Heating a small boat

sarabande said:
'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.
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I just read the wiki on Diatomic carbon, and it said that if you combine it with acetone, it produces acetylene

So, my thinking is that you might be able to supercharge a candles heat output and clean up its emmisions by dissolving some acetone into the wax when you are making a candle, and that when lit it would combine with the diatomic carbon and produce acetylene gas that will burn at super high temperatures and produce more heat ?

Am i way off the mark here ?, or would this work do you think ?
 
Must admit I view autumn sailing as similar to autumn camping, part of the pleasure is the contrast with the summer. As others have said, keeping warm is key - good thermals, thick socks etc plus a good sleeping bag and a blanket or two. Turn in early and don't be too adventurous with the sailing. Heating is a bonus, some of the suggestions above are mucho $$$ for a small boat.
 
I got a blue cat heater for when it get's really chilly which works well (26ft boat) - no carbon monoxide but Co2 and water vapour - it doesn't get left on overnight. Also, the gas canisters are now fuggin' expensive and don't last long which means it's usually run for an hour or so after you've cooked tea and before bed. An oil lamp (yes sarabande.... sooty nanoparticles) and tea lights (****! more sooty stuff) along with a jumper are all that's required on a chilly autumn evening. Never underestimate the heating power of a large mug of whisky with a dash of hot chocolate added. You could always buy a dog to keep your feet warm
 
Astonished at the suggestions to fot Eberspachers etc. into such a small boat!

The Wallas idea is a neat but expensive solution, it's a shame though that the blower lid would rule out using gimbals.

We have a twofold solution to heating on board Brigantia ...

Option 1. A greenhouse fan heater for use when on shore power

Don't decry this option for the evenings and nights. Yes, it means getting into a marina (or in our case onto the pontoon at the moorings) and paying for hook up but it's dry heat, quick, effective and doesn't come with the risk of CO poisoning. The heater we use can be switched between 1kw and 2kw and has a thermostat so it can be used to blast heat into the cabin quickly when returning to the boat from the boozer and then turned right down to tickover and left on all night to keep the chill off

Option 2. Currently is an elderly Campingaz radiant heater which screws into the top of a standard Campingaz bottle. When not in use, the bottle lives in a stern locker, the heater itself in a cabin locker (it objects to getting damp)

The weight of the bottle keeps the thing stable as it has to sit on the cabin step (usually). It's effective but suffers, as is to be expected, from all the potential drawbacks of gas heating (CO, condensation etc). Under NO circumstances would I leave it on when sleeping - it's a case of warm things up and turn it off. If I hadn't got that, I'd probably look at something like a Black Cat heater

Good sleeping bags are essential as already mentioned. A blanket over your lower legs adds a layer of insulation and thermal socks are a Godsend. The good old fashioned hot water bottle is not to be sniffed at either!

The old trick of the upturned terracotta plant pot on the stove is something I've yet to try but will give a go when I get the chance. Received wisdom is to test the pot of choice on a powerful hob (a BBQ side burner perhaps) and stand well clear as they can explode if there's a void in the pot

I did buy a Parasene parraffin heater as earlier mentioned only to find that the things is HUGE! It's too big to fit in any of our lockers. Got my eye out for something more Brigantia sized
 
TopDonkey said:
So, my thinking is that you might be able to supercharge a candles heat output and clean up its emmisions by dissolving some acetone into the wax when you are making a candle, and that when lit it would combine with the diatomic carbon and produce acetylene gas that will burn at super high temperatures and produce more heat ?
Click to expand...

I suspect that the extra heat produced from such an ingenious and thoughtful mixture would result in the paraffin or stearine wax in the candle melting even more quickly, and the wick being unable to vapourise the liquid wax. So the liquid/gas would then burn at the surface, releasing more heat which would melt more wax which ...

Sounds a good idea for a new range of pyrotechnics, though, especially if you add a bit of magnesium powder :)

I am not sure of the by-products of burning acetylene, but from experience with welding and with acetylene car lights, I know that there a fair amount of soot/carbon can be produced.

What is needed is a catalyser above the flame.
 
