Electric blanket to air the bed?

[MoominPapa]

The rule hereabouts is leccy blanket when on shore power, hot water bottles when not. This is the only solution for Moominmama's icy-cold feet

 

MP

[patty-ann]

Leccy blanket on my list for purchase pre up to boat this time...I took all bedding and tumble dried at launderette last trip up there. So warm all through on shore power then out and water bottles..sorted..thanks for the tips everyone

[blackrose]

Those who will poo poo the whole idea can also be found whipping themselves with nettles and bathing naked in the canal in winter having just broken the ice.

I poo poo the idea but only because I don't need an electric blanket myself and certainly wouldn't run one from my batteries. Others can do whatever they want on their boats. I live in better conditions on my boat than most people I know, so it's certainly nothing to do with self-denial or masochism.

 

I think beds on narrowboats tend to get quite musty simply because there's less space for them to air naturally. Fortunately wider boats don't tend to suffer from this issue. Also if the bedroom is adjacent to the boat's main entry and exit point that will help keep things aired. Living aboard all winter also helps.

[nicknorman]

I poo poo the idea but only because I don't need an electric blanket myself and certainly wouldn't run one from my batteries. Others can do whatever they want on their boats. I live in better conditions on my boat than most people I know, so it's certainly nothing to do with self-denial or masochism.

 

I think beds on narrowboats tend to get quite musty simply because there's less space for them to air naturally. Fortunately wider boats don't tend to suffer from this issue. Also if the bedroom is adjacent to the boat's main entry and exit point that will help keep things aired. Living aboard all winter also helps.

Yes you have a widebeam and are also a liveaboard. As non-liveaboards, arriving late evening (typically 11pm) doesn't give time to get the boat warm before bedtime. And also being a narrowboat, stove at the front, without a backboiler, bathroom corridor between stove and bedroom, the bedroom isn't that warm. That said we don't actually like a warm bedroom, nor a heavy duvet. A cool bedroom + light duvet + electric blanket gives us the best quality of sleep.

 

Anyway all that is personal preference, but the main point is that it is not unfeasible to run an electric blanket of the type I mentioned, overnight, from batteries. We have 450AH batteries and leaving the inverter on all night, usually the TV and sat box on standby (because I'm too lazy to turn it off) and the blanket, typically uses 6 or 7% SoC. I suppose if you are on a fixed mooring and not on shore power that might seem a lot, but for anyone using their boat to cruise daily as we do, it is inconsequential.

[WotEver]

The rule hereabouts is leccy blanket when on shore power, hot water bottles when not. This is the only solution for Moominmama's icy-cold feet

 

MP

It appears that my bum is the best solution for Mrs WotEver's feet...

[ditchcrawler]

I poo poo the idea but only because I don't need an electric blanket myself and certainly wouldn't run one from my batteries. Others can do whatever they want on their boats. I live in better conditions on my boat than most people I know, so it's certainly nothing to do with self-denial or masochism.

 

But that's it, you live on your boat, we arrive at the boat and its maybe 5 deg C inside and everything is that cold. Inside cupboards, under mattresses, on top of them. unlike your boat that has probably only been left for 12-16 hours.

[Loafer]

It appears that my bum is the best solution for Mrs WotEver's feet...

 

Good grief. Can you show us a simple diagram of your sleeping positions? Are you at 90 deg to each other?

 

Mrs Loafer would have to have legs about 20' long to reach my bum during the night!

 

(Narrowboat beds are far too narrow for us, so we have one each. I sleep in my beloved boatman's cabin, next to my engine! Mrs Loafer has her own boudoir, although we are both welcome as temporary visitors in each other's 'space'!)

[DHutch]

What a lot of Southern softies! Just thrash your legs about a bit - you soon warm up.

I have to admit, this is what I do at home!

 

That said, I have also spent an hour being too cold to sleep before now....

 

 

 

Daniel

[WotEver]

 

Good grief. Can you show us a simple diagram of your sleeping positions? Are you at 90 deg to each other?

Missus says "Roll over". I do as instructed so we're back to back. She folds her knees and sticks her cold clammy feet on me bum.

 

Tony

[Zayna]

Thank you for all your replies!

 

I will be putting fresh bedding on but the duvet and the mattress have had a long and horrid winter, and yes, I was imagining taking the boat out and having the blanket on while the engine is running, so the bed doesn't feel musty and wintery when we get in it.

 

I am of the age where I practically spontaneously combust during the night so don't need any extra heating while I'm asleep.

[AlanWT]

Hmmm. Can feel self being irresistably drawn towards Argos on way home tonight.

Edited February 11, 2016 by AlanWT

[Loafer]

Missus says "Roll over". I do as instructed so we're back to back. She folds her knees and sticks her cold clammy feet on me bum.

 

Tony

 

Ah see. I'm guessing there's some sort of reward for such heroic behaviour? Maybe tea in bed next morning, or maybe allowed out with the guys on Fridays?

[Zayna]

So it looks like I will also be flicking through the Argos catalogue. Is the Dreamland Intelliheat the favourite then do you think? We won't be leaving it on all night, it's body sensitive or something, so that doesn't matter...

 

Must go and have a read.

[nicknorman]

The Intelliheat is at the more expensive end of the range due to its thermostatic bit. If you put it on 1 or 2 it doesn't overheat you but it does mean that if you roll over in the night you don't hit a freezing bit of bedding. Trust me, it's great! However if you really don't want to leave it on overnight, get a cheaper one that isn't thermostatic.

[Drayke]

Engineering bricks? You were lucky! When we used to live in t'box in t'middle of t'road, all we had to warm the bed was a handful of cold mud!

Wooden or cardboard?

[ditchcrawler]

The Intelliheat is at the more expensive end of the range due to its thermostatic bit. If you put it on 1 or 2 it doesn't overheat you but it does mean that if you roll over in the night you don't hit a freezing bit of bedding. Trust me, it's great! However if you really don't want to leave it on overnight, get a cheaper one that isn't thermostatic.

We just have a cheepo and rip it off when we go to bed