# Cheap and Easy Cabin Heating?



## cktalons

My boat didn't come with a bulkhead heater, and though I plan on eventually purchasing and installing a diesel heater, for now I have bupkis. While docked I simply heat my cabin with a small space heater (which works magic!), but if I want to go cruising and anchor out one night, I need something which will not draw electricity. I have a two burner kerosene stove, and I've heard that putting a terra-cotta pot over a burner is an effective way to heat the cabin. Does anyone have experience with such a thing? I'd obviously pop a window to vent the cabin, allowing me to do that whole breathing thing. Ideas? Advice?


----------



## pdqaltair

*Clearly, placing a pot over a burner adds no BTUs. Simple urban legand.*

It does spread a little radiant heat, but to me it isn't worth the storage or trouble.

But try it on your kitchen stove, don't ask us.

Advise? pop for a vented heater, skip the CO2 / CO headache and wake up in the morning.

http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2009/10/let-there-be-heat.html


----------



## jackdale

The pot thing has its fans. Turn it off at night when you are asleep. I never use any heater at night.


----------



## ArcherBowman

Any flame-based heater that is not specifically designed for nighttime use is dangerous. All combustion puts out carbon monoxide. Leaving a stove burner on, pot or not, is a recipe for someone eventually finding a body at air-temperature, after wondering why that yacht has been sitting at anchor all week.

It wasn't too many years ago, the SCA lost a family of 4 at the Estrella War because they zipped up their cabin tent and fell asleep with a small propane heater burning to keep the chill off. 

Really - cabin heaters need to be properly vented.


----------



## cktalons

pdqaltair said:


> It does spread a little radiant heat, but to me it isn't worth the storage or trouble.
> 
> But try it on your kitchen stove, don't ask us.


A liveaboard around here has suggested and sworn by the terra-cotta pot idea. Buying a pot and trying it out for myself seems a waste if the idea sucks. Why go through a stupid idea without vetting it among liveaboards who might actually know something (the terra fan is kind of a dufus, so I wanted some second opinions  )

I think I'd rather just dock somewhere for the night, and plug into power for my heat.


----------



## jackdale

I use a 0 to -10 C sleeping bag and never use a heater. I have sailed every month of the year in Canada.

BTW - I also will not use an electric heater overnight.


----------



## Dog Ship

I to have spent many nights on boats and in rv's out here on the west coast of Canada where it gets wet and miserable and cold and wet and miserable and...and...cold, and never ever have I used a heater during the night when I sleep.
It is far to dangerous. 
Get some good bedding, bundle up and whether it be an electric, diesel, propane or solid fuel heater "shut it off at night".
When you are able to wake up the next morning you will be greatful for having it shut off. 
At least you will be alive to turn it on again.


----------



## ebs001

Boats can get dam chilly at times. One of the best solutions we have found to make sleeping more comfortable under these conditions is a hot water bottle. It takes the chill out of the bed before you climb in and keeps your feet worm all night. At times, I also like to put one in the small of my back. The heating of the water takes the chill off at night and making coffee in the morning takes the chill off in the morning.


----------



## Ilenart

15 years ago a charter company in the Gippsland lakes advised us on the upsidedown terracotta pot idea. They even had the terracotta pot as standard equipment on the boat! The idea works fine, only raises the temperature a couple of degrees, however it is enough to take the chill out of the cabin. My guess is that it will only work on a small cabin (this was a 25ft yacht). I used it a couple of months ago on my UFO 34 and it works fine (I have a metho stove).

As with using the stove normally, you need to ensure adequate ventalation; I normally leave the front hatch open a couple of inches and the back hatch open so there is airflow through the boat. Leave the flame on low and shut it down when you go to sleep. Common sense stuff. 

For those who are stating that this is a bad idea; it is no different from using the stove normally.

Ilenart


----------



## Bene505

Lots of blankets. Then more blankets..

We have 4 berths and I'm usually solo during winter overnights (Connecticut usually). I grab blankets from the other berths and just pile them onto mine. It's tough to be cold when you have an excessive number of blankets on you. (A good sleeping bag is a very good idea if you are space limited. If you aren't, then stockpile some blankets.)

