> I've been having pretty good luck using my Aladdin lantern to heat the boat recently.


I have been looking in to buying a lantern, to conserve electricity. How much Kerosene do you need to carry for it? I want to be able to easily go off grid for at least 2 weeks, most likely where it is warm, but for light I would still be using it. My boat is only a 30 footer so this might be worth trying 2 birds 1 stone.


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## misfits (Dec 9, 2011)

Stu Jackson said:


> We use our trawler lamp and a catalytic green can fired heater. There's also this, in addition to the other ideas: Cabin Heater - C34
> 
> No one, right, answer. Depends on what YOU want to do and need to have.


Stu,

That's exactly what I had in mind for what I consider to be an unconventional way to heat a boat. I'd use the water heater itself as the heat source. We've been doing "hydro air" in multi family heating installations for quite some time, why not a boat.

Unlike Tim R's system which is efficient, this option would get pricey to operate during a northern winter, small 6 gallon tank, 120v element, the dockside shore power would spin the meter off the building.

This would however be an easy way to heat a boat in the shoulder months or for a trip down the ICW where you're motoring more than sailing.


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## jameswilson29 (Aug 15, 2009)

MedSailor said:


> I've been having pretty good luck using my Aladdin lantern to heat the boat recently. Aladdin lanterns, if you're not familiar, are a particular type of non-pressurized kerosene lantern that uses a mantle. In addition to being as bright as a 60W light bulb (and too bright to look directly at) they put out a LOT of heat. The manual says 2,800BTU/HR.


Be careful about carbon monoxide poisoning with an unvented kerosene heater/latern: Kerosene Heaters


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## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

Trawler lamps can use lamp oil, too, easy to find in hardware stores, and no potential smell like kerosene. Cheap, too. Buy a few big ones, length of use depends on how many hours a day you leave it on, right? Have no idea if you want to start in the a.m. for heat and leave it on all day or not. My car uses little fuel when staying in the garage, but still gets the same mpg!


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

CapnBones said:


> I have been looking in to buying a lantern, to conserve electricity. How much Kerosene do you need to carry for it? I want to be able to easily go off grid for at least 2 weeks, most likely where it is warm, but for light I would still be using it. My boat is only a 30 footer so this might be worth trying 2 birds 1 stone.


One quart of kero lasts for 10-12 hours according to the aladdin instructions and my experience is spot on with that. I carry a gallon, which at 4-6 hrs per night of usage lasts, well, a long time.

JamesWilson, thanks for mentioning the CO issue. I bought a kiddie battery powered carbon monoxide detector and have been using the aladdin for a few years both living aboard and cruising. In those years I only once saw that it had recorded a detectable level of CO but I wasn't sure if that was from the engine, my dock neighbor's engine or the lantern. Every other time I've used it it registers 0ppm.

Compare that with my old trawler lantern that I burned one night with the wick slightly too high. My friend and I both got moderate CO poisoning (like a really bad hangover) and EVERY flat surface was covered with soot fallout.

The Aladdin is really very very different from a trawler lantern. A trawler lantern is just an oversized candle really. It has a yellow sooty flame and emits CO along with other gasses. The aladdin also has a wick but it also has a mantle that burns white hot (hence the brightness) and is nearly perfect combustion of the kerosene, meaning no detectable CO. I find that when I use my aladdin I don't use many of the 12V lights at anchor either.

I was attempting to find some comparison website or video showing the aladding. I couldn't find one that compares it to a hurricane or trawler lamp, which makes sense I guess. The only comparisons I found were to pressurized mantle lanters. What I really like about the aladdin is that you get the light output of a pressurized lantern without pressurized fuel next to a flame in a small boat.

Here is one video review of a couple lanters. I disagree with what he says about mantles though. I'm 4 years on with my first mantle and it's still going strong. We certainly don't use it every night all year, but we DO use it every night at anchor which is about 10% of each year, and we did use it quite a bit for 3 years when I had the lamp aboard and was living aboard.






