Really small heater for 18ft boat

[chrisbitz]

When I'm sleeping in my Micro Challenger, it can get a bit chilly overnight...

Something like an eberspacher or a charcoal burner with a chimney are a bit overkill. Is there anything more practical that might help?

I've looked at a 300w 12v heater, but that works out at about 25A, so would flatten my battery in 4 hours!

any other ideas?

thanks!

 

[Beyondhelp]

DC heater is out of the question. I'd say either shore power elec heater or thicker thermals!! if a small diesel heater is not an option.

 

[Deefor]

For the odd night or two aboard, how about one of these http://www.calorgas-heaters.co.uk/Camping-Heaters/c-1-33/ ?

 

[sailorman]

When I'm sleeping in my Micro Challenger, it can get a bit chilly overnight...

Something like an eberspacher or a charcoal burner with a chimney are a bit overkill. Is there anything more practical that might help?

I've looked at a 300w 12v heater, but that works out at about 25A, so would flatten my battery in 4 hours!

any other ideas?

thanks!

Tilly lamp

 

[onesea]

For the odd night or two aboard, how about one of these http://www.calorgas-heaters.co.uk/Camping-Heaters/c-1-33/ ?

Or these?

Or these?

 

[chrisbitz]

Thanks for the replies, the calorgas heater or even the Tilley Lamp look like great contenders..

What's the situation with ventilation and overnighting? I doubt I'd want to keep anything on overnight, but what's the minimum ventilation required?

There's a louvre on the companionway door, and another deck vent in front of the mast, does that count as ventilation, or would I need the door completely off or something like that to be safe?

Thanks again - I was thinking along the lines of tea lights, as they give out 80w of heat each! But your ideas are much more practical!

 

[dylanwinter]

I have said it before

on a tiny boat you will be amazed at how much heat half a dozen tealights on a plate will throw out

the cheapest place to buy them is Ikea

Dylan

 

[Jabs]

Condensation.

The problem is that anything you burn inside the boat and don't vent through a chimney will generate a lot of moisture which will cause problems.

If you have any form of stove, there are some heaters and toasters that sit on the stove. Cheap, simple, but same problem.

Shore power and a fan heater is a good solution and will help keep the boat dry.

Tony

 

[dylanwinter]

condensation

I have not found condensation to be much of a problem with the candles

you can also help to keep yourself warm by using some of these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbYSgDnbeDc

 

[V1701]

Four season sleeping bags are great, otherwise to add to the list of contenders:

Origo Heatpal 5100, meths heater/cooker, approx 1.5kw heat...
Contour Heatmate 5200, another meths heater/cooker, similar to the Origo, both these are £150ish, bit more expensive than a good tilley lamp...

Or the kamikaze version of the above - stuff a toilet roll into a can, soak it with meths and set light to it - loads of videos of them on Youtube...

Have a CO monitor...

 

[stevebrassett]

I have a 23-footer with no shorepower. For mildly chilly nights, a non-pressurised paraffin hurricane light puts out a bit of heat. I sometimes combine that with a gas lantern. My boat has two vents and a louvre in the washboards, and I crack the main hatch open an inch or so.

If it gets colder, I use a paraffin stove I bought from Force4. This would probably kick out too much heat for an 18-footer, though. It can blister the varnish! When I'm running that, I open the main hatch a lot further. I would never leave any of them on overnight.

 

[bozlite]

For the odd night or two aboard, how about one of these http://www.calorgas-heaters.co.uk/Camping-Heaters/c-1-33/ ?

We've been using the calor gas bluecat heater - similar to the blackcat one - for the last few chilly nights on our 24 footer. Gets lovely and warm very quickly. Lots of ventilation required, though, and definitely a very bad idea to leave on overnight.

 

[fergie_mac66]

plant pot

a big terracotta plant pot on your cooking stove used to be one old way. Ventilation is nec' and worth installing a carbon monoxide detector
just in case condensation is always a problem as other posters have said

 

[Dockhead]

I would personally never use a non-vented combustion-type heater on a boat. If you have enough ventilation to make it (relatively) safe, then you are losing your heat to the draught. In my opinion, at worst deadly and at best pointless.

Electrical heat rules, if you are near an electrical outlet. If you don't have a shore power system, you can bring an extension lead on board (taking appropriate safety precautions). An oil filled radiator or two should heat up a boat that size very nicely, without any condensation or CO worries.

Without electrical power, you're going to have to -- IMHO -- bite the bullet and put in something with a vent, gas, diesel, or paraffin.

Here's a nice one which needs no electrical power (no blower), and requires only a wee hole in the cabin top:

http://www.mailspeedmarine.com/cabi...s/079k-paraffin-cabin-heater3087-308655.bhtml

If you have diesel on board, you can buy a diesel version and you don't even need a fuel tank.

 

[chinita]

Tilly lamp

+1 followed by a hot water bottle and Popsie, the JRT.

Or SWMBO, if she is on board

 

[skipper681]

on a tiny boat you will be amazed at how much heat half a dozen tealights on a plate will throw out

the cheapest place to buy them is Ikea

Dylan

^This^

 

[chrisbitz]

I would personally never use a non-vented combustion-type heater on a boat. If you have enough ventilation to make it (relatively) safe, then you are losing your heat to the draught. In my opinion, at worst deadly and at best pointless.

***

Here's a nice one which needs no electrical power (no blower), and requires only a wee hole in the cabin top:

http://www.mailspeedmarine.com/cabi...s/079k-paraffin-cabin-heater3087-308655.bhtml

Thanks for your suggestion - I'm not sure what boat you have, but I have an 18' boat, because I can't afford a 35'.
So, unfortunately, a £1000 heater is a little impractical on a £2000 boat!

I'm sure there must be a happy medium with ventilation and heat between deadly and pointless!

 

[tigr]

On my 18ft I have used one of these placed on my step up to the cockpit, but only been on a couple of times so far. Guess the fumes go out of the vent in the washboards as the CO2 alarm has not gone off. Don't think it's very safe way of heating though as everything is so close to it and I dread something falling on it, but it's just a handy device.
And it uses the same gas as my cooker.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000WNC57Q/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9550942989&ref=asc_df_B000WNC57Q

Trouble is condensation more than anything else, if I use a good sleeping bag it gets wet from the drips so Ihave to sleep in a bag under a picnic blanket, with all that I don't need the heater.

Would not mind a Taylors but do not have any space or walls, did not think about the money side of it.

 

[stevebrassett]

I would personally never use a non-vented combustion-type heater on a boat. If you have enough ventilation to make it (relatively) safe, then you are losing your heat to the draught. In my opinion, at worst deadly and at best pointless.

You may be right about deadly, but certainly not pointless. Mine kicks out loads of heat - most of it by radiation.

Boils a kettle as well.

 

[Dockhead]

Thanks for your suggestion - I'm not sure what boat you have, but I have an 18' boat, because I can't afford a 35'.
So, unfortunately, a £1000 heater is a little impractical on a £2000 boat!

I'm sure there must be a happy medium with ventilation and heat between deadly and pointless!

Maybe -- but do you really have to exclude vented heating? If I were you, I would go pretty far to avoid the risk of death, and unpleasantness of condensation and combustion products in the cabin.

There are lots of vented drip-fed fanless heaters, and you could probably find a used one for a few hundred pounds. What's your life worth?

Good dry heat on a boat is a joy in the UK. I don't think even a 1000 pound heater on a 2000 pound boat is actually absurd, if it makes the difference between misery 9 months of the year and pleasure.