No stove or oven on during the night, and we have a carbon monoxide detector too. In the morning, the stove quickly heats the cabin up a bit while making breakfast or a hot beverage. The propane oven seems to burn cleaner, so during the day I'll sometimes sail with the oven on and the hatch boards in place. If I do go below, the cabin is warmish and dry. (Occasional use of the stove/over seems to dry the interior. Perhaps because the heat lingers after I turn the stove off, but the cumbustion-created water vapor vents out quicker.)

By the way, our insurance company mandated a carbon monoxide detector. I'm glad they did. I wired it to the master switch. So if we are on the boat the CO detector is on.

Regards,
Brad


----------



## svzephyr44

My solution is XO, my cat. We keep each other warm at night.

But on a more serious note you need not only to think about heat but also insulation. My boat has none. My 16,000 BTU propane heater can keep me warm in close proximity but as soon as I turn it off the temperature drops to the temperature of the water. So like most others I rely on sleeping bags and warm clothing. Remember also that the entire boat is the temperature of the water. That means the deck will be cool or cold - barefoot is cold. You may need as much insulation under you in bed as above - that is why so many of us use sleeping bags.

BTW the reverse is true in hot weather - turn your A/C off and the boat will go to the water temperature.


----------



## T37Chef

Heated stones? LOL

We have one of these for those chilly days, as other have said though, don't run it without some ventilation and not when you're asleep. Fleece is great too 

Coleman - BlackCat Catalytic Heater with InstaStart Technology -


----------



## celenoglu

Any open flame will produce CO2, CO and water vapour. The first two are hazardious to your health. Water vapour on the other hand not good at all. When the boat cools down yu will have "rain" in the cabinet. As long as you have high humidity it will disturb you more than cold air. the only solution is to discard all chemicals comingfrm the fire directly outside which means a flue.


----------



## ArcherBowman

Oh - I won't comment on whether or not the pot is effective or not. Running the stove while you're awake, as a heater or a cook unit, is fine.

My concerns are entirely about going to sleep with a flame lit.

Which will, sooner or later, kill somebody.



Ilenart said:


> For those who are stating that this is a bad idea; it is no different from using the stove normally.
> 
> Ilenart


----------



## cktalons

Yeah, so I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't have an open flame running in the middle of the night, that's just moronic, and as mentioned in the starting thread, I'd obviously vent the cabin so I could continue breathing.

When I turn on the stove to boil water for coffee, the chill is taken out of the air, but I was hoping I could find something that would warm it up a tad more. Doesn't look like there's a solution other than a bulkhead heater, which I do not have. Piling on blankets will keep my body warm (if it's already warm, that is, if I'm cold, it's hard to get the blood moving again...), but not the cabin.


----------



## chef2sail

We have the same heater as the Y37chef for use ( he recommended it to use)when awake with the cabin ventilated. At night is a couple of goose down throws and blankts fro LL Bean. Lightweight, easily stowable in a small space, breath well, and keep you very very warm on the cold boat nights at anchor.

Dave


----------



## Tim R.

Sitting at a beautiful anchorage this morning in shorts and T shirt. 42F outside and 65f inside. Nothing beats a dedicated heater that you can run all night. Our Hurricahe diesel hydronic heater is mounted in the sail locker and vents to the outside. Exhaust is on the transom. It pumps an AF mixture throughout the boat to small radiator/fan combos that are controller by thermostats in the different zones.

As a live aboard, I believe in being comfortable and in Maine you need the right equipment.

Many in this thread claim pot or electric or propane but how cold does it get in your area. A pot would do nothing during a Maine winter night.

Diesel Hydronic Heater Installation


----------



## T37Chef

treilley said:


> Many in this thread claim pot or electric or propane but how cold does it get in your area. A pot would do nothing during a Maine winter night.
> 
> Diesel Hydronic Heater Installation


The OP ask for cheap and easy?  It doesn't sound like they, nor am I, a live aboard, but I if I were to install something substantial it would most likely be something like you have, otherwise the item I mention works fine.


----------



## T37Chef

cktalons said:


> Yeah, so I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't have an open flame running in the middle of the night, that's just moronic, and as mentioned in the starting thread, I'd obviously vent the cabin so I could continue breathing.
> 
> When I turn on the stove to boil water for coffee, the chill is taken out of the air, but I was hoping I could find something that would warm it up a tad more. Doesn't look like there's a solution other than a bulkhead heater, which I do not have. Piling on blankets will keep my body warm (if it's already warm, that is, if I'm cold, it's hard to get the blood moving again...), but not the cabin.