MedSailor


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Go to Bed Bath & Beyond, purchase a down-filled comforter, then find a good-looking, young gal to climb under the comforter with you. You'll be snug as a bug in a rug all night long. When morning comes, fire up the stove, cook breakfast for both of you and wait for the sun to warm the outside air to a comfortable temperature. Anything higher than my age (72) seems to work out just fine. 

Good Luck,

Gary


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## exkma367 (Oct 1, 2008)

We sailed south from Baltimore in November 2010. Some nights the cabin got down to 27 degrees. Our best friend was our 'Mink' blanket. (check amazon and ebay). We stayed warm but out noses were cold. We tried propane heaters but my girl could not stand the smell. The Wesbaco type heaters where out of our price range and our engine was gasoline. 

We settled for using a small electric heater and running the honda generator at night up until it was time to sleep. The electric heater worked great on our little 26' boat. Cooking a big breakfast in the morning would take the chill off. I swear it did not warm up until Titusville that year....


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## Familycruisers (Dec 15, 2011)

Gary's answer sounds very reasonable, and fun!


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

I think your decision on which type of heat primarily depends on how much you will use it. Here in the PNW we use ours year round (almost) so it was worth the time, effort and boat bucks to install a forced air diesel furnace (Wallas, excellent, love it). If you will use it quite a bit each year it might be worth it to go with the Dickinson diesel bulkhead mount, seems like everyone that has one raves about it. If heat is not much of a concern then maybe you can get by with something as simple as the Aladdin lamp Med suggested. Someone else mentioned the engine coolant type heaters and those work great when the engine is running under load at cruise rpm, not so good when just fast idling at anchor though.


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## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

I looked at the video, thanks.

We have the Brenner burner without the "lifting" feature; we just take the glass off, raise the wick and light it.

WADR to the video and the poster, that is NOT how we use our lantern. Having the heat that high will guarantee soot, which is exactly what one is trying to avoid. The claim that the glass is shaped that way to enable the large flame is not my experience.

We run the flame pretty low, can raise it a bit, but I would estimate that we run it only 30% of what the video shows. And get great light. And warmth.

Any pressurized mantle like the Coleman (and I have one, in my garage, of course! ) makes a lot of noise.

Mantles are questionable on boats - they tend to break when subjected to jolts.

The other type, not mentioned, are the smaller lamp wicks which are more like candles, rather than the larger wicks on the Brenner which are 3 1/4" wide and popped into the mantle in a circular position.

The other down side of making such large flames in a Brenner is that the inside of the glass becomes black, very soon.

As I mentioned earlier, lamp oil works just as well as kerosene.


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## RocketScience (Sep 8, 2008)

Go hydronic. Easier install, one tenth the bulky ductwork to run, and the side benefit of hot water while on the hook -a BIG plus if you ask the Admiral.

I went with the Webasto TLS-17. It is a 17,000 BTU unit, and good for sailboats up to 40'. Stay away from the marine heating people. You can purchase these units from heavy equipment parts suppliers (Kenworth, Peterbilt, Case, etc.) for around $850, which is the same place the eBay guys buy them and flip for $1200. Yes, you'll need a few parts from the marine heating guys, but you'll be able to put your own package together for about $1800 -NOT the $4000 the marine guys fetch.

HERE'S the relevant link to my refit page on the subject.


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## misfits (Dec 9, 2011)

Familycruisers said:


> Gary's answer sounds very reasonable, and fun!


It is tempting but when you look at the out of pocket expensives I'm sure just buying a heater is cheaper in the long run.


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## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

Rob,

Great ideas for sourcing. Thanks for those great ideas.

The choices between air and hydronic are basic:

Air heat is preferred due to lack of condensation. It doesn't heat water for showering or the galley. Duct runs are problematic on SOME but not all boats. For instance, our C34 skippers have found inventive ways to get heat into the saloon without any "furniture" work.

Hydronic is great for heating, zoning by shutoff valves on the "radiators" if you choose, provides hot water, too, and is usually easier to run pipes than ductwork.

Them's the choices.

Your boat, your choice.



