Your first winter

[Life Goes On]

If by cabinet heater you mean a gas powered one with a cylinder inside it I urge you to get it off the boat ASAP!

Not only do they produce vast amounts of water vapour they also don't comply with any of the boat safety regs...being an unflued appliance and having a gas cylinder not in a dedicated compartment that can drain any gas leaks over board....so you either die of CO poisoning or you get blown up.....and more to the point I don't want to be the boat next to you when either happens!

Cheers

Gareth

Hi Gareth I am new to all this so please pardon my ignorance, CO poisoning I am very conscious of but I don't know how I would blow up as that would be a very poor demise I feel

[Rickent]

It doesn't take much savvy to keep a S/F fire in overnight. I've had a drip feed and a S/F fire and find them on a par, oh and have to say have never had a cold morning, never had frost on the window and in fact never been cold in the boat. Only ever wear T shirts and only ever have a 4 tog duvet on the bed.

Phil

 

 

 

 

 

I am with phil on this one, i don't do cold and can honestly say i have never had a cold morning.

It is very easy to keep your stove in overnight and my wife is convinced that the dog will expire due to the heat in the boat.

[Dave_P]

I've had cold mornings. It usually goes like this. I arrange to meet a friend for a quick drink early afternoon. Things happen. I eventually get home in a highly inebriated state at around 2.00am and collapse straight into bed. When I wake up some time later, the fire has gone out and the boat is cold. I need a butler.

[Robbo]

I've had cold mornings. It usually goes like this. I arrange to meet a friend for a quick drink early afternoon. Things happen. I eventually get home in a highly inebriated state at around 2.00am and collapse straight into bed. When I wake up some time later, the fire has gone out and the boat is cold. I need a butler.

 

We need those logs that Doc Brown used so we don't have to stoke it. - Or where they based on heat, based on time would be handy.

Edited August 16, 2016 by Robbo

[She25]

Haven't seen anybody mention an eco fan. I just have a mid-boat stove with an eco fan which circulates the heat nicely. Definitely a knack to managing the heat from your fire is the difficult bit.

 

I got rid of all carpets, and accept that life in slippers and a few well placed rugs are much nicer.

[Athy]

a squirrel,beavering away in the saloon.

Does it make the boat 'otter?

[Athy]

1. Insulate.

2. Ventilate.

3. Have at least two different ways of heating your boat.

 

.

Best post in the whole thread. Have a pleasantly warm greeno.

[Phil Ambrose]

Haven't seen anybody mention an eco fan. I just have a mid-boat stove with an eco fan which circulates the heat nicely. Definitely a knack to managing the heat from your fire is the difficult bit.

 

I got rid of all carpets, and accept that life in slippers and a few well placed rugs are much nicer.

Oh no you mentioned Eco Fan, this could get messy. By the way I have one and love it, but it always starts a war on the same level as pump out versus cassette.

Phil

[frangar]

Hi Gareth I am new to all this so please pardon my ignorance, CO poisoning I am very conscious of but I don't know how I would blow up as that would be a very poor demise I feel

Any Bottled gas is heavier than air....so any leaks will settle in the bottom of your boat...hence why gas lockers have to drain overboard...having a cylinder stored inside your boat means that leaks from the cylinder...even from when you swap cylinders etc...will accumulate inside the boat.....then one small spark and BOOM!

 

Also you insurance will be invalid along with BSC.....

 

Please do remove it ASAP. If you need extra heating you need any heater to be flued....if you have a hook up then use a oil fired rad.

 

Cheers

Gareth

[ditchcrawler]

. I need a butler.

Best you buy a Hudson then.

[cuthound]

Oh no you mentioned Eco Fan, this could get messy. By the way I have one and love it, but it always starts a war on the same level as pump out versus cassette.

Phil

Yes, they are both weapons of mass discussion ☺

[Athy]

Yes, they are both weapons of mass discussion ☺

Very good - greeno awarded.

[Robbo]

Any Bottled gas is heavier than air....so any leaks will settle in the bottom of your boat...hence why gas lockers have to drain overboard...having a cylinder stored inside your boat means that leaks from the cylinder...even from when you swap cylinders etc...will accumulate inside the boat.....then one small spark and BOOM!

 

Also you insurance will be invalid along with BSC.....

 

Please do remove it ASAP. If you need extra heating you need any heater to be flued....if you have a hook up then use a oil fired rad.

 

Cheers

Gareth

 

For a temporary portable heater when not on shore power I use a Inverter Paraffin Heater. It's not the wick type, but does require electric to start it (uses around 800w for 2-3mins) and to keep the fan running once started (about 13w), you dial in a room temperature for it and it will vary its output. It also has a timer so I can get it too run at a certain time. I run it normal paraffin (about 80-90p/litre) and only notice a slight odour. I've not noticed a significant increase in condensation when using.

 

It also has a few safety features such as a CO and tip over sensor. The heater also doesn't get hot itself, only blows out hot air.

 

Edit to add link: http://www.dry-it-out.com/inverter-5006-3kw-liquid-fuel-heater-free-fuel

Edited August 18, 2016 by Robbo

[Dave_P]

Best post in the whole thread. Have a pleasantly warm greeno.

[Theo]

Haven't seen anybody mention an eco fan. I just have a mid-boat stove with an eco fan which circulates the heat nicely. Definitely a knack to managing the heat from your fire is the difficult bit.

 

I got rid of all carpets, and accept that life in slippers and a few well placed rugs are much nicer.

 

Alwayswilby mentioned "a heat powered fan which goes on top of the stove" quite early on, but no one took him up on it. I rather think that he meant an ecofan.