You may not believe this but you're not the only person that will read this thread...

Nobody said nor implied you were an idiot? Stating some safety precautions repeatedly does no harm?


----------



## jackdale

treilley said:


> Many in this thread claim pot or electric or propane but how cold does it get in your area. A pot would do nothing during a Maine winter night.


In The PNW I have awoken to ice on the deck and dock. No heater overnight.


----------



## lancelot9898

jackdale said:


> In The PNW I have awoken to ice on the deck and dock. No heater overnight.


It all depends on what level of comfort you're use to. I enjoy backpacking in the winter so living aboard in cold climates seems easy in comparison. When my son was in college he was in mountain search and rescue and part of their training was to be able to spend the night in sub freezing temperature with only two trash can bag liners which was to be used to make a sleeping bag using leaves as insulation between the liners. Contrast that to my 60 lb backpack containing all sorts of things.

One note on bulkhead heaters. While I lived aboard for over 20 years on the Cheaspeake Bay at dock I always was plugged in and did not use the bulkhead heater, but when anchored out it always came in handy. It's a Force 10 heater and was orginally diesel and then I started using it as a kerosene heater due to the smell. Even the kerosene left a awful smell and finally converted it to propane....which was an excellent decision IMHO. There are better heaters out there, but almost all require a larger hole to be cut in the deck which I did not want to do. (The Force 10 just required a 2 inch diameter hole. ) Since I don't normally anchor out in sub freezing condition it is more than adequate.


----------



## LakeSuperiorGeezer

A carbon monoxide detector would be prudent. Carbon dioxide detectors are not very common and are usually used to turn on vent systems in large buildings: Carbon Dioxide - Vaisala


----------



## gknott

Here's my vote for the catalytic heater mentioned by T37Chef. We've used one for over 5 years. We also have a Force 10 bulkhead heater and we are very happy with the results except that being mounted on the bulkhead it does not heat your wet and cold feet. Slippers and dry socks help but the propane canister-powered catalytic unit sits on the sole and does that job quite nicely and heats the entire cabin as well in the process. I think we get about 10 hours per canister but it's hard to tell because we only use it intermittently when the toes get extra cold and we are looking for that extra-luxurious touch. Never underway or at night. Any flame on a boat, including a candle, presents a risk but used with caution and commonsense, this heater is an effective and cheap solution until you can afford something else.


----------



## jrd22

The catalytic heater looks like a good little heater for my garage, but being propane I wouldn't allow it on the boat. One small propane leak on that Chinese made heater and...boom. The OP doesn't say she has a propane system onboard so it's doubtful she has a sniffer either, and even if you have a sniffer it isn't going to automatically shut off the flow of propane like it would on a properly installed remote tank with a solenoid valve.


----------



## Faster

For economics, safety, and aesthetics it's pretty hard to beat Dickinson's Newport propane bulkhead heaters. Totally vented, comes with everything needed for installation (unlike others where flue and charlie noble are add-ons) outside combustion air and fully vented products of combustion. Pleasing 'fireplace' look too. The main downside is reduced efficiency (vs espar and the like) and a rather noisy fan. 2 models available starting around $600.

Any open flamed source is just asking for trouble....


----------



## bljones

We use a Coleman catalytic heater as well, with hatches cracked for ventilation and two fans running to circulate air. Keeps our small cabin toasty while lounging, then just before retiring, tent up the v-berth blankets with pillows and aim the heater toward the v-berth to warm the blankets.

A dog or two helps as well.

Where do you think the band "Three Dog Night" got their name? Betcha they lived aboard through a Canadian winter.


----------



## Dean101

For those of you that do not use any type of heater at night, do you have any problems with water lines freezing? I wouldn't think a large tank of water nestled against the hull at or below waterline would be a problem but I'm curious as to the plumbing from tank to galley/head. 

Also, I've read some articles stating that externally vented heaters do not introduce co/co2 into the cabin. Are these type heaters safe for overnight use? Personally, I think the use of co/co2 detectors would be prudent given the relatively confined space of most cabins even if a heater is not used. Is anyone here familiar with the dependability/reliability of externally vented heaters and their associated detecting equipment? 