RocketScience said:


> Go hydronic. Easier install, one tenth the bulky ductwork to run, and the side benefit of hot water while on the hook -a BIG plus if you ask the Admiral.
> 
> I went with the Webasto TLS-17. It is a 17,000 BTU unit, and good for sailboats up to 40'. Stay away from the marine heating people. You can purchase these units from heavy equipment parts suppliers (Kenworth, Peterbilt, Case, etc.) for around $850, which is the same place the eBay guys buy them and flip for $1200. Yes, you'll need a few parts from the marine heating guys, but you'll be able to put your own package together for about $1800 -NOT the $4000 the marine guys fetch.
> 
> HERE'S the relevant link to my refit page on the subject.


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## bvander66 (Sep 30, 2007)

Two good articles in the mag "Good Old Boat". 
If you use any combustion source then highly recommend it is vented outside to prevent CO hazard and also reduce condenstation headaches.
We went with a bulk head diesel fireplace with a fan to circulate the air and love it. Much less maintenance than espar type heaters in our opinion. 
That being said the forced air heaters are nice.
Reverse cyle is good, but wont work well once water temp is below 42 deg F.
Lots of options. Key is do a lot of research to find the solution which fits your boat your needs.


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## RocketScience (Sep 8, 2008)

Stu Jackson said:


> Rob,
> 
> Great ideas for sourcing. Thanks for those great ideas.
> 
> ...


Stu,
Just to clarify, there is no condensation issue with hydronic heat.


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## flyingriki (Sep 27, 2012)

THANK YOU Rob!!


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## nighthawk (Sep 25, 2013)

MedSailor said:


> I've been having pretty good luck using my Aladdin lantern to heat the boat recently. Aladdin lanterns, if you're not familiar, are a particular type of non-pressurized kerosene lantern that uses a mantle. In addition to being as bright as a 60W light bulb (and too bright to look directly at) they put out a LOT of heat. The manual says 2,800BTU/HR.
> 
> Just the other weekend I watched my thermostat rise by 1deg/min for 15mins after I lit my lantern. That was in the cabin of my 41ft boat with 6'10" headroom. Only the main salon was being heated, but I would guess you could heat an entire 27footer or most of a 30-35footer with one.
> 
> ...


Hey Med, do you have a pic of the lantern you are using? Trying to find them and there are way too many options--thinking you have one with the lox-on mantle?


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## deltaten (Oct 10, 2012)

I have two of the Alladin, Lox-on mantle kero lamps. These are typically hard to find at decent prices. New units start at nearer $200. With an accessory or two; gimbal mt and reflector, retail can run double that...

I found mine in GA of all places , at a junk shop. They IIRC, I only paid $85 each. They also had a whole raft of the circular wick types @ the same price. Fortunately, I live in Amish-country and have access to outlets that still stock parts and supplies for the Alladins.
The biggest trouble with the Alladins is size. They are almost 18" tall without reflector or heat stop-cap. Add a gimbal mount or hanger and ya'd need a whole lotta headroom ta swing one  Lotsa light; but if ya don't adjust them properly, they will soot-up and smoke like a choo-choo train and drive ya out. 
HTH,
Paul


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

For heating while underway on axillary power, we have a Heater Craft heater that uses the heat from the engine coolant. The unit is fitted with a variable speed fan and it readily heats the boat, even for several hours after we've shut the engine down. See (click on) Heater Craft


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

I had a small Coleman tent propane heater but I will be getting one of these for when we're anchored out...otherwise when on shore power I prefer the oil filled electric heaters and a small WM unit for the bilge.

