Solid fuel stove - which one?

[Proper Job]

So the Morso needs to be replaced.

 

Obviously a like for like would be easy, but I want one with a back boiler this time and maybe a higher output to allow for the backboiler

 

So what do you have in your boat? Are you happy with it? What is it's output? Good with coal and wood?

 

Opinions sought

 

 

 

 

 

[b0atman]

if your having a back boiler which will feed radiators and accumulator then I think that you would find the Morso still good enough as fire will not be needed to run so hot for room heating.

[MoominPapa]

 

So what do you have in your boat? Are you happy with it? What is it's output? Good with coal and wood?

 

Opinions sought

 

 

 

Coalbrookedale (now Aga) Little Wenlock. Ours is 20 years old, and has just had a big rebuild, which should last it another 20 years. Has a back boiler. Don't burn significant wood.

 

Pros: Easy to light, easy to control. Looks good.

Cons: Door glass is impossible to keep clean. For our application, we could do with more output to the backboiler and less to the room.

 

Another pro which takes a longer explanation. The backboiler is a cast tank which forms the back of the stove, rather than something fitted inside. That means that the back of the stove and the rearmost 3-4 inches of the sides are effectively water cooled, and stay quite cool. As our stove is installed diagonally across a corner, then the parts of the stove which are close to walls are the water cooled bits, and can be installed close to the walls without needing OTT fireproofing.

 

MP.

[Neil2]

I replaced a Morso Squirrel with a "Boatman" from Eddie Brookes Northern Fabrication Services. We absolutely love this little stove, in fact I am thinking of getting another one for the house. The firebox isn't that big so it works best with solid fuel especially if you like to have the fire going overnight. I've never seen one with a backboiler but he does offer it as an option.

 

I was very keen to have steel rather than cast iron this time, and it's great being able to deal direct with the guy that actually makes the stove.

 

A nice touch is the stove has feet you can screw down securely whereas with most stoves you have to fashion something yourself.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Neil2

[Neil Smith]

Second that, I bought a boatman and love it and yes he makes them with back boilers as I saw them at crick, also reasonably priced.

 

Neil

[b0atman]

Boatman stove where is back boiler fitted internal or external ?

[stuart]

I'd recommend any non-cast iron stove, I've got a Morso and the associated high repair costs when (not if!) a casting shatters or cracks.

[Neil2]

Boatman stove where is back boiler fitted internal or external ?

It must be external, there isn't room to contain a boiler within the compact firebox. I'd be very interested to know if anyone has one of these as I toyed with the idea when I bought mine. I'm still thinking of recycling it to dry land and installing a back boiler version on the boat so I can get some heat into the shower room.

[Owengriffiths]

I just bought a blue boatman but its not arrived. So i cant tell you how it works. But it is a pretty colour. A

[Neil2]

Like this..?

 

[cereal tiller]

Like this..?

 

These stoves are rather good,will fit one to the boat soon.

It is also impressive that Eddie can deliver them using an Eco Fan Drone thingy!

 

CT

[Neil Smith]

The back boiler is internal it replaces the rear fire bricks, so it retains its internal space.

 

Neil

[kevinl]

best bit is the cooking surface on the top, 2 pans, no problem.

K

[dor]

My last boat had a Squirrel which was fine. When I fitted out my current boat I installed a Stovax Brunel 1A. It is pretty much the same as a Squirrel but slightly smaller. There are two reasons why I would not fit another one:

 

Firstly the upper air damper is just a sliding bit of metal behind a grill and does not positively stop off all airflow like the Squirrel wheel does. As a result it is difficult to put it out by fully shutting down the vents and the stove doesn't tick over at a low setting if there are high winds increasing the draw.

 

The other thing is the deflector plate in the top. You have to remove it to sweep the flue and it is a really tricky awkward job. It's bad enough getting it out, even worse putting it back together again. One trick I have found is to chamfer the bottom edge of the side firebricks which helps to rotate them up alongside the deflector plate. At times I feel like just removing the whole plate, but it is needed to retain the firebricks in place.