My curiosity at this point is stemming from the availability of various types of heaters available in the second-hand market, which seem relatively more affordable than brand new units.


----------



## cktalons

T37Chef said:


> You may not believe this but you're not the only person that will read this thread...
> 
> Nobody said nor implied you were an idiot? Stating some safety precautions repeatedly does no harm?


People reading the thread will read everyone saying the same thing: fire and Carbon Monoxide are dangerous; so I'm not sure how many times everyone needs to say it, and I was hoping to prevent more people from repeating each other. Three times was probably enough, after that it starts to feel like a lecturing about TPS report cover sheets.

And I'm a liveaboard. As stated in the opening thread, I don't have hundreds of dollars to drop on a new or used bulkhead heater, but I wanted to take a two day trip somewhere anyway. If it gets too cold, though, I'll simply dock overnight and avoid all the heating-the-cabin woes. Misery is shivering under a pile of blankets, watching my smoke-like breath billow from my nostrils.


----------



## WanderingStar

On a 26' boat I've found that a couple of candle lanterns help. The candle flame is relatively cool, protected by aluminum and glass, and uses little oxygen. They won't warm it to house temperatures, but they will keep it warmer than outside.


----------



## Maine Sail

Going to 38F tonight and we use nothing but a Mr. Buddy type heater and a the stove when cooking dinner. We do use a Bora Caframo fan to circulate the heat (very important for even heating) We DO NOT run any heater over night and would not unless it was sealed combustion and meant top be a permanently installed heating system.

We have a Force 10 cabin heater but refuse to use it because it is the worst POS ever made for cabin heating.

It is currently 46 degrees F outside and 72F inside..

for the Mr. Buddy

1- Fuel bottle are only ever installed out side the cabin and stored in propane lockers.

2- The device is only ever lit outside the cabin and the ceramic element allowed to glow red, complete combustion, before moving it into the cabin.

3- It is only ever turned On or OFF outside the cabin.

4- We have a carbon monoxide detector and the device has a low oxygen cut off but we trust neither. If we feel tired we shut off the heater, period.

5- At night we sleep in 800 fill DOWN just like when winter mountaineering... We are ROASTY without a cabin heater..

6- Many years ago I read of the flower pot on the range, tried it one cold night, and found it to be a compete joke as far as cabin heating goes. You are better off to warm the oven and crack the door about 1/2" ,nice dry heat and more warmth than the flower pot..

*Disclaimer:* I do not condone the use of a Mr. Buddy type heater and only use this at my OWN risk knowing full well its risk and limitations. Use at your OWN risk....

P.S. The heat from a ceramic radiant heater is far drier, less humidity, than using a flower pot on the range or our POS Force 10 cabin heater......

P.S.S. I will try and take a photo tonight of our heater sitting in front of our POS Force 10. It;s kind of a funny sight...


----------



## Faster

Maine Sail said:


> We have a Force 10 cabin heater but refuse to use it because it is the worst POS ever made for cabin heating.
> 
> ...


We once did an Easter distance race on a Laser 28 with that heater installed.. it was bitter cold and wet and we did spend time below off-watch. Our son (probably about 12 yrs old at the time) was on board too.. I was deathly afraid we'd succumb to fumes down below with that thing running.. it stank terribly and didn't really give off much heat.

By contrast our Dickinson is a Cadillac..... (not a MB.....)


----------



## jrd22

Maine- so how do you like that Force 10?)


----------



## gknott

I'm tending to agree with "cktalons" that we have been overstating the obvious a bit. I include myself in that category. What we are basically discussing is a risk management decision which, when implemented, will provide an individually defined level of personal comfort. In my experience, those are two topics where hardly anyone will ever agree. In answer to the original question, it seems that if one is willing to assume some level of risk of death by fire, explosion, or suffocation, then there are a couple of cheap and easy ways which may be better than putting a flower pot over your cooker to avoid blowing visible air from one's nostrils on a cold night. I would argue that the replies advocating pet ownership, while very enjoyable to many (myself included), are neither cheap nor easy in the long run. But that ignores the cuddle factor. A topic which is probably banned on this forum. That aside, none of the ideas so kindly offered seem either spectacularily idiotic or suicidal. The only common denominator seems to be that almost everyone likes to be warm to some degree.