Big Buddy Heater, Dual-Heating System - Walmart.com


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

T37Chef said:


> I had a small Coleman tent propane heater but I will be getting one of these when we're anchored out...otherwise when on shore power I prefer the oil filled electric heaters and a small WM unit for the bilge.
> 
> Big Buddy Heater, Dual-Heating System - Walmart.com


The one thing I like on this is the one one star review was that the oxygen sensor is too sensitive to low oxygen for use at altitude. Might not be good for those in Colorado, but on a boat that is a good thing. Just make sure to have a CO detector, but you should have one anyway.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

One thing you may want to think about is noise. Have both reverse cycle and a three zone Webasco. The reverse AC makes significant fan noise whereas the hydronic heater is just about noiseless. Use the reverse AC during the day when in a slip and the hydronic at night. To save diesel turn up the thermostat of the reverse AC and run it hotter than normal for an hour before sleep then turn it off at night. This allows me to leave the hydronic at a lower temp while trying to get to sleep and sleeping with no noise.
Other thing to think about is safety. Particularly, is the heater safe to use when sailing. Some are truly unsafe if heeled beyond a certain point or bouncing around.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Used the Mr buddy heater this past weekend...puts out nice heat even on low. Temps dipped to the high 30s Saturday night and it took the chill off quickly in the morning. It is very sensitive, the slightest tap and it will go out which I suppose is a good thing, but I only tried it at the dock not underway. Gives off almost no smell, I left four cowl vents open to circulate fresh air. I of course turned it off before bedtime even though it has a low oxygen sensor and the boat has a CO detector. I does produce and. Open flame that heats a ceramic tile if I am not mistaken. I am guessing one propane bomb last for 2-3 hours but I didn't really time it. Good little unit for the price considering we probably anchor out in really cold nights only a few times a year, otherwise we are in a slip and use electric heaters. I recommend it for the occasional user.


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

svHyLyte said:


> For heating while underway on axillary power, we have a Heater Craft heater that uses the heat from the engine coolant. The unit is fitted with a variable speed fan and it readily heats the boat, even for several hours after we've shut the engine down. See (click on) Heater Craft


Friends bought one of that type in an auto Wreckers. Super cheap. They love it.


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

I love my stainless airtight wood stove.I wouldn't have anything else, having lived aboard ,mostly in BC ,full time for most of 40 years . She runs up to 14 hours on a load of wood, which is free heat here in BC . Gathering wood from a beach is far more pleasant than going to work to pay for oil. The beaches are piled high with an endless supply, free for the taking. A wood stove drastically reduces your garbage output. Makes a great paper shredder. It draws zero electric power.
Friends using oil stoves spend up to $280 a month on oil, almost my total cost of living .
I have built several for people trying to get away from oil. All have been happy with the switch. 
Construction sites can be a good source of firewood in cities.
Wood stoves cant overflow, run across your floor, and and set your boat on fire. A wood fire can be put out with water . You can turn them of anytime by simply shutting the air intake.
Nothing dries a boat out as quickly as a wood stove. There is nothing simpler.
When I used a super clean burning oil heater, which burned with a blue flame, I coughed a lot. Tore it out and stuck to wood, and coughed a lot less. Humans have lived alongside wood smoke a lot longer than they have lived alongside oil smoke.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Can u link that thing?


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## redline (Feb 15, 2010)

I went the Espar route, love it. The D4 is maybe a little small for our 45 given the length of the duct runs to the fwd cabin and head, but a sistership has theirs beside the engine venting into the main cabin and have plenty of heat with only a few feet of ductwork. 
With the programmable timer we often set it to start around 4am; it runs for an hour and takes off the chill without much power or noise. In hot weather we often use it in "vent" mode; fan only, to move air around the boat.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

How cold is cold?
I did not see mention of how far north you are.

were heading south again, NC currently till mid Nov. Blankets and snuggling till morning. Heating coffee and muffins warms the boat until the sun heats things up. Thats been sufficient unless a big cold snap hits. Then either take a cheap dock for a night or fire up the honda to power our small cube heaters


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## captain jack (May 5, 2013)

MedSailor said:


> I've been having pretty good luck using my Aladdin lantern to heat the boat recently. Aladdin lanterns, if you're not familiar, are a particular type of non-pressurized kerosene lantern that uses a mantle. In addition to being as bright as a 60W light bulb (and too bright to look directly at) they put out a LOT of heat. The manual says 2,800BTU/HR.
> 
> Just the other weekend I watched my thermostat rise by 1deg/min for 15mins after I lit my lantern. That was in the cabin of my 41ft boat with 6'10" headroom. Only the main salon was being heated, but I would guess you could heat an entire 27footer or most of a 30-35footer with one.
> 
> ...


