tjh82 Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Hi all I'm currently renovating an old 56ft narrowboat. After removing the old knackered stove, flue and chimney I'm getting a new set up installed next week. I've picked up an old Petit Godin top loading stove that I always liked the idea of using but now i'm having second thoughts! (Heard they can fill boat with smoke when loading, maybe only when cold though) As this is (hopefully) the one time i'll have to install a new heating set up would i be better off getting a new, modern efficient little black box instead?! I'm torn between the Petit Godin, the ever popular Squirrel and the narrowboat specific 'Portway marine stove'. Any advice/stories/tips and general words of wisdom much appreciated Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlt Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Keep your chimney clean and open the damper up when filling and the smoke goes where it should even with the lid off. I hate squirrels and I've removed several from boats as soon as I've acquired them but this is only a personal view so can be ignored Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bag 'o' bones Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Our boat is fitted with an Aarrow 'Becton Bunny' Not that I have that much experience of other makes of Stove, but were very happy with its performance. As carl says keep your flue clean and open the damper to avoid blow back. Also a taller chimney can help, when moored obviously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterboat Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Keep your chimney clean and open the damper up when filling and the smoke goes where it should even with the lid off. I hate squirrels and I've removed several from boats as soon as I've acquired them but this is only a personal view so can be ignored ditto Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStringPudding Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) Petit Godins are beautiful. I'm very jealous. A friend of mine installed one and did have problems with smoke when getting it going or when trying to top it up in the mornings. So both when the flue is cool. However when it was going it was lovely. (He did once manage to have flames coming out the top of the stove. No idea how he did that. But considering this is the same man that set fire to his hands with a Reflex stove and nearly killed himself with carbon monoxide from using a generator under a cratch cover, it might just be him) Despite its narrow shape it stuck out into the room quite a bit because of the rear flue. But clever positioning would mean that's not a problem. There's space on top for one small pot or kettle if you want to cook on it. Which is less than a lot of wider boat stoves but unlikely to be a deal breaker. Can't remember if the Petit is wood burning only. If it is have a think about what that might mean for you with chopping logs to the right size and obtaining and storing fuel. I adore Godin stoves. Nearly bought one once as a renovation project. I still look at them longingly on ebay from time to time. If you really like them, go for it. Coz you'll find ways of managing lighting them but will always be swooning over what you could have had if you don't buy one. Edited September 19, 2014 by BlueStringPudding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper ghost Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Suppose it depends on the layout of your boat, as my stove is in the kitchen I fitted a Grey Metal stove, which has an oven on the top, may be a bit big if in the living bit. I used to have a Little Cottager, which was great, my parents have a Squirrel, and it's been really good for 20 years so far. Obviously these black boxes are easier to use and easier to keep in. You need to consider if you'll be living on the boat and leaving it to go to work etc. Casp' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain birdseye Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Our boat is fitted with an Aarrow 'Becton Bunny' Not that I have that much experience of other makes of Stove, but were very happy with its performance. As carl says keep your flue clean and open the damper to avoid blow back. Also a taller chimney can help, when moored obviously. We had a Bunny on our last boat, easy to 'drive' and with a back boiler runs central heating fine. Gave us no problems in ten years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottle Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Whichever stove you decide on, to reduce smoking (the stove not yours) Have any chimney dampers fully open Open the door a small crack, count to five and then open, slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stilllearning Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 I had a Villager C multifuel stove with backboiler, on a 55ft trad boat. It worked faultlessly all the time , and stayed in overnight using various makes of smokeless fuels. If I had one again the only change I would make would be getting the model with the flat top, the one on the boat had the slope top, so no cooking or kettles on the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamKingfisher Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 I took an Aarrow out of a boat, it was awful. Prepared to believe they're not all like that though. It wasn't designed to seal fully and was nasty to work on. Yuk. I have a squirrel but if replacing it I'd just go for efficiency, as long as the most efficient stove didn't look ugly or cost a bomb. Availability of spare parts is a squirrel bonus though, despite the inefficiency (by 2014 standards - so I'm told on here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardH Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 We have Salamander Hobbits in both our boats and they are great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmr Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 If its a leisure boat then keep the lovely old stove, if its a liveaboard then sadly a modern welded steel stove would be a much better option. Have you got room for both?? .............Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjh82 Posted September 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Thanks a lot for all the input. I wish i had room for both Dave but unfortunately not. It is going to be a liveaboard...my heart agrees with BlueStringPudding, if this is the one time i fit out a boat i should just go for it! But then come January when the old polystyrene insulation is letting most of the heat sneak out i might regret not getting a more efficient little number! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmr Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Give the Godin a go then! Do the installation such that it can be swapped for a modern steel job if you have to. Choose fuel carefully and get a CO meter. We lived with a lovely Stratford range for years but the fumes were bad. now have a modern Charnwood that works really well but I still miss the looks of the Stratford (which are not as good as the Godin) Don't worry about polystyrene, we got that and still need to open the front doors some winter days. ...........Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjh82 Posted September 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Nice one Dave you've made my mind up...Godin it is! Thanks all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStringPudding Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) If worst comes to the worst, and you can't keep the blighter in overnight, and you keep having to open the windows to let the smoke out, you'll have one nippy winter wearing jumpers in bed, and then can sell the Godin and buy something less pretty but sensible in the Spring. If you buy a second hand Godin for £300-£600 they seem to resell well third-hand around that price. New ones for £1000-£1500 would be harder to retain even 50% of the value. And a second hand one with subtle signs of having had a life before, would look lovely IMHO. Show us some pictures once you've installed it Edited September 19, 2014 by BlueStringPudding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 I once had a top loading stove and even with a clean flue it did indeed fill the boat with smoke every time I took the plate off to refuel. Just a personal experience. The experience of others obviously differs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmr Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Top Loaders are not ideal, but then a lot of boats have an Epping. ............Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackman Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Our top loading trad stove is only smoky when lighting, once the smokeless is burning well it's fine. Obviously it pays not to open the lid for long and to open the chimney damper beforehand. The worst smoke we've had has been when we had a slight leak round the chimney collar and tarry water ran onto the stove top. Awful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacka Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 We have Salamander Hobbits in both our boats and they are great. So do I. Works well and looks good as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodstock Posted September 21, 2014 Report Share Posted September 21, 2014 We have a villager on the boat and I suspect it's quite old but has worked really well- easy to light and keep in and parts are easy to find. At home we have a Portway stove which has been brilliant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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