P.S. I still like my Force 10 kerosene heater that takes 5 minutes to light, freezes my feet, and stinks to high heaven. I can't imagine why anyone would feel differently but I guess there's just no accounting for taste.


----------



## veprjack

I am moving aboard next Saturday (Oct 29). The temps in Salem, MA have been around 45 at night and up to 70 in the daytime, so I'm not expecting anything dramatic for the three days I have to spend on the mooring before going into my winter slip on Nov 1. 

They're predicting temps in the 30s for the evenings Fri-Sun, so I WILL have to plan for that. And being on a mooring, the plans won't include anything "too electric" lol... Running the engine while using one of my ceramic heaters would take off the chill, but I'm hoping that won't be necessary. I have a sleeping bag and lots of blankets, so I should be fine. Although I have a two-burner alcohol range, I am concerned about using it for a little heat prior to going to sleep, as I am concerned about CONDENSATION. 

When I get on the boat Saturday, I will "install" that plastic stuff that snaps together like a puzzle and raises the mattresses, books etc. off the fiberglass. It's in a box on the boat now, and I can't remember the name of it - it's a small version of that stuff bartenders place on the floor so they don't slip. 

This thread is very helpful for a noob liveaboard in a cold climate. Next weekend in Salem MA with HALLOWEEN will be MADNESS - and I'm looking forward to being able to enjoy it and then escape in my dingy out to the mooring. Can goblims swim???


----------



## cktalons

veprjack said:


> I am moving aboard next Saturday (Oct 29). The temps in Salem, MA have been around 45 at night and up to 70 in the daytime, so I'm not expecting anything dramatic for the three days I have to spend on the mooring before going into my winter slip on Nov 1.


Congratulations! It's such a blast to live aboard a boat. Your stove will take the chill out of the air in the morning, which is what I found when I anchored out in the summer (I live in the Pacific Northwest, and even in the summer, morning temps can drop into the high 30s!). I didn't have AC power unless I ran the generator, so I had to make coffee by boiling water and using a french press. The big upside to that was turning on the stove in the am. My boat is insulated, so seconds after turning on the stove, the cabin warmed a bit. And coffee always helps!


----------



## AdamLein

Hm. Thinking about these radiant heat devices makes me wonder: would it be possible to close the companionway with a material that is transparent to infrared radiation (but that keeps warm air inside), and then run a Mr. Buddy type heater in the cockpit pointing into the cabin?

Alternatively, what about running a heater outside but using it to heat some water which is gravity-fed into a heat exchanger in the cabin?

Not trying to reinvent the wheel, just looking for "cheap and easy and also safe" heating solutions.


----------



## veprjack

* I didn't have AC power unless I ran the generator, so I had to make coffee by boiling water and using a french press. *

COFFEE - MUST HAVE COFFEE!! I'd make coffee, even if I had to heat it ON THE ENGINE! lol...

Yes Courtney, I cannot wait to move aboard - VERY excited/exciting with lots of change and self-discovery over the next few decades (I hope...).

Wintering in the slip with power will certainly take some of the sting out of winter - but I'll still have to deal with condensation, and I'll post my experiences here as they happen. Thanks to those who have gone before me to test the waters...

Excitedly yours,
Jack


----------



## ewoden

Crank up your inboard, let it run while you charge up the batteries, and motor in the last several miles to your anchorage. Amazing how much heat is stored in that big hunk of iron. If your engine compartment is well insulated on top and along the hull, the excess heat can radiate into the cabin. It won't keep you warm all night, but it sure will keep things toasty for a while. I have sliding louvers on the bulkheads to my engine compartment. I can open them up on chilly days, after diesel engine shut down, to spread the warmth a bit. I don't think I would do the same if my engine were gasoline fired however


----------



## ArcherBowman

Sorry -Didn't mean to imply you were. I have been shocked at many intelligent friends in the SCA who were willing to go to sleep in a tightly sealed tent with a propane heater running.



cktalons said:


> Yeah, so I'm not an idiot.


----------



## veprjack

Ahhh yes ewoden - heat from the engine-might as well put it to good use. I for one, do not have the skill to sail into the slip, so I have to motor anyway. Besides, the marina probably doesn't sailing in - not by ME, anyway... 

