Over winter heating

[georgieboy]

I have decided to leave my boat in the water over the winter in the marina .I am connected to shore power and have a reverse cycle air con unit .Do you think it is advisable to set the thermostat and use the heating system for frost protection.I still intend to use a tube heater with thermostat in the engine compartment

 

[OAF]

Trouble is that will mean that the unit will be switched on all the time and drawing water in order for it to operate, dependant on where you moor, if the water freezes then that could bring a whole lot of problems? I have reverse cycle air con and I am on brakish water that wont freeze but I wont be leaving mine on, its easier to run some 'freezeban' through the domestic water pipes and leave tube heaters running.

If you dont mind I will pinch your thread rather than starting another on, I have a pair of Caterpillar engines in my boat and they have a 240v lead coming out of each engine to a 13amp plug, I can only presume that the engines have heaters installed in them for winter protection, I cant seem to find out this information, does anyone have a clue?

 

[sarabande]

using the a/c is overkill for this kind of application and will just put lots of hours on a small unit.


I suggest a small high quality dehumidifer, with a separate thermostatic heater (tube/fan) if necessary. Dehumidifers work best with warmish air, and if you are going to be away for a while, you must arrange for the d/h drain to go into a sink or somewhere with a drain overboard.

I'm not sure if your boat is in sea or fresh, but lots of boats stay in saltwater without problems. Winterise the engine with antifreeze if you want to be certain.

 

[rafiki_]

If you dont mind I will pinch your thread rather than starting another on, I have a pair of Caterpillar engines in my boat and they have a 240v lead coming out of each engine to a 13amp plug, I can only presume that the engines have heaters installed in them for winter protection, I cant seem to find out this information, does anyone have a clue?

Have you tried asking Cat?

 

[penfold]

I have a pair of Caterpillar engines in my boat and they have a 240v lead coming out of each engine to a 13amp plug, I can only presume that the engines have heaters installed in them for winter protection, I cant seem to find out this information, does anyone have a clue?

Can you post some pictures of where the lead attaches to the engines, or describe it in some detail? What model engines are they? They may be either sump heaters for the lube oil or possibly jacket water heaters for the cooling circuit; either way they are really meant for preheating before starting(to reduce wear and fuel consumption) rather than frost protection, but could be used for that if combined with a thermostat and/or a timer.

 

[DAKA]

The only heat you want in the winter is in the engine bay and around your domestic water heater tank if leaving water in it.

A dehumidifier is important but needs to be one that cuts off before frost causes issues.


No problem with a cold dry boat.

A warm boat will be a breeding ground for mould, so best left cold.

Warm boat , cold sides = condensation.

 

[georgieboy]

Thanks guys so getting a dehumidifier for the cabin and tube heater in the engine bay on a thermostat

 

[georgieboy]

Can anyone recommend dehumidifier for 30ft boat please with thermostat

 

[rotrax]

Thanks guys so getting a dehumidifier for the cabin and tube heater in the engine bay on a thermostat

Hi, We have an 80w tube heater and an XM dehumidifier hooked up through a timer. As a previous poster said dehumidifiers work best with warm air so the timer comes on at 1100 and goes off at 1600 hours. Its a yacht but we are pleased with the results-should work the same for a mobo.

 

[kashurst]

If you aren't going to use it over the winter, then you would be better to winterise the engines and loos then you have nothing to worry about. Make an adaptor to go onto your raw water filter with a hose into a 25litre container filled with antifreeze mix, then is a 10 minute job per engine.

tube heaters are OK as long as leccy is available. don't forget to close all your sea cocks too. a few boats sank last year because of frozen open sea cocks, quite a few ended up with cracked engine blocks as well.

 

[georgieboy]

I hope to use the boat over winter to make up for the crappy summer season .So will be monitoring and be plugged in with humidifier and tube heater thanks for advise very much appreciated

 

[oceanfroggie]

I have decided to leave my boat in the water over the winter in the marina .I am connected to shore power and have a reverse cycle air con unit .Do you think it is advisable to set the thermostat and use the heating system for frost protection.I still intend to use a tube heater with thermostat in the engine compartment

Depends on winter conditions expected at your location. Last two winters we had temps -17deg at night and -7deg during day for weeks. Tube heaters can't cope with that. You may need to winterise boat, engines to comply with insurance T&Cs, and now many insurance cos demand all sea cocks are closed. Heard of insurers walking away from sinkings due burst hoses, and cracked engine blocks last winter. We kept our boat in commission but stuck 3kw electric oil rad on her with thermostat, and dehumidifier, and opened many floor hatches for ventilation. Monitoring shore power continuity was important as one single night without heat could have proven costly. Beware massive water buildup in fuel tanks over winter if boat is heated due condensation. Fill diesel tanks to brim.