new stove required

[MtB]

 

 

 

 

So as good stove is one that costs shed loads, and you can never be certain when a huge crack is going to occur in it?

 

There is something about the adulation for Squirrels that I'm still not understanding, I think!

 

 

Yes. The top cracked on mine after a disappointing 24 years of use. Bloody hopeless!

 

Having bought a Boatman and lived with it for a few months now, I can say from personal experience it is faintly disappointing to use in just about every area possible compared to the Squirrel EXCEPT in price.

 

You get what you pay for and at a little over one third of the price of a Squirrel, I maintain it is good/fair value for money having used and lived with both now.

 

When I'm a millionaire I'm gonna buy myself another Squirrel.

P.S. Alan, did you not read my detailed review of the Boatman I published on here? I spell out in full detail all its minor disappointments. (I originally posted it in an iPhone thread lol then copied it into a new thread of its own.)

[Ronniesonic]

we have a boatman & love it. Please note we have never has a squizza so cannot comment on that.

 

With our back boiler it also heats 1x rad in bathroom & fin rad above the bed under gunwhale.

Main fire box keeps the saloon & galley toasty, a combined 20ft.

 

MTB's review on the Boatman is very fair IMHO & useful for guidance. He was spoilt for 24yrs by the sound of it.

[alan_fincher]

 

Yes. The top cracked on mine after a disappointing 24 years of use. Bloody hopeless!

 

I suppose if they could be relied upon to always last 24 years it wouldn't be too bad.

 

I seem to see plenty that have lasted less than 10, and that is ignoring repeated posts about grates failing and the like.

 

Are you confident that a Squirrell bought now is of identical quality to one bought 24 years ago? I have seen plenty of comment about just how thin some of the iron is in some of them.

 

I have no knowledge of the Boatman beyond what people say, but making a stove out of welded steel rather than cast iron makes a whole heap of sense to me, whoever the manufacturer. All the stoves and ranges we now have are cast, and I wish they were not.

[peterboat]

for boats i cannot understand why people put bolt together stoves on a rattly platform its a recipe for disaster however its their money and their choice. the boatman worked for me in the boat and does a great job in jaynes house

[MoominPapa]

I'm just a bit taken by the Wenlock stoves. If its going to take too long to refurb ours might go for one of those.

We have a little Wenlock. An old 'un. Old as the boat at 25 years. It did get a ground-up rebuild with new collar and top plate a few years ago though.

 

'tis brilliant with the single exception that it's impossible to see through the door glass. You can clean it and it soots up again in half an hour.

 

MP.

[MtB]

 

I suppose if they could be relied upon to always last 24 years it wouldn't be too bad.

 

I seem to see plenty that have lasted less than 10, and that is ignoring repeated posts about grates failing and the like.

 

Are you confident that a Squirrell bought now is of identical quality to one bought 24 years ago? I have seen plenty of comment about just how thin some of the iron is in some of them.

 

I have no knowledge of the Boatman beyond what people say, but making a stove out of welded steel rather than cast iron makes a whole heap of sense to me, whoever the manufacturer. All the stoves and ranges we now have are cast, and I wish they were not.

 

 

No, but I'm so dissatisfied with the Boatman I'm willing to tolerate that.

 

On the other hand I spent £330 on a Boatman that will be going in the skip in less than a year.

 

"Buy cheap, buy twice", someone wiser than me once said... I quite often do this actually in order to learn and fully appreciate the things I buy second time around. I'll be getting a Honda genny next after buying the £189 Screwfix genny!

[RufusR]

We have a squirrel , Inlaws have a Boatman .. comparing notes . The Boatman is a good little stove and generates teh required heat for FIL 40 footer but it wont stay in over night and he has to get up 2pm every night ( even sets the alarm ) and bank it up to keep it going , no ash door is a pain as well . Squrrel will stay in is economical and controllable , Rake system does soom flimsey though and almost packed up yesterday , Cast does seem to radiate heat well but does seem that it could be brittle if tossed about . I cant comment on reliabilty as we have only had Squirrel for 2 months but it has been on the boat since new 2008 although not heavily used until the last 2 years .

 

FIL Boatman has given them almost 10 years flawless service ( IIRC ) and they are pretty happy with it though he covert the squrrel every time he comes around , but it woudl be too big for his boat any how

 

 

There must be a reason that Squirrels seem to be fitted to most newer boats as they are not cheap so they cant be that bad reliabilty wise ( he hopes )

 

 

[GUMPY]

I'm just a bit taken by the Wenlock stoves. If its going to take too long to refurb ours might go for one of those.

Little wenlock prone to splitting at the seams. Mine tried to kill me with CO so it had to go Edited December 21, 2015 by Loddon

[Rickent]

I have no trouble keeping my boatman going all night. Even after eight hours just have to poke the coal around a bit , open the bottom vent fully and away it goes.

[MtB]

I have no trouble keeping my boatman going all night. Even after eight hours just have to poke the coal around a bit , open the bottom vent fully and away it goes.

 

 

I can keep mine in all night, with care. Leave it much over eight hours though and it will have almost gone out. The few red coals left cannot be rescusitatated again like with a Squirrel as there is no separate ash pan door to open and force a good draught.

 

The Squirrel however, would easily stay in overnight. I could bank it up and leave it for as long as 48 hours sometimes and find it still ticking over and fully alight. 36 hours virtually guaranteed. This inability of the Boatman to reliably stay in for 12 hours while I'm out at work on a long day is perhaps the most annoying thing about the Boatman. I find myself re-lighting it virtually every day.