Picture me warming my hands over the engine after docking - marshmallows too? hehehe


----------



## cktalons

ArcherBowman said:


> Sorry -Didn't mean to imply you were. I have been shocked at many intelligent friends in the SCA who were willing to go to sleep in a tightly sealed tent with a propane heater running.


AnchorBowman, 
All the "fire and CO are dangerous" comments reminded me of when I told my fellow Californians that I was moving to Washington state. They all said, with great wisdom in their voices: "You know, it rains a lot there." Also heard many "You know, a boat moves," and "The ocean is dangerous, you know" comments when I said I'd be moving aboard a boat. People just can't help themselves!


----------



## lancelot9898

Maine Sail said:


> We have a Force 10 cabin heater but refuse to use it because it is the worst POS ever made for cabin heating.
> 
> .


Hey Maine,

Convert that POS stove to propane and you may change your tune.


----------



## cktalons

Chris12345 said:


> Well, now I can't help myself: If you were going to move onto a boat, what made you move from CA to WA first???????


I moved to WA for adventure. Did that in 2008. Didn't know I wanted to live on a boat until a few months ago. So I lived on land in WA for three years. I never want to go back to CA, it's too crazy there.


----------



## smurphny

Although I do have an old bulkhead, vented "blue flame" type heater that burns kero, I keep a small catalytic tent heater for times when I do not want to bother with the priming, etc. to get the main unit going. It also stinks like kero. somewhat no matter what I do so I use it only if it's really cold. *With ventilation*, I see no prob. with these small cat. heaters which stow easily, are cheap, and use regular propane canisters. They would be NG for long term usage. Note that any fossil fuel burning, non-vented unit will produce H2O inside the cabin as well as some nasty fumes so they are not very safe for extended use.


----------



## newhaul

check for second hand marine stores here in poulsbo wa there is a second chance marine store i have seen propane bulkead heaters for as little as $150 and complete diesel units for as low as $45


----------



## Maine Sail

lancelot9898 said:


> Hey Maine,
> 
> Convert that POS stove to propane and you may change your tune.


It is propane, and my tune is still the same on it...

POS










The Force 10 Cozy Cabin Heater is anything but "cozy" unless you consider creating your own condensation rain forest inside your boat "cozy". This heater is nothing more than an upside down metal funnel for a heat exchanger or "flower pot". The vent system is horrendous and more moisture from combustion, than heat, winds up in your boat.

This is the second boat I have owned with one of these crappy heaters. I was dumb enough to install the first one back in the early 90's, before the Dickinson heaters came out. It was so wet we had to keep the hatches open when using it, but then we froze. It was a no win. On our current boat the PO had already installed it but by the time we bought her it had already been disconnected. The PO's found out just as we did that it was as useless as "tits on a bull" as a heater....

My wife wanted me to re-connect it when our daughter came along, so I did, and after one hour with it "heating" she said "shut it off!".... When we paint the decks I will fill the hole left by the stack and rip it out. The boat will eventually get a Webasto forced air diesel heater...

The ceramic radiant heaters produce a considerably drier LP heat but still not perfect. The Dickinson's are sealed combustion and produce a very dry heat and work oodles better than the Force 10 Cozy cabin heater does...


----------



## deniseO30

Non electric diesel type heaters use a carburetor or generator type of fuel delivery to the flame. Just like your Coleman lanterns, with variations of course. Many types of portable heaters, use a wick and or drum type of metal basket that glows very hot to act like a secondary or catalytic converter. Fuel oils burn at much higher temps then propane, but the temp to atomize or gasify the fuel needs to be provided in the start up, (electrodes, priming cups, etc) they aren't very different (or dependable) then the ones used in your dad's hunting cabin! The fuel cokes very quickly from the high temps required to bring it to blue flame temps. A kerosene fueled lantern is more likely to have better combustion then some bulkhead heaters.

interesting site.. notice the similarity in the parts. http://tgmarsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lantern/coleusstovemid30ear50.html


----------



## SVAuspicious

Maine Sail said:


> The boat will eventually get a Webasto forced air diesel heater...


I have had both a factory installed Webasto and subsequent Espar on Auspicious. The Espar is a better heater in my experience. I'll PM you my phone number if you want the long version of the story. Otherwise go Espar.


