cheap cabin heating advice please

Burnham Bob

Burnham Bob

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I seem to remember various threads but can't remember a definitive solution. if I am going to keep sailing during the winter, some sort of heat would be useful. In marinas I can use a fan heater, but at anchor does the forum have any suggestions? A flower pot over the gas stove has been suggested but i'm hoping for something i can use that won't cause lots of condensation or carbon monoxide come to that. or am i dreaming? :)
 
Diesel-fired Webasto or Eber - there is no substitute.

Use it enough to get the cost down to a fiver a night (capex) and you're toasty and laughing.
 
If you want to avoid condensation and fumes, your only solution is to have an externally flued heater. About the cheapest solution would be an LPG heater, and you might look at the Propex HS2000 at around £500.
 
Burnham Bob said:
thanks but if there really is no substitute, lack of cash means i won't be anchoring anywhere over the winter! the capital outlay and work involved is beyond me.
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If it's just you (+ tufty-tufty mate), then thermals & tea lights might work, but if you want to take family out & extend season...

Once you've had diesel hot-air heating, you'll never be without it again - even if it does mean postponing that new kite for a year ;->

It does save money in the long term, 'cos once you're paid for it:
(a) You make sure you get your moneys worth by using the boat more.
(b) You've reduced the NextBoat budget.
 
you speak sense

mcframe said:
If it's just you (+ tufty-tufty mate), then thermals & tea lights might work, but if you want to take family out & extend season...

Once you've had diesel hot-air heating, you'll never be without it again - even if it does mean postponing that new kite for a year ;->

It does save money in the long term, 'cos once you're paid for it:
(a) You make sure you get your moneys worth by using the boat more.
(b) You've reduced the NextBoat budget.
Click to expand...

however,

if the family comes sailing inthe winter then

1/ I would be very surprised

2/ you could used seven tea lights

3/persuade you wife to put on a few lbs and use a double sip together sleeping bag
 
How cheap? The Samphire stove is looking very very nice at ~850, wouldn't buy s/h Taylor's etc paraffin heaters. Not much to go wrong with charcoal or woodburning heaters (charoal however can be hard toget in winter and don't be tempted to burn smokeless or briquettes). Greenhouse heaters work a treat but as they're usually unvented wouldn't be safe to usewithout taking precautions.
 
A small radiator plumbed into the engines cooling system... like a calorifier (kinda/sorta).
But that means you'd need the engine on tickover... but that keeps your battery topped up too :cool:

Neal
 
Electric blanket run through an inverter. Did this many nights when we had a swinging mooring on the Swale, two singles, set to lowest setting, they were 40w blankets. Small battery bank of 200ah and never ran remotely low. Nice way to keep warm at night.
 
Seaduck said:
A small radiator plumbed into the engines cooling system... like a calorifier (kinda/sorta).
But that means you'd need the engine on tickover... but that keeps your battery topped up too :cool:

Neal
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Its a nice idea, the only trouble is that an engine on tickover doesnt really produce much waste heat, you need to be under load to get anything decent out of them
 
hi burnham bob
i have two diesel heaters that you can have with lots of plumbing bits,if you can fit them your self i have had them running in my shed,nice and cosy
send me a personel message
ps: im in bradwell 20 min from burnham
 
Thick sox, multiple duvets( underneath and on top) wooly hat and ....hot water bottle. And as said an array of tea lights.
All v v simple.
I can think of nothing worse than a nylon Summer tog rating sleeping bag, cuppa soups and cold fluorescent strip tube for Peytonesque winter misery on a solitary buoy.
 
If it's to keep warm through the night actually the inverter & leccy blanket is not a bad idea at all, I use one all the time (but in marina), they do use very little power. But 4 season sleeping bag is very good. Also much prefer oil rads to fan heater (doesn't go cold when cycle off). There's a Contoure heatmate 5200 (it's not an Origo) as an alternative to the other Origo mentioned. Tilley lamp is another one that usually comes up. Charcoal heaters (Pascall Atkey Pansy) are good & £500 new, come up on ebay every now & then & sell for £150ish. Lots of 2nd hand ebers on ebay, I wouldn't. Little wood burning stove (ebay again)?

Or you could make one of these, same principle as Origo/Heatmate heaters...

Before I get shot down in flames, usual warnings about CO apply...
 
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two bags

Blueboatman said:
Thick sox, multiple duvets( underneath and on top) wooly hat and ....hot water bottle. And as said an array of tea lights.
All v v simple.
I can think of nothing worse than a nylon Summer tog rating sleeping bag, cuppa soups and cold fluorescent strip tube for Peytonesque winter misery on a solitary buoy.
Click to expand...

two cheap bags are better than one expensive one

much more flexible

cheaper

easier to wash a caravan bag than a four season one

Dylan
 
Anything like tea lights that produces moisture from combustion will make the boat damper and make it feel worse when you wake at 6AM or whatever.
If the damp is kept in bounds and you have a good duvet and something thermal to wear, you can be comfortable in surprisingly low temperatures.
Hot water bottle is a luxury.

There is something to be said for small boats where it is possible to put the kettle on in the morning without leaving your bunk!

Charcoal stoves etc can be antisocial if you are rafted up. Even with eberbastos you have to think about where the exhaust is going if you are not alone.
 
Mine has a log burner which was fitted by the previous owner when I first got the boat I thought that’s coming out but after spending a few spring nights and working on the boat through the winter it is perfect. I usually burn a couple of charcoal brickets or lump wood charcoal which warms the boat up nice its also dry heat. I think the one on mine came from machine mart as I saw one a while ago for about £60.
 
dylanwinter said:
two cheap bags are better than one expensive one

much more flexible

cheaper

easier to wash a caravan bag than a four season one

Dylan
Click to expand...

My thinking too but when I bought a 20 quid mummy bag at Tesco this year to go into my rather sophisticated army sleeping bag I was in for a surprise. Even whith temperatures dropping to ~6°C the cheapo bag kept me warm at night. It's washable and even if it wasn't, at that price I could easily afford buying a new one each year. Other than that my thermal onesie can be a godsend, ushanka cap and valenki felt boots.
 
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