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Electric heating?

basalt

By basalt
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ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

Posted
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Why? As you are already aware, Sue, the 8pm - 8am rule only applies when in earshot of others.

 

quote C&RT "Please don’t use electricity generators, including the boat's engine between 8pm and 8am unless you are moored completely out of earshot of other people." (my italics.)

 

But of course I would never run my genny to annoy anybody at any time of day or night.

Maybe the boat moored behind me at the weekend was deaf and couldn't hear his engine so assumed I couldn't at 7-17 in the morning and 11 pm at night

They dont use very much power to run the fans though. We run a 2kw Webasto on our 25ft boat. It needs good voltage to start the unit up for the first couple of minutes or so but then settles down to use about 3 amps per hour to run the fans and fuel pump. Hardly worth worrying about. Of course you do need to replace that power into the batteries be that by running the engine, solar or battery charger and shore power.

3 Amps over several hours can be a problem if your max output from your alternator is only 10A

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Maybe the boat moored behind me at the weekend was deaf and couldn't hear his engine so assumed I couldn't at 7-17 in the morning and 11 pm at night

3 Amps over several hours can be a problem if your max output from your alternator is only 10A

Well actually I am very deaf, but understand that others may/can hear my engine/gennie even if it appears quiet to me (I can turn my hearing aids off and avoid the noise.) If there is any doubt whatsoever, I ask the person nearby if it is annoying them, and that is during the permitted hours. It is selfish and wrong to run an engine in the manner that you describe, and even if the offender was deaf, that would be no excuse! I have a bogus patrol notice for such occasions :)

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basalt Explorer

basalt

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We are planning on using the boat in the winter - a chilly morning with the frost just thawing on the ground is so much more magical than a summers morning and New year on the boat is a must.

 

I am a bit biased in that I'd really like a stove but your adivce has convinced me it's the only sensible option - I just need to work on my father in law. I admit a diesel heater is also suitable but it would cost about the same and isn't as fun ( feel free to remind me of that when I'm scrabbling around for kindling at 3am, my blue fingers dropping the matches everywhere. ).

 

cheers

Ian

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Robbo Veteran II

Robbo

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We are planning on using the boat in the winter - a chilly morning with the frost just thawing on the ground is so much more magical than a summers morning and New year on the boat is a must.

 

I am a bit biased in that I'd really like a stove but your adivce has convinced me it's the only sensible option - I just need to work on my father in law. I admit a diesel heater is also suitable but it would cost about the same and isn't as fun ( feel free to remind me of that when I'm scrabbling around for kindling at 3am, my blue fingers dropping the matches everywhere. ).

 

cheers

Ian

 

I wouldn't do anything until you've had the boat for a while, you will change your mind so many times! In the mean time a paraffin heater like this, that requires no electric and has it's own fuel tank would be a good temporary measure.

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basalt Explorer

basalt

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I like that Idea but I'm really wary about the safety - I will be fitting a CO alarm anyway but the lack of a flue bothers me and I certainly wouldn't want it running whilst we sleep. The internet's full of contradictory information - anyone on here used them much?

 

We will get battery charging sorted once we're ready for longer trips but at the moment the priorities are painting the poor thing so it looks like someone cares for it and making it comfortable.

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wrigglefingers Experienced

wrigglefingersDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

A quick check here. A 50 ft boat moored in the basin runs fan-driven electric heating in the evening; the bill is in the region of £300 per month in winter. And we buy our electricity at cost. The coal bill for the Rayburn on Cobbett (62ft) is £25 per week and that includes my cooking and as much hot water as I wish to squander. My electricity and gas bill averages £10 per month combined.

 

A solid fuel stove is easily the cheapest method of heating in winter if you are considering using the boat for any length of time. A diesel stove will be safe as long as it is correctly installed and maintained - the Kabola Old Dutch stove I have in the back cabin would be big enough to heat a 20ft boat, it still needs a flue though. I am unqualified to comment on gas central heating as I've not ever had it on a boat.

