Heating/ keeping warm my Fairline 50 Fly in the Uk

I guess you're marina based, and using shore power. If and when underway, you can arrange heating from your engines, using the waste heat - same as a car.
When stationary, a diesel fired, ducted air heater is your friend. Eberspacher, Webasto, or now more likely, and much cheaper, similar heaters from China.
You might get more relevant help on the Motor Boat forum.
 
NormanS said:
I guess you're marina based, and using shore power. If and when underway, you can arrange heating from your engines, using the waste heat - same as a car.
When stationary, a diesel fired, ducted air heater is your friend. Eberspacher, Webasto, or now more likely, and much cheaper, similar heaters from China.
You might get more relevant help on the Motor Boat forum.
Click to expand...

Over the winter that’s exactly the issue. Come March etc then we have plenty of options but it’s just the winter months that I want to rethink. At the end of the day it’s all do-able but I was hoping I wasn’t over looking something
 
mil1194 said:
Ok…. at the moment all have is oil filled rads and blown air heating from fan heaters - all on electric.

I have engine rooms, 4 cabins and all the hab areas to keep ‘warm’.

what do I need to do?

Thanks guys,
Click to expand...
Where in the UK? Scotland or Solent? Do you need just enough heat to stop water freezing or are you living on board?
 
Per NormanS’s response: diesel fired blown air heating. Running the ducting may be a pain but (and I speak from UK liveaboard experience) the “quality” of warmth is so much better than the dry localised heat of an electric fan heater. Have closeable outlets in all your cabins and heat only the areas you want. Eberspacher dealers will install for a hefty sum. The cheapo alternatives seem loved by “van life” bloggers and seem to get a thumbs up from the PBO posts I’ve seen so are probably what I’ll be upgrading my old ardic with
 
mil1194 said:
Swansea marina. I’d like to keep it warm enough to be habitable without resorting to the oil rads or fan heaters.
Click to expand...
If you want heat when not plugged in to the marina then the only practical choice of energy source is diesel fuel. Then, as others have said, install blown warm air heaters, or, a sound-proofed diesel generator to provide 220volts to power those same oil filled radiators used when plugged into the marina.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
Last edited:
Suspect your going to need at least 2 of the biggest heaters to keep that boat warm, and do not forget that the heads and shower room really need heating as well.
Do know that a chap living aboard a 40ft ft boat discovered that his single chinaspacher was woefully inadequate and fitted a second unit.
The chinaspachers, by general agreement tend to be a bit optimistic regards heat out put claims , but as you can probably buy four of them for the price of one Eber, its not suprising loads have been sold.
As for chinaspacher reliability, problems seem to be limited to fuel pumps and glow plugs.Do know of heater used to heat an industrial workshop, been in use for a few yearas and still going strong .
 
You might consider an Eberspacher Hydronic 10 or similar. I essence this a 10kW diesel boiler, which circulates hot water like a domestic central heating system.
It's a significant installation, but has the advantage of using relatively small diameter plastic pipes with push fit connections. The pipework is much easier to install than hot air ducting, smaller holes.
It will also provide hotwater, and can be connected to the engine cooling system to provide "free" heating when under way.
I have 46ft boat, three cabins two heads with showers. The 10kW unit warms the boat up quickly. It runs 3 matrix heaters, each with 3 outputs. That allows a single output in the two aft cabins and the two heads. 3 outputs in the saloon, and 2 outputs in the master cabin forward.
It runs with a 7day timer, two on/off per day.
Flat out it use over 1L of diesel per hour, but on my boat soon throttles back when the boat warms up.
It is also available with remote control via a mobile phone app. You could start the heater remotely, so the boat is warm when you arrive.
 
Ian_Edwards said:
You might consider an Eberspacher Hydronic 10 or similar. I essence this a 10kW diesel boiler, which circulates hot water like a domestic central heating system.
It's a significant installation, but has the advantage of using relatively small diameter plastic pipes with push fit connections. The pipework is much easier to install than hot air ducting, smaller holes.
It will also provide hotwater, and can be connected to the engine cooling system to provide "free" heating when under way.
I have 46ft boat, three cabins two heads with showers. The 10kW unit warms the boat up quickly. It runs 3 matrix heaters, each with 3 outputs. That allows a single output in the two aft cabins and the two heads. 3 outputs in the saloon, and 2 outputs in the master cabin forward.
It runs with a 7day timer, two on/off per day.
Flat out it use over 1L of diesel per hour, but on my boat soon throttles back when the boat warms up.
It is also available with remote control via a mobile phone app. You could start the heater remotely, so the boat is warm when you arrive.
Click to expand...
Sounds good. (y)
 
In 13 years of living aboard FT in UK with access to shore power I have found the best options are oil filleds rad or rads, dessicant dehumidifier and electric blanket. It is not the case that dehumidifiers are no use unless the boat is 100% hermetically sealed which is what some people would have you believe...

Edit:

In the coldest months I'd be spending around £100/month on leccy, now the prices have gone up it'll be around £250/month. That's on a well insulated 34 footer...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top