Stove or NO Stove?

[Swampfrog]

Help.....

We are currently in discussion with our boat builder and we cannot decide whether to have a solid fuel stove or not? we will have Webasto diesel central heating, but should we also have a stove?

 

Neither of us are particularly fond of stoves but we will be continuous cruisers and can't decide?

 

Opinions will be much appreciated

 

Cheers

 

Robbie and Suzie

[Athy]

Yes.

- Cosy and cheery in the winter

- Economical (gather wood as you go along).

- Unlike central heating, will not break down.

 

I wonder why you would not be fond of a living fire?

[pearley]

When we had Joanie M built we decided not to have a stove, probably for the same reasons as you're reluctant, and rely on Webasto for heating. Big mistake! Stopped working just 4 months into winter with burner problems although that was on gas oil rather than current diesel. Week without heating with snow on the ground is no fun! Had a stove fitted by original builders and now hardly use the Webasto.

 

Get the stove now whilst you can do it easily.

 

Regards

Pete

[Ray T]

For what it's worth: For quite some while Mrs T didn't like the idea of a stove and this coloured our thinking when buying a boat.

 

After a couple of winter cruises we realised the Eberspacher was not much use for long term heating, as I believe it should not be run for more than four hours.

 

The Ebby is OK for taking the chill off the boat or for early Autumn / late Spring.

 

Also one one occasion the thing broke down, it was cold and miserable on the boat.

 

A couple of years ago we had a stove retro fitted. One of the best things we ever did.

 

Takes a little bit of practice to get used to the stoves workings, but IMHO go for it.

[STUBAG]

Help.....

We are currently in discussion with our boat builder and we cannot decide whether to have a solid fuel stove or not? we will have Webasto diesel central heating, but should we also have a stove?

 

Neither of us are particularly fond of stoves but we will be continuous cruisers and can't decide?

 

Opinions will be much appreciated

 

Cheers

 

Robbie and Suzie

Consider how you will keep warm when the Webasto is out of action, which it surely will be at some point. We have Webasto and a Bubble Stove, and need them both. Wether you go for diesel or solid fuel is up to you but, as I say, you will need both.

[Guest]

Help.....

We are currently in discussion with our boat builder and we cannot decide whether to have a solid fuel stove or not? we will have Webasto diesel central heating, but should we also have a stove?

 

Neither of us are particularly fond of stoves but we will be continuous cruisers and can't decide?

 

Opinions will be much appreciated

 

Cheers

 

Robbie and Suzie

 

I'd be surprised that if you didn't get one that you wouldn't regret it after your first autumn through to spring on board.

 

It would also suggest it would affect the re-sale value of your boat not having one - good ones are not cheap but worth their weight in gold on dark and miserable cold evenings and nights.

 

So as to your question Stove yes defo.

Edited September 12, 2012 by The Dog House

[Robbo]

Another vote here for not relying on one source of heating, if you don't like soild fuel take a look at drip fed diesel stoves like the lockgate refleks or bubble.

[alan_fincher]

What they all said.

 

By far the most reliable way of heating, given the widely reported track records of nearly every other alternative method.

 

I wouldn't even dream of having a leisure boat with no solid fuel stove. For a live-aboard to me it is a no brainer, unless you have some disability that actually makes humping the fuel around too difficult.

[Zoro]

Help.....

We are currently in discussion with our boat builder and we cannot decide whether to have a solid fuel stove or not? we will have Webasto diesel central heating, but should we also have a stove?

 

Neither of us are particularly fond of stoves but we will be continuous cruisers and can't decide?

 

Opinions will be much appreciated

 

Cheers

 

Robbie and Suzie

 

YES>YES>YES. I lived on my boat for five years. The Morso Stove was the best thing on the boat.

Used carefully it used little fuel. Coal and occasionally logs. It looked good with the real fire glow

and kept the whole boat warm.

I also had diesel heating but hardly ever used it.

Yes it will create a bit more dust/smoke but I thought well worth the effort.

[FadeToScarlet]

Help.....

We are currently in discussion with our boat builder and we cannot decide whether to have a solid fuel stove or not? we will have Webasto diesel central heating, but should we also have a stove?

 

Neither of us are particularly fond of stoves but we will be continuous cruisers and can't decide?

 

Opinions will be much appreciated

 

Cheers

 

Robbie and Suzie

 

In the depths of winter, you'll probably need to run your heating 24/7, even if not flat out all the time. http://www.webasto-marine.co.uk/faq.html'>

http://www.webasto-marine.co.uk/faq.html

If your Webasto uses about a third of a litre an hour, you'll need 8 litres per day, or 56 litres a week. So about £40 a week on heating only, if you can buy it at 0% duty- and many places only sell at a fixed split, so 60% of the diesel would be over £1/litre.

