anyone interested in helping me fit solid fuel stove and sorting electrics on 23 ft viking

[Simon clarke]

Just managed to buy a 23 viking. original layout. original gel coat and all up together.Took over the moorings for 900 quid pa on the tidal Thames at Richmond near the bridge. anyway need to convert it to liveaboard and need to fit some sort of heating. thinking along the lines of a morso squirrel. also need to sort out electrics. without going into great detail I'm thinking if anyone is interested in me blocking hulls or other labour intensive menial work in exchange for helping sort out mine. alternately anyone interested staying on my boat and helping for an agreed price. I'm not wealthy so no telephone number quotes or I could just go to a marina. any suggestions welcome. time is not of the essence.

[Rob@BSSOffice]

Just managed to buy a 23 viking. original layout. original gel coat and all up together.Took over the moorings for 900 quid pa on the tidal Thames at Richmond near the bridge. anyway need to convert it to liveaboard and need to fit some sort of heating. thinking along the lines of a morso squirrel. also need to sort out electrics. without going into great detail I'm thinking if anyone is interested in me blocking hulls or other labour intensive menial work in exchange for helping sort out mine. alternately anyone interested staying on my boat and helping for an agreed price. I'm not wealthy so no telephone number quotes or I could just go to a marina. any suggestions welcome. time is not of the essence.

 

The two biggest causes of accidental fires are electrical issues and solid fuel stoves. Two of the biggest causes of carbon monoxide poisoning are solid fuel stoves and generators.

 

So if you do get any offers, you may want to assure yourself that both the electrics and the stove are being installed competently and to the latest standards.

 

A bodge job could lead to the loss of the boat or possibly a life which in that case, the ultimate price would make telephone numbers look cheap.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hi ya Simon,

Congratulations on what sounds like a good find !. I know exactly where you're coming from, & appreciate most of us have to watch the pennies.

BUT

I agree with Rob above on this 100%,

There are things that we want/need & the simple fact is - They cost money to buy & install safely.

Have a good and honest think on if this.

Is this actually an area you wish to chance quality of product or installation on.

Good luck though,

 

(I use to have a Old Viking 20, Brilliant Boats, with a 15hp Honda o/b)

Edited July 16, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[kevinl]

Isn't a Morco a bit over the top for a boat this size, where would you fit it given that you won't want to be sat within 3 or 4 feet of it when it get's hot?

I'll admit to not being a fan of wood stoves on GRP boats although some are well done others look a bit dodgy to me, the complication of having a petrol engine and a wood fire on a 23 foot boat

K

[Paul C]

 

.......... you may want to assure yourself that ............. the stove are being installed competently and to the latest standards............

 

 

 

I believe the latest standard is BS8511:2010

 

How many boats (percentage) have a stove installed to BS8511, compared to boats with a stove installed which might not meed the standard?

What's the chances of being physically able to install a solid fuel stove to BS8511 on a 23ft GRP boat?

[gazza]

Isn't a Morco a bit over the top for a boat this size, where would you fit it given that you won't want to be sat within 3 or 4 feet of it when it get's hot?

I'll admit to not being a fan of wood stoves on GRP boats although some are well done others look a bit dodgy to me, the complication of having a petrol engine and a wood fire on a 23 foot boat

K

I agree, not a marriage made in heaven is it?

 

Do it up, move it on, make some money (hopefully) buy a boat with a diesel inboard (GRP, steel, wood whatever) start again.

[BlueStringPudding]

Just managed to buy a 23 viking. original layout. original gel coat and all up together.Took over the moorings for 900 quid pa on the tidal Thames at Richmond near the bridge. anyway need to convert it to liveaboard and need to fit some sort of heating. thinking along the lines of a morso squirrel. also need to sort out electrics. without going into great detail I'm thinking if anyone is interested in me blocking hulls or other labour intensive menial work in exchange for helping sort out mine. alternately anyone interested staying on my boat and helping for an agreed price. I'm not wealthy so no telephone number quotes or I could just go to a marina. any suggestions welcome. time is not of the essence.