The boat isn't cold when I get home but fanning the dying embers in the Boatman into life can only be done by adding a handful of kindling and a firelighter, most nights.

[RufusR]

I have no trouble keeping my boatman going all night. Even after eight hours just have to poke the coal around a bit , open the bottom vent fully and away it goes.

 

FIL sleeps longer than 8 hours a night hence issue .

[peterboat]

 

 

No, but I'm so dissatisfied with the Boatman I'm willing to tolerate that.

 

On the other hand I spent £330 on a Boatman that will be going in the skip in less than a year.

 

"Buy cheap, buy twice", someone wiser than me once said... I quite often do this actually in order to learn and fully appreciate the things I buy second time around. I'll be getting a Honda genny next after buying the £189 Screwfix genny!

i am quite sure mike if you pop it on here for sale it will sell well, plenty of people like boatman stoves we do jaynes works well

 

FIL sleeps longer than 8 hours a night hence issue .

jaynes was lit yesterday morning we went out didnt get back until late over 12 hours boatman still in it has a mix of pet coke and anthracite on it. opened it up everything glowing threw more on still lit this morning

[bizzard]

I have the original Boatman, I have the grate area reduced with house bricks to reduce heat output and for coal economy and it keeps in easily for 9 or 10 hours. If you have the vertical two bar front coal bars, it can be raised to 3 or 4 bars high to hold more coal. These bars are exactly the same as the fire grate, just cut off from a standard size length of cast grate obtainable from stove shops. They draw up more quickly if the door is held ajar by about 1/2'' as well as the vent wheel being fully open. For keeping the door ajar I have drilled and tapped 2BA the actual handle close to the handles pivot stud and screwed a 2BA cheese head screw with lock nut into it, adjust to give the 1/2'' gap btween door and stove body. By lifting the handle a little and swinging the door in to trap its edge between the bolt head and lock nut by lowering the handle. The door will then remain fixed ajar despite boat rocking or engine vibration. When the fires drawn up, lift the handle a touch which moves the bolt head away from the door edge and close the door normally. Easy wheezy.

[Loafer]

I have the original Boatman, I have the grate area reduced with house bricks to reduce heat output and for coal economy and it keeps in easily for 9 or 10 hours. If you have the vertical two bar front coal bars, it can be raised to 3 or 4 bars high to hold more coal. These bars are exactly the same as the fire grate, just cut off from a standard size length of cast grate obtainable from stove shops. They draw up more quickly if the door is held ajar by about 1/2'' as well as the vent wheel being fully open. For keeping the door ajar I have drilled and tapped 2BA the actual handle close to the handles pivot stud and screwed a 2BA cheese head screw with lock nut into it, adjust to give the 1/2'' gap btween door and stove body. By lifting the handle a little and swinging the door in to trap its edge between the bolt head and lock nut by lowering the handle. The door will then remain fixed ajar despite boat rocking or engine vibration. When the fires drawn up, lift the handle a touch which moves the bolt head away from the door edge and close the door normally. Easy wheezy.

 

That's easy for you to say, Biz. You have lots of Meccano!

 

[MtB]

i am quite sure mike if you pop it on here for sale it will sell well, plenty of people like boatman stoves we do jaynes works well

jaynes was lit yesterday morning we went out didnt get back until late over 12 hours boatman still in it has a mix of pet coke and anthracite on it. opened it up everything glowing threw more on still lit this morning

 

 

I have yet to encounter a coal boat selling Anthracite...

 

What's 'pet coke'?

[bizzard]

 

That's easy for you to say, Biz. You have lots of Meccano!

 

No Meccano involved with that one. But my engine stop control does use Meccano as does my engine oil dipstick arrangement and burglar alarm.

[MtB]

But yes I agree Anthracite probably would stay in for yonks. My old Squirrel used to stay in for 24-48 hours burning pretty much anything sold in bags. Always. It just wasn't fussy about the fuel.

[peterboat]

pet coke is horrible stuff mike google it my neighbor had 3 bags spare after his boat sunk so he gave them me it burns well on the boatman and if i was brave on the rayburn royal. the big plus for lots of people is its cheap

[bizzard]

 

 

I have yet to encounter a coal boat selling Anthracite...

 

What's 'pet coke'?

Petroleum soaked like EXCEL and Pureheat.

[bizzard]

Taybright, Phurnacite, Multiheat, Coalite ect all burn well on the Boatman. And so will Excel and Pureheat and similar, but those two can burn too hot and bust things also tend to burn oily and tarry. I use Multiheat mostly.

Edited December 21, 2015 by bizzard

[1agos]

We have an Epping in the saloon, which has been great - the extra advantage of having a useable oven while you keep warm and saving on gas. The only downside is there is no warming glow to look at.

[MtB]

We have an Epping in the saloon, which has been great - the extra advantage of having a useable oven while you keep warm and saving on gas. The only downside is there is no warming glow to look at.

 

 

I have to say, this idea appeals to me too. The interesting thing is the firebox in an Epping is smaller than a Boatman, yet stays in all night easily. I can't remember how long the Epping in my other boat stays in if I ignore it for a day or so...

[1agos]

If I top the firebox up - about a dozen Excel eggs - it will stay in between 8 and 10 hours easily.

[kevinshaw]

thankyou all for all your advice im now totaly confused as what to get :}

Edited December 22, 2015 by kevinshaw

[MtB]

thankyou all for all your advice im now totaly confused as what to get :}

 

 

You're welcome. Feel free to ask more questons!