i have a question. i have a 27 footer and i am looking to heat this winter. seriously thinking about living aboard her. marina fees are cheaper than rent and i could funnel some of the savings into the refit. anyhow, the above idea is interesting. the big question is one of safety. what about venting?

ok. questions already answered in the thread. i really have to read entire threads before posting. lol. wood stove is interesting. i have used them to heat before. pallet wood if free and super dry. it burns very hot sp you need much less. harder to cut up, though. have to research the wood stove idea more.

an electric heater plugged into the shore power while at the dock (when i will actually need the heat) seems the cheapest and easiest but, i am concerned that such a heater might not be enough, especially if we get another winter like last winter. however, last winter, even without heat, the boat was 10 degrees warmer inside than it was outside.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

It's probably in the thread like you say, but it doesn't need to be vented because the mantle and flu design cause near perfect combustion. You do have to watch it though, can you can't just leave it going in the other room for extended periods of time and a carbon monoxide detector is a MUST. 

Also, the first symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning is a headache. It comes way before confusion or anything else, so if you get a headache and you're burning something, turn off the combustion source and investigate.

I do think the aladdin would heat a 27ft boat well, as long as it wasn't a voluminous 27 footer and you weren't somewhere really cold in the dead of winter. 

As for the wood stove I found the presto/duraflame 2-3 hr logs were the best. Wax impregnated, so they essentially CAN'T get wet (I used to store them in my wet bilge next to the standing water) and they burn cooler (but plenty hot) and last for 2-3 hours like they say. I cut mine in thirds (imagine household brick size) and each log would provide 3x3hr bricks. Not bad for $3 on sale....

MedSailor

MedSailor


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

Looks like the epic heater thread is no longer a sticky. Here it is for your reading pleasure:
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/62129-wood-diesel-propane-bulkhead-heating-stove.html

MedSailor


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## captain jack (May 5, 2013)

thank you sir! 

i am familiar with the headache thing. i lived in a drafty uninsulated or heated building for a bit, once upon a time, and i bought a k1 heater to try to have some source of heat. it didn't help much, really. not even one degree temperature rise once you got two feet away from the heater. i had more than a few headaches during that period. then i passed out in my sleep, one night. i realized that the heater had been burning gradually dirtier over time. it was a bit of a wake up call.


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

Quick note........

On board fireplace - YouTube

Greg


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## nwsaildude (May 20, 2012)

I don't live aboard and just use a small electric heater when required on my boat.

But I have some friends that do live aboard, and they have some sort of tent on their boats, one is a plain boom tent type type thing, the other is a series of hoops to hold a tarp on, he calls their boat a "Conestoga 35" since it looks like an old covered wagon.

The common thread with them is that the outside tarp / tent helps to keep things warmer down below. So at a minimum adding a cover of some sort would make your boat more comfortable and probably save some money in heating costs.


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## captain jack (May 5, 2013)

nwsaildude said:


> I don't live aboard and just use a small electric heater when required on my boat.
> 
> But I have some friends that do live aboard, and they have some sort of tent on their boats, one is a plain boom tent type type thing, the other is a series of hoops to hold a tarp on, he calls their boat a "Conestoga 35" since it looks like an old covered wagon.
> 
> The common thread with them is that the outside tarp / tent helps to keep things warmer down below. So at a minimum adding a cover of some sort would make your boat more comfortable and probably save some money in heating costs.


good thought. an air boundary between you and the outside air helps to keep things cooler, too. kind of like the loose clothing they show arabs wearing, on TV.

although, it would probably be a pain in the butt to take down every time you wanted to sail. of course, if you hae a winter like last winter and the bay is frozen over, you won't be going anywhere til the thaw, anyhow.