 

As mentioned above, I think a Morso Squirrel is a bit big for a 23 fter. Definitely go for something smaller. A Boatman stove is rated up to 4kw (that's what I have on my boat and it heats what must amount to 55ft of internal space comfortably in all but the very coldest weather) - and you could afford to go smaller even than 4kw with a boat your size.

 

Contrary to the above words of caution I would say that with common sense and excellent insulation, you can install a stove on a GRP boat safely. I've met several boaters on the system who have done exactly that. Be mindful to adhere to regulations about air gaps, fireboard and so on to ensure high temperatures cannot transfer to the superstructure of the boat, ceiling or furniture -and that there's no risk of CO poisoning. It's worth doing a bit of reading about this sort of thing to arm yourself first, before you judge if you're confident to install safely -here's a good place to start: http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/. Alternatively consider a blown air diesel fired heater would suit such a small space too if you've got the battery power to keep it going reliably.

 

If you need help with installing electrics, which implies you don't have knowledge of electrical systems, it might be wise to bring in someone who does know what they're doing, though. And that is likely to mean spending a bit more than beer money on their labour to get that right.

 

Enjoy your boat, and don't feel you have to flog it in order to buy one with a diesel inboard. Plenty of people get by without them. Just be sure any work you do is safe.

[gazza]

BSP.

 

its not the stove or GRP that's the problem, its the petrol stove mix that I'm not comfortable with.

 

Gas fridges with pilot lights and petrol are a no no, wood burning stove is too risky for me.

[BlueStringPudding]

Lots of people on narrowboats have petrol gennies and stoves...

The trick is preventing the fumes/sparks from one coming into contact with the other

Edited July 16, 2014 by BlueStringPudding

[gazza]

Bad bad mix, how many store genny and petrol as per bss? or remove it once every 4 years?

 

 

Your average live aboard is likely to be on something a little more than 23' in length too. A nice deep cockpit perfect for retaining petrol fumes leading straight into the living space? I'll give that a miss! Space is a premium on a 23' boat.

 

They only sensible option for this scheme would be if its a center cockpit version, I am not sure viking did a 23' center cockpit option. If its aft cockpit its folly in the extreme.

 

 

 

I would hesitate giving someone who is new to boating the thumbs up for a scheme like this.

 

The bss chap has pointed out the very obvious risks to the OP.

 

common sense, the one sense that's not too common....

[eggpie]

As mentioned above, I think a Morso Squirrel is a bit big for a 23 fter. Definitely go for something smaller. A Boatman stove is rated up to 4kw (that's what I have on my boat and it heats what must amount to 55ft of internal space comfortably in all but the very coldest weather) - and you could afford to go smaller even than 4kw with a boat your size.

agreed. My old Norman 23 used to stay pretty warm (as in 45-50C, with snow outside) with the smallest MachineMart Pot belly. With the bed/seating in the bow, and the stove behind that, there was only the outside deck that was more than 10 feet or so from the stove. 2-3kw is plenty powerful for a 23 ft GRP boat, even a badly insulated one..

[Ricco1]

I think the OP's 'labour exchange' is a great idea. Many of us on the canal live on limited budgets and yet, someone living on a rusting boat with no business overheads, calling himself an electrician for example, wants to charge hourly rates equal to someone who has to run a van, advertise, and all the other overhead costs.

[blackrose]

I was probably an incompetent when I started fitting out my boat 9 years ago, but even I didn't find it that difficult to follow the BSS Essential Guide.

 

http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/180428/bss%20guide%202005%20complete%20web.pdf

 

By the way, I've never really understood how boats with petrol engines manage to comply with the safety rules? Petrol fumes heavier than air and all that... I mean we're not really allowed petrol generators on boats so how do they get away with a petrol engine that can't be moved off at inspection time?

Edited July 17, 2014 by blackrose