Solid fuel heaters

[DoubleEnder]

I've aired this on the Classic Boat forum so apologies if I'm boring you.
I am refitting a 34' yacht and want to install a stove. I've pretty much narrowed it down to 3 models: the Faversham, the delightfully named 'Pansy' from Pascal Atkey and the Bengco. the last 2 are designed only to burn charcoal while the first burns coal as well.

I won't be living aboard but I will use the baot a lot, and I want the best combination of looks, functionality and low weight.....Does any one have any warnings, recommendations, stories etc too help me ?

 

[ailsaboat]

I don't have any knowledge of the heaters you list but as no one else has pitched in I thought I'd offer my two-penneth.
On our last boat we had a squirrel solid fuel stove which I thought was very good (if a little large) but it developed big cracks on the back and top. We were told this was because it was cast iron and not specifically designed for boat use. Apparently the cast iron absorbs moisture in the damp air which causes internal stress and then cracks. Some have been known to explode!!
We were advised to go for a steel replacement.
So if any of your choices are cast iron, might be worth looking into?

 

[Alastairdent]

Squirrels are used a great deal on narrowboats. I have a dutch stove on my boat that is partly cast iron.

No problems.

I think the 'exploding morso squirrel' theory belongs to the urban myth category.

 

[milltech]

I put a Squirrel in big camper van, it was terrific though my wife was already worrying about my eccentricity even back then. Used to shut all the vents down and it would stay in very well all night or on the road, and there's nothing like sitting before an open fire in a blizzard. It was however too big, and I suspect too big for a boat, narrowboat or otherwise, I learnt in time the art of making and keeping a small fire.

 

[Joe]

Hi,
I have used all three on various boats and have found the following that may help you.
For a 34 foot boat the Pansy and the benco will be to small and wont heat enough of the boat. These are suitable for boats no more than 25 feet.
You must get the right amount of charcoal inside at first, As once they get going they are difficult to control. Even with the dampener screw.
I would go for one of the dual fuel solid fuel heaters.
There are quite a few different types of small solid fuel heaters about, As they have been makeing them for many years.
The solid fuel Faversham would be the best of the three. But fuel is not allways available at sea and if it gets wet it may be a problem.
They are also difficult to shut down in an emergacy and cause a good number of fires if left un-atended.
The Tailors parrafin wall heaters are good and cheap to buy and fit and should not be overlooked. They are very good for short periods of time.
I now use drip fed diesel heaters in both my liveaboard canal boat and 40ft sailing boat.
They are expensive to buy at first, But are very reliable once mastered quite excellent.
The Kabola old english and old Dutch are both very good and come with an option of a back boiler.
There is also the Dickenson which is as good as the Kabola.
I have also used the Tailors 072, Which is a floor mounted round drip fed heater that was cheap to buy and a good economical option for long distance cruising.
Cheers
Joe

 

[ashley]

Having used a solid fuel stove for the past two years, I have now switched to a drip feed bubble stove.

The solid fuel is a very flexible option as you can burn wood from the riverbank or coal which is easily bought and stowed on deck.
It takes practice to get the heat output right as each fuel is different as is the amount of attention it requires.

Coal will burn longer without fuss whilst wood needs constant attention to control and feed.
A Coal fire needs emptying daily whilst wood tends to clean up after itself.
Personally, charcoal was never an option. The calorific value is so low you need loads of it.
A large bag weighs only a few kilos whilst and equivalent coal sack would weigh 25

I am only changing to diesel because my wife found it a hassle to remember to look at the fire every hour to see if it needed feeding, stoking or emptying. (It's like having a baby on board.)
Solid fuel will heat your boat up quickly though whilst diesel takes longer to get going but can burn for the entire winter withuot hassle.
Are you living aboard for any period, or just visiting at weekends?

If you go for a diesel, you need to consider the economics of it.
do you have enough storage to get a tanker to come and fill you up (usually 1000 litres) or are you going to need to think about supplying it with 30/60 litres of fuel every week.