A well placed stove

[Guest]

Something someone posted in another thread has prompted me to start this one. Apologies in advance if it's been posted before.

 

I'm hoping to buy my first boat and one of the things on my tick list is a wood burning stove. I've seen lots of boats that have them at the pointy end doors but with the bedroom at the other end, does this make for very chilly nights? Would it be better to have the stove somewhere in between'?

[luctor et emergo]

My stove is in the middle. Between the cabin, and the engine room. That makes sense to me. Whybheat one end of the boat only?

[Danica]

I have mine at the pointy end doors with the bedroom at the other end and it works fine although I do have diesel central heating too so I'm not completely reliant on the stove.

When I was planning to fit a boat out myself, the stove was to be positioned more centrally but that was because I fancied a stove that was an oven too.

It was to be quite an expensive centrepiece as I was looking at the Esse range of stoves but I love the Squirrel that I have got now.

[alan_fincher]

Would it be better to have the stove somewhere in between'?

Yes, particularly if you are living aboard, and it is your only heating.

 

Obviously the longer the boat is, and the more partitions you have between a front located stove and the rearmost cabins, the bigger will be the heat gradient, and the "cooler" that back end will feel.

 

We are able to use our 50 foot boat that only has a small Villager stove at the front even in pretty cold conditions, but for the bedroom at the back to be truly warm, the front cabin is often a bit too warm.

[Tuscan]

The only risk of moving it more centrally is normally of burning yourself as you go past as its in a routeway, proper access to add fuel if opposite chairs etc, another option is to have a back boiler and a couple of rads.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Tuscan

[Guest wanted]

We have now lived aboard for 4 winters on boats, 3 on a boat with a burner at the front and 1 on our new boat which has the burner mid way. I would never go back now unless I had some rads and a decent back boiler.

[Ally]

I can't see there is much more risk of burning yourself on a central stove than one right by the front entrance where you come down a step usually, often with bags etc too!

Ours is at the galley end of our saloon, and I've never burnt myself on it. And the heat doesn't all head straight out the vents either!

[deletedaccount]

Mines in the middle of the saloon. Still forward of half way but better than by the front door.

[blackrose]

I don't think I could have located mine any more centrally.

 

[STUBAG]

Something someone posted in another thread has prompted me to start this one. Apologies in advance if it's been posted before.

 

I'm hoping to buy my first boat and one of the things on my tick list is a wood burning stove. I've seen lots of boats that have them at the pointy end doors but with the bedroom at the other end, does this make for very chilly nights? Would it be better to have the stove somewhere in between'?

Keep the stove up the front end but don't forget to put your ECOFAN on top to blow the heat along the boat!

[Guest]

Keep the stove up the front end but don't forget to put your ECOFAN on top to blow the heat along the boat!

 

Ahh, I've read about Ecofans and quite like the idea. However, I think they've received mixed reviews on here.

As I'm finding out, there are pros and cons for just about everything in the world of boats so the position of the stove may/may not take priority when choosing my boat as it may also be down to the hull, the stern, the length, portholes/windows, pump-out/cassette, bath/shower, gas free, not forgetting the budget and so many more!

[BlueStringPudding]

My stove is at the back of my boat, where I have the tv room, which is my main living space on dark winter evenings. Then there's the bathroom a little forward of that, then the bedroom, with a door that shuts the bedroom off from the front half of of the boat (galley and painting studio). When it's bitterly cold I shut the sliding door in the bedroom at night to heat just the tv room and bedroom end. Keeps me toasty.

 

 

If the bedroom was any closer to the stove and I think I'd roast.

 

And yes, the galley gets damn cold in January and February if I'm not home all day with the internal doors open and the stove well stoked. But cooking anything in there warms it up super quick.

Edited July 24, 2012 by BlueStringPudding

[Robbo]

I don't think I could have located mine any more centrally.

 

Should we ask why the oil rad is in middle of room?

 

Do you have any more photos of your boat, looks quite interesting...

[BlueStringPudding]

Should we ask why the oil rad is in middle of room?

 

If he has shore power I suspect it maintains a gentle background heat in frosty and damp weather, when he's away from the boat.

 

 

And yes, it is an interesting boat! Would love to see more pics.

Edited July 24, 2012 by BlueStringPudding

[blackrose]

Should we ask why the oil rad is in middle of room?

 

Do you have any more photos of your boat, looks quite interesting...

 

Because I forgot to get the ugly electric oil rad out of shot when a friend took the picture with his wide-angle lens! As Stringy says, I use it as background heat on shore power. It has a thermostat so that when the stove dies down during the night the electric rad switches itself on.

 

I'll PM you some pictures as I don't want to take the thread too far off topic, but I wouldn't mind seeing the inside of your boat too.

Edited July 24, 2012 by blackrose

[bizzard]

On extra cold nights you can always supplement your boats heating with a portable unit. A brazier with a big handle on it full of red hot coals plonked down on and old paving slab beneath a roof vent.

After all the red Indians did it in their Wigwams and so did the charcoal burners in a Swallows and Amazons story. And they all survived without ''smoke alarms''. However their complexions always looked a bit sooty didn't they in the old Westerns.

Its not a good plan to site stoves next to the front doors cos every times the doors are opened a large amount of heat escapes, also of course the bow high attitude of most boats doesn't help heat to transfer down hill to the back, heat likes to go up not down hill. And of course there's the matter of chimney height. Low bridges may force you to use a very short one or non at all and so making your roof all sooty.

[canals are us?]

If I was installing a stove in a narrowboat for the first time, my choice would be between the salon and kitchen passage. I often see stoves just below the stairs very close to wooden steps and curtains. I think having the stove opposite the kitchen and facing to the living room seating would look good. You only then have a rear wall and floor to fireproof

 

James

[DeanS]

We just fitted a small 7inch elec fan on the wall near the front stove...and it just blew the warm air down the passage....and if the stove gets out of hand...opening the front doors is great....not something you could do if the stove was in the middle, and got too hot.....which does happen at times

 

ps..the 7inch fan cost about £6, whereas the ecofan version was about £130.

 

We have elec in a mooring..so the £6 version made sense.

[Robbo]

If I was installing a stove in a narrowboat for the first time, my choice would be between the salon and kitchen passage. I often see stoves just below the stairs very close to wooden steps and curtains. I think having the stove opposite the kitchen and facing to the living room seating would look good. You only then have a rear wall and floor to fireproof

 

I wouldn't have it opposite the kitchen worktops as ya be burning ya bum.