Just needs a bit more though then !, if i make one and test it, i will do it in an open field, light it and run very fast lol !, could be good for 5th november at least :)
 
An Eberspacher is luxury, but I was shocked at how much electricity it used - simply unsustainable on a small sailing boat for more than a few days, without shore power.

I like the look of that Parasene "Big Red Heater" recommended by 2nd_apprentice. Only 50 quid from Machine Mart, so I'll be investigating further.
 
POD kerosene heater might be an option, comes with external flute
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might be available here http://www.base-camp.co.uk/
 
elton said:
An Eberspacher is luxury, but I was shocked at how much electricity it used - simply unsustainable on a small sailing boat for more than a few days, without shore power.

I like the look of that Parasene "Big Red Heater" recommended by 2nd_apprentice. Only 50 quid from Machine Mart, so I'll be investigating further.
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Don't! Honestly, have a look at one first before you buy - it's HUGE!

Damned if I can find anywhere to sensibly stow the thing on Brigantia and we're a wee bit bigger
 
Brigantia said:
Don't! Honestly, have a look at one first before you buy - it's HUGE!

Damned if I can find anywhere to sensibly stow the thing on Brigantia and we're a wee bit bigger
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I wouldn't call it tiny but seemed to fit well enough when using one on my 20ft boat. Perhaps the Parasene one comes in a bigger size? This was the one I had. Seeing the POD heater above it might be interesting to experiment with a flexible exhaust pipe.
 
I think I would try either an Origo Heatpal or Heatmate 5200, in conjunction with a CO monitor. They are about £150 and double as a cooker in case you run out of gas (assuming you use gas for the stove). Also worth asking Dylan Winter about using tea lights, that's what he uses. Here's another thread that's a good read. FWIW I did a sailing course a while ago in December, freezing weather so bought an all season sleeping bag & was the only one there who was warm enough at night...:)
 
Another vote for a Tilley lamp. No installation required, no electricity required, and low running costs.

Lived in a caravan for a while, at a time of frequent power cuts. The Tilley lamp would take the chill off one room in the van, as well as giving an excellent light.
 
For many years we used a Minicat in small craft (there was also a Maxicat). It burned SBP fuel, which is still available I believe. The procedure was to pour a spoonful of meths onto the catalytic gauze over the closed tank of fuel and light it. When it had burned out the gauze was hot enough to continue combustion.

Although nothing like a diesel heater, it took the edge off the chill and was useful for drying socks and for leaving to warm the boat when one was out for the evening. I still have mine and some fuel in the garage.
 
I have a catalytic heater connected up to the same gas bottle as the hob. I have a small solar powered ventilator in the roof hatch (one that can be set to store charge during the day and ventilate at night). That combination keeps the boat really warm and dry for the hour or so that I use the heating in the evening and morning. I woudldn't sleep with it on though.
 
I've been there with the micro-woodburner idea. Joined an evening class at a Tech College for access to Engineering workshop machinery (and the expertise of the "regulars" who were all retired engineers making Steam Locos ) I made a huge folding anchor and a tiny stove for my 20' Dauntless. The stove just proved to be way too big to fit into the boat. A Tilley lamp or a couple of Hurricane lanterns provided all the heating needed . Lights out at bedtime though and into the best sleeping bags we could afford.
Can't imagine where I could accommodate any other kind of heater in my present 23' boat.
 
I lived on a contessa 26 sized boat with a davey and co hotpot, bulkhead mounted, with 2.5" chimney excellent piece of kit and pumped out a huge amount of heat (ice on deck, every hatch open and t-shirts hot). It also dried out the boat like you wouldn't believe.

Absolutely no worries with safety as convection current draws huge amount of air through.

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/specpages/hotpot.htm

You could consider a benco type charcoal burner although you have to ensure tiny chimney stays clear (not easy if there are bends in it)

http://www.bengco.co.uk/

All quite expensive for occasional use, i would stick with a tilley type lamp (coleman make some good ones) and just live with condensation.

This one might be worth a look if your quick

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Force-10-diesel-paraffin-heater-boat-cabin-heater-/251143022879?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_BoatEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item3a794a691f
 
I use this[/ATTACH]
It is catalytic and works on butane cartridges, produces a lot of radiated heat and very economical. It has an oxygen depletion valve and anti tilt valve. I bought it a few years ago.
 
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