[peterboat]

 

For a temporary portable heater when not on shore power I use a Inverter Paraffin Heater. It's not the wick type, but does require electric to start it (uses around 800w for 2-3mins) and to keep the fan running once started (about 13w), you dial in a room temperature for it and it will vary its output. It also has a timer so I can get it too run at a certain time. I run it normal paraffin (about 80-90p/litre) and only notice a slight odour. I've not noticed a significant increase in condensation when using.

 

It also has a few safety features such as a CO and tip over sensor. The heater also doesn't get hot itself, only blows out hot air.

 

Edit to add link: http://www.dry-it-out.com/inverter-5006-3kw-liquid-fuel-heater-free-fuel

I like that 59 hours on five litres of fuel

[Robbo]

I like that 59 hours on five litres of fuel

 

The output is variable from 800w to 3.2Kw and it auto adjusts according to the temperature you want the room at so it's very efficient and if it runs at the lowest output it will last 59 hours on 5 litres, of course if the demand for heat is more than it's lowest output you won't get that. What's nice is that when it needs re-fueling the tank is removable so can be done in a safe place, but the heater will still keep going for about 5-10 minutes at low output. It has a Eco feature that you can enable which means it will switch itself off if the the lowest output is too high for the room which is handy.

 

If you need a portable heater that's safe for a boat and you don't have shore power but do have a decent inverter to cope with the 800w needed for starting it then it's highly recommended. Although it really helps if you have a supply of paraffin locally

[system 4-50]

Not a fulltime liveaboard but for me the important bits about winter boat living are:

01. Centrally placed SF stove that is also low. Up in the air models don't heat the floor levels. Must also stay in 24/7 with ease. I use a Puffin & Excel but there are probably better models available. It keeps all of my 60ft nicely warm but does take 24hrs from stone cold.

02. Insulation - sprayfoam evenly covering top, sides, - and bottom. Insulated bilge.

03. Insulated windows. Those that I can afford to lose have kingspan bats in them.

04. 70 gall poo tank. Used very frugally this can last for months minimising the need to move the boat.

05. Large water tank(s) to minimise ...

06. Mode of living that minimises the need to move when there is ice on the water. I like charging through ice on the canal but only on somebody else's boat so it is their blacking not mine that is getting damaged.

07. Spare stove door. I haven't explored alternative eg diesel heaters yet so my stove HAS to work.

08. Reliable everything. Not trying to get the absolute last mile out of every component.

09. Disaster planning. A clear picture of the action to be taken if each of the umpteen vital working parts on the boat fails.

10. Gas fridge.

Not commenting on laundry processes as these are being heavily reworked at present.

Edited August 19, 2016 by system 4-50

[Starcoaster]

Does the moisture from the canals make everything much colder compared to being on land, does it effect the electrics,gas and water supply

on the boat?

 

Boat floors are cold, even in front of the stove. Wear slippers.

In terms of "supply," depends-supply in terms of how you get these things, maybe, if taps freeze and the coal boats can't get through. Electric for me yes, because my boat relies on solar only for around ten months of the year-you get less sun. I think also (someone may correct me) that cold batteries discharge faster or something?

Did you suffer from colds due to the change of location? Is going to the loo like a arctic adventure. How do you dry clothes without

a tumble drier?

 

The colds-no, not quite sure what you mean? The bog-no, but GoodGurl may remind you of the time I posted in chat in a tizzy because there was smoke coming out of my bog (it was steam... ) I tend to dry clothes in the dryer at the launderette, but can also fit a clothes horse in my shower tray, and the shower room door opens in front of the stove. So, heat and a cracked window to let the steam out. But no, this is not ideal because is still makes it humid.

[Timx]

Enjoying this topic I hope the tips and experiences continue-,I bought my boat last February and found getting to know your log/coal burner is important, I could never get it to last right through the night. The webasto timer out foxed me too on occasion, but as it was mild at times, I hated the mud more. I am none the wiser really but I am looking forward to it ,Getting the fire going and having it blasting away on a cold night when you come back from the pub .Lovely

What did trouble me was the condensation in the morning, and I can see where this has affected the boat in the past, so I have just bought some of that plastic double glazing to stick and heat over the windows to see if it helps this year.

[MtB]

Enjoying this topic I hope the tips and experiences continue-,I bought my boat last February and found getting to know your log/coal burner is important, I could never get it to last right through the night. The webasto timer out foxed me too on occasion, but as it was mild at times, I hated the mud more. I am none the wiser really but I am looking forward to it ,Getting the fire going and having it blasting away on a cold night when you come back from the pub .Lovely

What did trouble me was the condensation in the morning, and I can see where this has affected the boat in the past, so I have just bought some of that plastic double glazing to stick and heat over the windows to see if it helps this year.

 

 

One more reason to have an all-porthole boat. They just don't suffer from condensation to the same degree.

 

Like LM, I think the clear, cold sub-zero days when the mud is frozen solid are the absolute BEST!!!!

[Timx]

I can see that being true ,but unless you buy bespoke,I got most of my boxes ticked buying second hand, and its a trivial matter all in all .I also agree with those frosty mornings with the sun just coming up lovely.

[MissMax]

 

 

One more reason to have an all-porthole boat. They just don't suffer from condensation to the same degree.

 

Like LM, I think the clear, cold sub-zero days when the mud is frozen solid are the absolute BEST!!!!

Isn't it just because they are smaller, they still get condensation though (says me who has no experience )

[Timx]

Sounds geographically and mechanically a sound resume'

[Phil Ambrose]

Isn't it just because they are smaller, they still get condensation though (says me who has no experience )

I have all 11" portholes and mine are secondary double glazed so no condensation, minimal heat loss and during the summer less solar gain. We have 2 Houdini hatches and these too are double glazed cos they will rain on you otherwise.

Phil