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## captain jack (May 5, 2013)

the on board fireplace is nice. finding a place to put it in a 27' boat might prove a challenge. i wonder what their winters are like and if the oil lamp power is enough heat. having it inside the stove would be a benefit because it vents it and it provides a heat jacket to help radiate the heat.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

captain hows your boat coming along? 

hope all is well

christian


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## captain jack (May 5, 2013)

christian.hess said:


> captain hows your boat coming along?
> 
> hope all is well
> 
> christian


howdy sir! it's been a bit. well, it's coming along fairly well. been working on the interior repairs and getting her ready to sail. she's shaping up nicely.

i have a jib and main, now. both free. the main is from a cal 24. it's a nice sail, if in need of cleaning, and has one reef point built in. the jib is from an unknown source. it is a lapper. dirty but the material has that paper crispness of a brand new sail. it's hank on, though, so, eventually, i hope to get a furling head sail.

i have been trying to see if i, or anyone i know, know someone that wil loan me a small outboard for the first test sail....just in case something goes wrong. when i have had the sails up, testing for fit and measuring for a pennant for the jib tack, it has been such a temptation to cast off and take her out. lol. just chomping at the bit.

i found a marina that can haul the boat and unstep my mast. it's not too far a sail away. just down nabbs creek, out stony creek, and across the patapsco (all of which are really just fingers off of the bay). the price is right and they are a DIY marina that specializes in sailboats.

the plan is to do some sailing in nabbs creek and stony creek to get used to her a bit and then to sail over to the other marina for the haul and other work i can't do at my marina. saving up the cash for that, now, as best i can. not just the haul and unstepping fees but the materials cost for what i need to do. the owners of my marina have been so nice and helpful. they are very supportive and are pleased at my progress. Gale (the owner) is actually the one who found me the other marina so i could get that work done. she says we'll have to have a celebration once i get her sailing again. lol. really nice people.

i have made some final plans about the things i am modifying, mostly with the interior and planned coach roof but, i am also modifying the pulpit to allow me to route the lifelines in a more...reassuring way.

i have been staying on the boat a few nights a week. such a perfect way to greet the day, even if you do have to go to work that day. and the best sleep i have ever gotten. so, i have come to a decision.

i am going to do the live aboard thing. but, a live aboard that sails as often as possible. i have spent a lifetime trying to be free. motorcycles gave me a glimse of it as has sailing but, i think that this boat is going to be my path to being as free as any of us can ever get. i have decided to name her "liberation". i have begun arranging my personal affairs towards this end.

how are things on your end of the world?


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

sorry if this is a hijack op...just that I was vested in captains refit thread...

really Im in the same boat so to speak...boat is still not done...but nanoseconds from my maiden sail

feel free to pm me anytime bud
and congrats on the decisions made

living aboard even when close to shore is a blessing

peace


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## captain jack (May 5, 2013)

christian.hess said:


> sorry if this is a hijack op...just that I was vested in captains refit thread...
> 
> really Im in the same boat so to speak...boat is still not done...but nanoseconds from my maiden sail
> 
> ...


will do. thanks. good luck with your boat, as well. let me know how that maiden voyage goes. hmmmm if it's a maiden voyage, could you, therefore, say you are popping her cherry? or would that be in bad taste?



> living aboard even when close to shore is a blessing


i am beginning to realize that. even going to work, the smile i get when i wake up on board stays on my face for hours. and on days i get to stay and work on her, it never leaves. i can't fathom why i spent so much of my life spending so much more money trying to live on land. 

oh. right. it's what THEY tell you that you are supposed to do if you are a responsible (read: obedient) part of society. that whole deferring happiness til you are old thing (usually, too old to enjoy it the way you should) . it goes along with being a good consumer so you can line the pockets of rich men as you buy stuff, stuff, and more stuff to fill your apartment or house with; an apartment or house where you seldom get the luxury to be because you are too busy working to pay for said apartment or house and all that stuff (none of which actually makes you happy...although the marketers tell you that you can't be happy without it).

happiness isn't a house full of stuff (just like your neighbors have). it's wind in your sails and water under your keel.


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