----------



## Minnewaska

It seems like the OP already has life aboard at the dock figured out. She uses an elecric space heater and seems to like it. I would be sure it was we designed to shut off if knocked over, was always placed low in the cabin and was cool to the touch, other than the vented heat. In other words, nothing would light on fire if it came in contact. If you have the power, that seems fine to me. 

Smoke detectors, etc are a must on land or onboard. The bigger safety issue is whether you have an alternate egress in the event of an alarm. From my cabin, I do not, which is my only gripe with our boat. I'm even tempted to retrofit something.

Since the OP is only looking for the odd overnight (during the winter no less), it doesn't seem to require over thinking the problem. A cracked open propane stove will get the job done for the odd day away, but as most have mentioned, you won't want to leave it on while you sleep.

That brings me to my final point. If you lack heat of any kind at night (no matter what you choose) in the winter in the PNW, how do you keep water, etc, from freezing? I assume the engine has not been winterized if you sailed off the dock.


----------



## jackdale

Minnewaska said:


> That brings me to my final point. If you lack heat of any kind at night (no matter what you choose) in the winter in the PNW, how do you keep water, etc, from freezing? I assume the engine has not been winterized if you sailed off the dock.


 I was once taken to task for using the term antifreeze; I was told that it is coolant, it does not freeze here (Sidney, BC).

Boats are left in the water all year long.


----------



## deniseO30

When wilderness or backpack camping, waking up and hoping around in the sleeping bag until the camp fire was stoked back to life after, a long cold (but cozy in the bag) night It WAS part of the fun! Now that I'm older......


----------



## hellosailor

ck, an externally vented heater with appropriate safeties (thermostat, oxy sensor) is nice but I think above the size and budget you're considering.

Flannel sheets, lots of polartec or "polyfleece", and some Smartwool socks or mucklucks (available in all kinds of warmth, softness, etc. these days). I prefer down to fleece, especially since new fleece actually pulls in body oils and dries your skin out, but if there's any damp in the air the down just looses it and the fleece is what I bring on a boat. Also easy to throw in the wash, which keeps it clean AND warm.

Not surprisingly, WalMart sells huge fleece blankets way cheaper than the outdoors stores. Not necessarily as heavy, but a bargain even if you layer 'em up.

And some hydrophobic ("wicking") synthetic or silk long johns can absolutely do wonders. You can also usually find silk turtlenecks, really lightweight, lighter than t-shirt material, inexpensively these days. Often not colorfast, but again, toasty warm and light.


----------



## bgeddes

For just a few nights, a good sleeping setup would be the most cost effective. Big piles of cheap blankets are ok unless you have to carry them (backpacking) or store them on a smallish boat. 

The wonder of science has made sleeping bags comfortable to sub-zero temps. They are affordable and can be compressed when not in use. A $2.00 'space blanket' can be used to maintain body heat even better. but be careful with the moisture. Wearing a stocking cap while you sleep will also help maintain body heat. 

No need to go crazy trying to heat the entire boat unless you have water to worry about. Just keep you warm for the night, (and keep your first layer of clothes under you sleeping bag so they are warm when you get up).


----------



## T37Chef

Maine Sail said:


>


In the corner there, I think I see a lint ball??? 

Nice looking boat there MS


----------



## Minnewaska

jackdale said:


> I was once taken to task for using the term antifreeze; I was told that it is coolant, it does not freeze here (Sidney, BC).
> 
> Boats are left in the water all year long.


Never would have consider that it didn't freeze in the PNW. Wow. Looked it up and see average lows in Dec/Jan of just near freezing, but highs in the low 40s. You all have it rather easy out there..........

NWS says we are going to have below normal temps in RI this winter. Can't wait to see what that means, average lows in the 20s.


----------



## carl762

39 deg when I got up this morning. Sleeping bag, and hat do the trick for me. Sleep like a baby. Did last Winter too. Getting up, I'm dressed and packed up, locking the hatch boards in as little as a minute, and on my way to the car to head home to go to work. 

Used a catalytic heater for the first time for a few minutes last evening while watching a movie, reading, having a drinkie. Worked well. Kept front hatch open 1 inch and the slider open as well. Shut her down and battened down the hatches. It stayed very nice.


----------