Edited November 13, 2014 by dor

[Owengriffiths]

Yes like that, isnt it pretty? I also bought a fan thingy so I will print off your photo and hold it up infront of the shell of the boat I have to see what it will look like! Andrew

[Proper Job]

So the "Boatman" seems a popular choice - not a bad price either

 

Anyone any experience with an Aarrow Acorn or a Villager? Also of steel construction

[magnetman]

Villager are ok. a bit prone to glass breakage. I've had a Heron, a puffin and a Chelsea flat top, all did get broken glass at some point and I'm not violent with doors.

 

I've now got an old Dutch multifuel cooking stove which has a small mica window in the door, which never breaks. It doesn't have a back boiler though so probably no good for you.

 

A Becton Bunny might be worth looking at?

When I say old Dutch its not an 'Old Dutch' as in the trademarked stove, it is just an old...dutch...stove

 

Its actually a Pelgrim stove but they are very rare so I would not expect to see another one in a hurry.

 

may be some in Holland

[Southern Star]

I have a Villager Puffin, it does knock out the heat but the glass is impossible to keep clean, the vent cannot be closed down enough as it is too loose fitting, every time you open the door it drops ash on to the front plate and the baffle is very hard to position correctly.

[b0atman]

I have a bubble stove (multi fuel ) wish it was a Boatman stove from northern fabrications but a tad larger than norm .

However all rads are running well and jacket potatoes done in ash pan where lovely .

[Neil2]

The back boiler is internal it replaces the rear fire bricks, so it retains its internal space.

 

Neil

Thanks for clearing that up, good news as one of the many positives of the boatman is its compactness, you could fit one in pretty much any boat I can think of.

 

Eddie is a great bloke, when I met him to collect my stove he admitted that he had actually sold mine by mistake to another customer who had also ordered a blue one, that's why it took slightly longer than the two weeks quoted. He's an excellent craftsman but by his own admission not great with paperwork and computers his wife does all that.

 

I was just impressed that he would own up to this rather than give me a load of flannel.

[canals are us?]

I have a Villager Puffin, it does knock out the heat but the glass is impossible to keep clean, the vent cannot be closed down enough as it is too loose fitting, every time you open the door it drops ash on to the front plate and the baffle is very hard to position correctly.

The new villager puffin may be better as it has airwash etc.

http://www.aradastoves.com/timeless-classics/villager-puffin-and-heron

I have a woodwarm fireview 4.5kw stove and find the stove excellent.

I would also rate Charnwood, Dunsley.

 

James

[Stilllearning]

We used to have a boat with a Villager C multifuel with back boiler, it kept the 55 feet trad warm, ran 2 rads and was just about faultless.

Present boat has a Morso, no backboiler, and if/when it has problems, we will take the opportunity to change it, possibly for the Boatman in blue!

Here in the house have just had fitted (yesterday was the first time we could actually light it) a MBS Thermovulkan Plus, a bit OTT for a boat but so far very pleased. It runs 5 rads, is easy to light, lots of ways to open up/damp down the fire, and it has an oven.

[b0atman]

With regards to glass getting sooted up I gave up with my bubble stove which supposedly has air wash,

However in the good old days when I had a Boatman stove I found that overnight the glass would soot up BUT on re energising the fire in the morning it self cleaned by burning off the soot .Brilliant design .

[Proper Job]

The boss is very taken by the Boatmans in blue

 

It might be decision made

[Neil2]

The boss is very taken by the Boatmans in blue

 

It might be decision made

To be honest I only went for the blue one because it almost exactly matches the colour of our upholstery, the top plate and the spinners are starting to look a bit scruffy now as the paint wears, though I suppose you can always refinish it.

 

FWIW I use Taybrite if at all possible, it seems to like that more than any other SF, it will burn wood fine but with such a small firebox you have to cut it very small and you're constantly refuelling.