ARAL

Thanks loddon, but they look quite pricey, and not the most pleasing aesthetically. I’m sure they are great as a functional piece of kit, but I think I will most likely go for a solid fuel stove, if only for the aesthetic and the ‘coziness’. Thanks again though.

Thankyou. ? ?

Thanks Alan. I will ask the question of the vendor, and investigate (much) further if there is not one present. ??

Thankyou haggis. ??

Thanks haggis. Is that a group on here, or a separate entity? Thanks blackrose, but you may as well have just tried to tell me how to build my own rocket! ? I’ll ask the engineer to look into this. ??

Thanks again, blackrose. You’ll have to pardon my (all things electrical) ignorance, but how exactly would I go about testing the galvanic isolator if there is one fitted?

Thankyou blackrose. The honest answer is that I don’t know, but since it is only one owner and it has been their pride and joy, then I would certainly assume that it does have one fitted. I will check though. Thanks again.

Hello again, you may have seen my recent post relating to the fact that I am due to take delivery of a 33’ Sea Otter in the coming weeks. The boat looks spotless, and such is the demand at the moment that I am going to have to wait ages to get a survey done, so I wasn’t going to bother. But then today someone told me that they can suffer from pitting of the aluminium. Does anybody know if this is true or not please? Thanks in advance. Andrew.

Thankyou Alan. ?? Thank you all for your thoughts and input on this subject. I think when I get a chance to review my options more thoroughly (i.e. when I have taken delivery, and had a chance to spend a bit of time onboard) I will try to decide what might work best for me. Who knows, maybe I won’t even feel the need to add a stove at all. Thanks again. ?

Thankyou Alan. ??

Good point, blackrose. I think a small solid fuel stove might be my best option, if only because if you’re out and about and low on fuel then I guess it’s probably easier to find wood near the towpath than it is to find diesel.

Thankyou booke. The boat I am buying was a special order (it’s actually 33’) and has a radiator in the heads and in the living area, plus warm air outlets. I think maybe I should look at the option of a diesel stove, but it’s something of an unknown to me, and I do love a traditional stove. ? Thankyou. I like the option of a solid fuel stove (as I am familiar with them), but wanted to hear from people who might be able to tell me about the pros and cons of a diesel stove, as I feel this is something I should at least consider.

Thankyou ditchcrawler. I suspect that if my girlfriend is onboard though then we will be very-much looking at the 0.48 litres per hour rather than the 0.18! ? This would still mean I might get through 6 litres a week, based on 6 hours a night, 2 nights per week. I think the Sea Otter only has around 90 litres of fuel onboard, so I feel that this might run the tank very low during, say, 3 months moored-up over winter. The thing is that I will usually travel to the boat by car during the winter, and I can buy 3 bags of coal from a DIY store for £15, take these with me to the boat, and they will last for 3 weeks or so. Are you a fan / advocate of diesel stoves, David? I would love to hear your thoughts if so.

Thankyou blackrose, it currently has a webasto diesel heater (as does my current boat), which is very efficient, but after my first winter onboard this boat I just found the background noise from it a bit annoying when trying to relax in the evening.

Hello, I am in the process of selling my much-loved 50’ narrowboat and buying a 31’ Sea Otter (limited mooring length at my new destination). One of the things (that I added) that I love most about my current boat is my Morso Squirrel stove, and the Sea Otter does not have a stove. I am pretty sure I want to get one fitted pretty soon, but I can’t decide whether to go with solid fuel again (it’s very lovely and cosy, and I like the fact it’s something to do when sheltering from the miserable weather outside), or whether to go for a diesel stove (more controllable and no need to source fuel). The main thing that puts me off the idea of a diesel stove is the fact that I like to keep my diesel tank full over winter, the Sea Otter doesn’t have a massive fuel tank, and I’m told these diesel stoves can burn through as much as 1 litre per hour, which could mean I might get through 100 litres of diesel in a month during winter, even if I only stayed onboard for a couple of nights a week. Should I just stick with solid fuel, as it is easy to source, perhaps more cosy, and won’t leave me searching for diesel in the depths of winter? Thankyou. Andrew.