Heating a small boat

DennisF

DennisF

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I've got a small 6.5m Vivacity 650, and am looking into options to extend the sailing season, as one of my young sons has become enthused with the whole idea of sleeping on board! What are safe options for heating such a small boat?Not likely to have shore power.
 
DennisF said:
I've got a small 6.5m Vivacity 650, and am looking into options to extend the sailing season, as one of my young sons has become enthused with the whole idea of sleeping on board! What are safe options for heating such a small boat?Not likely to have shore power.
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A very small and effective wood burner stove can be welded up in a few hours.The main problems with these are carbon monoxide , avoidable by good ventilation and ashes which on a small boat will tend to make a mess.
 
Have you considered the quite powerful heating effect of multiple candles? I used such quite effectively of a 34-footer during some of the coldest weekends of the year, together with a really good sleeping bag.
 
From several years of personal experience, I feel you cannot beat a good sleeping bag and hot water bottles! I have been living aboard small boats since october 2008, so I guess I am suitably experienced to advise :)
 
oldbilbo said:
Have you considered the quite powerful heating effect of multiple candles? I used such quite effectively of a 34-footer during some of the coldest weekends of the year, together with a really good sleeping bag.
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I experimented with cables last winter, just out of curiosity as i have Eberspacher, and i found that once i lit more than 24 candles, i was setting off my carbon monoxide alarm, but as you say, its suprising how much heat candles give out
 
In a Vivacity 650 I would think there are no satisfactory options.

I cannot imagine a wood burning stove would be practical.
I'd not want any sort of combustion in operation anyway while I was asleep. The risks associated with carbon monoxide are too great.


An Eberspacher or similar is the only thing I would consider but you probably don't have the electrical power to run one and you dont have a diesel supply I guess so a fuel ( kerosene ? ) tank and supply pipework would have to be installed.

A catalytic heater with a cut out to prevent dangerous CO levels might be possible but unless fitted to an external flue the quantity of water vapour produced will lead to excessive condensation

Warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag is the answer I think ... you'll need a wooly hat too
 
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You could possibly install a dual purpose Wallas 85DP Diesel Hob wth blower lid, they can be turned down really low and you can open the lid and make breakfast. As already sad you would need to install a small (say 20l) tank and though the power draw is pretty low I would recommend a separate battery that you could take home to charge.
Some numbers: they use 0.09l per hour on low (900w) and draw around 0.20 amps.
 
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You get a lot of heat from a Tilley lamp which also provides the light you will need for the short winter days.

Other than that - eberspacher is the way to go.
 
I had a small boat aboat the same size. Fitting an Ebersbacher just isn't practical. Warm sleeping bags for the night, long johns, woolies and hot water bottles. For evenings in the saloon however use one of these:

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Doesn't take up a lot of space, no dirt. Around 2.5Kw heat output, which is plenty enough. You'll have to open the hatch from time to time and let some fresh air in, something comon with all combustion heaters. DO NOT leave it on while sleeping!
 
On my First 18 I found that the storm lantern provided some useful heat. I couldn't put the door on from inside so I velcrod a piece of shower curtain in the door hole to keep rain out if I wasn't properly bows to wind but that kept some warm air in too.
4 season sleeping bags are the answer. A small boat is like camping anyway and it's not such a large volume of air for 2 bodies to warm up.
 
If you are serious about it, get an Eberspacher.
If your boat really cannot support one, then maybe upsizing the boat is called for?
 
lw395 said:
If you are serious about it, get an Eberspacher.
If your boat really cannot support one, then maybe upsizing the boat is called for?
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Nooo, that's far too 'one dimensional' People historically used little boats all year round. If you can keep warm in a tent or a tiny caravan, you can keep warm on a little boat.
 
'fraid it's a NO to candles as a heat source, but if you need 'ambience' OK.

Candles burn and produce micro- and nano-sized particles of carbon and other by-products of pyrolysis. Usually you can see the micro-sized ones as soot, but the really tiny ones are those which you breathe in and let your lungs do the filtering. :eek:

Oh yes, BTW, the faint blue-ish glow at the base of candles is diatomic carbon; the same sort of stuff which appears in the outer atmosphere of the sun and other stars.
 
In had a little wood stove on a 23 footer,warmed the boat and brewed the tea and gave purpose to foragging the beach for drift wood.......still had cold feet though.As well as stove a cover over the hatch as you need air and ventilation to combat condensation.
 
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