 

That's very expensive, compared to my Morso Squirrel. I normally get through a 25kg bag of coal every 4-5 days. Even at inflated Fenland prices of £10 per bag, that's still a lot cheaper, and you can get coal at closer to £8 or £9 per bag on the canals.

 

 

And, of course, you can also burn scavenged wood, which is free!

 

 

Also, diesel heaters don't have a perfect record of reliability. You don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere in -10 degrees with no way of heating the boat. Having a stove, with diesel heater as backup, is much more standard.

 

Diesel heaters can also make noise and annoy people around you, some sound like a jet taking off.

 

Plus burning things and looking at flames is fun!

[Athy]

Perhaps the OP's view is coloured by being brought up in, or currently living in, a house which has no living fire. The idea of laying, kindling and mending a fire, and removing ashes, might seem abhorrent. As someone who has never lived in a house which did NOT have some form of living fire (currently a Clearview stove) I am well used to the ritual, and frankly it takes only a few minutes per day and is well worth that expended time.

[IainW]

STOVE

[Athy]

 

 

Also, diesel heaters don't have a perfect record of reliability.

Mr. Scarlet, I can only applaud your mastery of the understatement.

[Tuscan]

If you're worried about mess and storage get a bubble stove, but stove yes definitely.

[Robbo]

Diesel heating can be reliable and not cost much more than solid but you need to keep away from heaters like the Webasto esp. if running for any length of time.

 

Drip fed and pressure jet heaters are the most reliable diesel heaters. Drip fed stoves has the advantage of not requiring electric.

 

Ditch the webasto if you really don't want a stove (although I don't recommend - as said before get a drip fed heater if you really don't want soild fuel).

 

Good pressure jet heaters which are good for 24/7 use are the Hurricane and Bubble PJ.

[Odana]

Stove. Definitely get a stove. Especially if you're continuous cruising. You could consider a diesel stove if you don't like the mess of a solid fuel one. But IMO not as good/reliable/flexible

[Athy]

Stove. Definitely get a stove. Especially if you're continuous cruising. You could consider a diesel stove if you don't like the mess of a solid fuel one. But IMO not as good/reliable/flexible

...and you can't pick up diesel from the towpath to burn on your stove.

[Paul C]

Basic principle to keep boat going nicely:

 

2 ways to heat water

2 ways to heat the interior

2 ways to charge the batteries

[Higgs]

Your already considered heating is diesel. For reasons of options, I would go for a solid fuel stove. You will kick yourself if you don't fit one, because heaters (diesel) break down at the most annoying times - usually when it's freezing and cold and wet and miserable and inconvenient and needed and............

 

I have a Mikuni diesel heater in the wings, to be used as backup for the solid stove. The priority goes to the solid stove and the backup to the Mikuni.

[FadeToScarlet]

...and you can't pick up diesel from the towpath to burn on your stove.

 

Not so sure, Bizzard could probably come up with a portable oil well and fractional distillation tower...

[RichardH]

The one single reason why most of the 'live the dreamaboards' jump ship after the first winter in the marina we run from is:

 

'couldn't cope with the cold'

 

Diesel heating will not cope and I am surprised at your builder not telling you this in a blunt fashion.

 

Get an ecofan as well.

[Grace and Favour]

OP - - When you take the advice of all the previous responses to your question - and you fit a stove (I'd recommend a solid fuel stove like a Morso Squirrel) - and you've used it during your first winter aboard . .

 

You'll revisit your question - and realise why we were all so adamant that you get a stove.

 

(we've had two winters on our boat, our Webasto works perfectly - (we've run it for 5 hours in total)

 

Our stove has run 24/7 from October through to March - and kept us wonderfully cosy

[deletedaccount]

Absolutely get a stove, the diesel central heating won't cope in the deepest winter and not only does it use diesel, it uses electricity which is often in short supply!

 

Wow, this is one of those rare threads where we all agree

[cotswoldsman]

I have CCed for 6 years now and could not imagine life just relying on a webasco. If only because they are noisy and they use a lot of precious electricity!!!!!

[Water Rat.]

I do not live on my boat and have a gas fire - I doubt these would be allowed now. It passed the boat safety - I know the examiner would have loved to fail it but had no grounds. One of my neighbours who does live on his boat has a pellet burning stove. His is stove is rather large but I think they do come in smaller sizes. He swears by this as it is almost instant heat and does not create all the dust of a solid fuel stove. They were reviewed favourably in Canal Boat magazine a year or so ago.