Winter Heaters

[Moonfish]

What is the most practical solution to keep the damp out and frosts at bay, connected to shorepower 24/7, through out this winter.(30 ft GRP sailing sloop of some age)

New to me as the boat has been on a swinging mooring until this winter and not much call for it beforehand.



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[sailorman]

! kw oil filled radiator ( thermostaticly controlled), this gives more flexibility than the the tube type of heaters

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[AndyL]

Sent you a pm.
Cheers, Andy

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[StugeronSteve]

De-humidifier with a Dimplex Coldwatch heater, set to frost protection. Keeps boat very dry and welcoming.

When sleeping on board, with shore power available, I use a fan heater on 500W setting and leave all cabin doors open. No condensation, even with four blokes on board and frost on the decks. Tried using the de-humidifier whilst sleeping, but far too noisy for the crew in the saloon. Didn't bother me though!

<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.

 

[anabel]

Like 'Stugeron Steve' I too use a dehumidifier and a Dimplex 'Coldwatch' heater. This combination has worked perfectly for me over the last 3 winter seasons. The dehumidifier extracts the moisture & drains it down the sink. The 'Coldwatch'heater has the thermostat set to come on when the temperature drops to about 4 degs. Without this the dehumidifier might freeze up at the airfilter, even tho' the unit is supposed to have an antifrost system (it doesn't always work). Remember the purpose is to keep the inside of the boat dry. The cold doesn't matter provided you have 'winterised' the engine & toilet properly. It is also important to block off all vents and air intakes on the boat, otherwise you will be trying to take the moisture out of the boatyard.
Hope this info may be of some use.
Rgds.
E.

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[Aardee]

I use a tube heater on a timer switch (2 hours late evening & 2 hours early morning). Seems to do the trick as long as there's airflow through the boat to prevent everything going green & furry.

Or move to the Med for the winter...hmmm.

Graham.

<hr width=100% size=1>"I am a bear of very little brain and long words bother me" - A A Milne.

 

[pvb]

Then there\'s the other way...

Had you thought of just letting ventilation do the trick? Frost shouldn't be a concern (antifreeze in engine coolant; turn off fresh water pump and open taps). As long as you leave vents open to allow air to circulate, you should have no problems.

Loads of people who both do and don't have access to shorepower do this very successfully every winter (including me!).

There's one other concern - the concept of leaving shorepower connected constantly for long periods. In many cases, this will lead to serious anode erosion through stray currents. Fitting a galvanic isolator should overcome this problem.

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[MIKE_MCKIE]

By default the first winter I had the boat if got no heating/drying as it was ashore in Brighton Marine & as fast as you connect up shore power, someone used to come along & nick it! Gave up after the first week & had no problems at all. Afloat the next winter on a pontoon, and thought that I would repeat the "experiment", again no problems, no fungus, whatever. I must admit to taking a small electric heater fan when I stayed onboard over a w/e, but that was for my comfort, not the boats benefit. Save money, use the vents! Apart from anything, with electricity the price it is, and Marina mark ups, you can save the cost of more than a few beers in no time!
Cheers
Mike

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[Boathook]

I use use heaters in the winter only when on board, otherwise just rely upon ventilation through vents etc. Also altered some windows for when on the mooring to allow air flow through the boat. This system has worked well for 20 years.

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[Marsupial]

Dimplex greenhouse heaters, mine are 500w called coldwatcher seem to work well as do the tubular oil filled things, a thermostate is a must. I have seen the aftermath of fan heaters that have "melted down" when left unattended (motor stops element keeps going - messy!), but perhaps they have more saftey gear in them these days to prevent this. The fewer moving parts the better seems to be the way to go.

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[Anonymous]

What others have said about ventilation being 'adequate' is true, but having experienced the comfort and feel of a nice dry boat you might consider the cost of buying and running a dehumidifier to be worthwhile. Some marinas don't charge such a lot for electricity; Premier charge 4p per unit though there is a fixed connection charge as well.

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[macd]

Haven't tried em (my boat always seems to be dry, bless her), but a knowledgable friend swears by pig lamps, cheaply available from agricultural merchants.

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