 

(I should point out that I am very good at blowing up batteries without even considering using them for heating.)

Edited by wrigglefingers
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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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I think I'm right in remembering that you have a sensible, hot air diesel heater.

 

Richard

Yes I do which is what I suggested for the OP.

 

They can be picked up cheaply enough in Ebay after they have been taken out if BT vans etc.

It would cost more than fitting a stove though by the looks of it - and we don't have a diesel tank. On our next boat though...... smile.png

Easily sorted.

 

A lot of cruisers in our marina are petrol. They still have diesel heaters with a small (often only 5l) seperate fuel tank.

 

Our heater (2kw) uses between and 1/8 and 1/4 of a litre of diesel per hour and keeps the boat toasty warm.

 

You can pick these heaters up from lorry breakers, caravan breakers, off ebay etc.

An outboard engine, not 150A alternator

Most outboards on cruisers will still have a small alternator which should be capable of sticking the power used by a blown air heater back into the batteries with little fuss.

 

There is of course also the option of gas blown air heating but this again has fans to run.

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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What make do you have Naughty Cal? I'm looking at getting something similar for my next boat.

What make do you have Naughty Cal? I'm looking at getting something similar for my next boat.

Webasto Airtop 2000ST.

 

It has never let us down in five years.

 

It has a built in decoke cycle which i suspect is one of the reasons it seems a damn sight more reliable than some. The unit is now ten years old and to my knowledge has never been stripped down or serviced.

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Robbo Veteran II

Robbo

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Posted (edited)

Webasto Airtop 2000ST.

 

It has never let us down in five years.

 

It has a built in decoke cycle which i suspect is one of the reasons it seems a damn sight more reliable than some. The unit is now ten years old and to my knowledge has never been stripped down or serviced.

Cheers...

 

Just had a quick google and there about £700 new.

Edited by Robbo
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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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Cheers...

 

Just had a quick google and there about £700 new.

Like has been said previously they are fairly easy, and cheap, to pick up second hand.

 

There are other fittings you will need for a marine installation but they are reasonably easy to get hold of. The exhaust is one that springs to mind. Also the controller for road vehicles is set to switch off after an hour, presumably to stop it flattening the vehicle battery. You can get new controllers though without this function.

 

We also fitted a 7 day programmable timer so we can set when we want it to come on and a thermostat so that in the winter it is use as a back up to the electric heaters.

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drunkensailor Collaborator

drunkensailor

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Posted (edited)

I think that even with secondhand stoves, installation will be uneconomic compared to what the boat will ever be worth. Don't be fooled by the large numbers of Springers on sale on Apollo Duck at high prices.

And I can really see why your parents don't want the second bed removed from a boat they helped pay for. It may be the difference between them being able to use it with you or not.

My advice, which you are welcome to ignore, is to fix this one up for the lowest possible price, sell it, then buy a bigger boat which already has heating if you plan to take up winter cruising. The stove takes up a lot of room in my 35' boat, god knows what it will be like in one fifteen feet shorter.

Springers are great little boats which don't deserve the poor reputation they suffer from, but they simply weren't designed for year round cruising.

Edited by drunkensailor
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basalt Explorer

basalt

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We'd never actually be sharing with them - hence not being bothered myself about loosing one bed. This basically what we could easily afford without breaking into a sweat or getting a loan so will do us for a while and being so tiny the mooring fees are cheap. We'll probably look at the paraffin option more carefully.

Cheers

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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Despite what some seem to be saying there is no reason why you shouldnt be able to find a suitable source of heating that will allow you to use your boat year round.

 

As you quite rightly point out everybodies budgets and circumstances are different and not everybody can afford or desires to own a large boat but that does not mean that they can not enjoy it just as much.

 

Take a look at Propex heaters as well as the diesel powered blown air systems. They are ideal for smaller boats as they dont take up much room and are very effective.

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