Dickinson Lofoten Heater/Cooktop

[kennharriet]

I am seriously thinking about rebuilding the cabinet of Lochsa to incorporate a Dickinson Lofoten diesel heater/cooktop.

http://dickinsonmarine.com/product/lofoten-floor-mounted-heater/

My objective is to be able to boat in the most extreme weather, temperature/ humidity conditions in a warm and dry environment in the cabin. I also subscribe to the KISS system. Presently we have the Dickinson P9000 Newport Heater and the Origo alcohol stove for cooking. The Origo is great for cooking but generates moisture and condensation. Alcohol is $16+/gal. The Dickinson Newport propane heater is simple and fool poof but only produces 4500 BTU’s. The combination is great for northwest summer boating conditions.

The Lofoten can generate up to 16,500 BTU’s yet vary temperature for cooking. I think this would replace both the Newport heater and Origo cook stove we presently have.

There is not a good option for a diesel day tank gravity system on a 22 Cruiser, but it seems an outboard portable fuel tank with the 12v fuel pump would meet the need and be handy to refill at a marina.

Thanks in advance for your collective experienced judgment and welcome comments from the group. Ken

[Brewkid]

Just my opinion (fishing PNW), but I'd go a different route and put the heat where it's needed. For example, an Espar like the one below. We currently run a Wallas but it's location is so far aft in the cabin that as soon as the door opens our heat is sucked out. To assist in warmth while fishing (read door opening and closing 100 times..) we run a "little buddy heater" in front of the porta potti at our legs. The Wallas will dry out the cabin nicely in the morning but it takes a bit before the windows are clear enough to run. I'd much rather have a ducting forcing air to the front windows and one forward of the cabin to keep the captain and crew warm. The forced air heater will not release any additional moisture into the air and will dry things out much faster.

https://www.eberspaecher-na.com/products/fuel-operated-heaters/product-selection/air-heaters/new-airtronic-s2m2

There is also a knock off version that's still in my amazon boat list https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VT24CLK/?coliid=IGUUE4MI3R0X7&colid=300E50PUZQ5EX&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it.
I know a couple of brats have experimented with these cheap heaters before http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=29051 and I may go this route at some point.

R/
John
Scallywag

[Peter & Judy]

This heater looks interesting, but it seems a bit big for a small C-Dory. I am just finishing up installing a Wabatso Diesel heater in my boat. I have a Wallas as well, but it was not enough for the bad weather that I seem to attract and I was looking at an option that would force more air into the cabin and dry things out better. I can't say if it will work for sure, but other C-Brats have good luck with theirs. I don't expect that it will keep me bone dry, but it should be an improvement over the Wallace only heat that I now have. We are also making some other changes to keep us drier, like some insulation headliner in the cabin and the v-berth, getting rid of the cotton bedding that soaks up the moisture and more air circulation. Being from bone dry Alberta we probably notice the moisture more than residents of the PNW.

[lloyds]

Was thinking it was a bit much as well. Even on low it will heat a 22 up to an uncomfortable level. I couldn't run my wallas 1300 all day no matter what the weather. After a couple hours it was either open the door or crack the hatch and windows.

[T.R. Bauer]

I love all Dickinson heaters, I really, really, do. But, there are far better ways to get good dry consistent heat in a CD 22 that doesn't require taking up half the cabin. The D2 and especially the D4 will cook you out of the boat and are very dependable heaters. The inexpensive knock off Chinese copies are popular, but I don't have very good first hand knowledge on those. I also do think you get what you pay for. My friend has had very good luck with his D4 and it is really warm in his boat even when it is extremely cold outside. You could probably put a D4 where your fridge is and run a duct up front to keep warm while you sleep. You'd probably have to chisel out a bunch of floatation to do it, but it would be worth the effort. And you could run another one under the cabinet towards the door. Having heat near the floor and up front would really make my boating experience a bit nicer - especially when it is 10 degrees out at night.

[journey on]

The heater requires a minimum of 4' of 4" stove pipe. That's a bit much for a C-Dory. 22 or 25?

Where would you put it?

Why not get a larger P12000 heater?

Boris

[PutNameHere]

Hi, We have a Cape Cruiser 23 and are hoping to install a heater, too. Interesting to hear what types of heaters you all recommend. Have you considered a Planar forced air furnace? We had one on our last boat. It worked well but the thermostat was an older style that took some research to figure out. The unit is made in Russia but I hear it's the 3rd largest heater manufacturer in the world. They sell a lot as truck heaters. I had many questions so called the North American distributor in B.C. They were very good to deal with. With the Canadian to USD exchange rates, the prices are nearing a third the cost of the Webasto, Espar, Wallas, etc. https://planarheaters.com/ shows the 2D and 44D 12 volt systems. The additional part numbers mostly refer to the type of thermostat that comes with it. I see some of you are referencing 2D systems. Is that used for the other brands, too?

This 44D is the larger 12 volt unit with a digital thermostat. https://planarheaters.com/product/diesel-air-heater-planar-44d-ha-pu27/ Their website prices are all in Canadian dollars. This unit is $1075 CAD or about $867 for the unit and thermostat. Extra hardware is available through them, too, and listed on their website.

There are also a couple installers in the Puget Sound area if you don't want to do it yourself. One is in Seattle and the other around Kent from what I remember. I think both are listed on the Planar website. I've spoken to both. One would be about $5K for them to provide all materials and labor. The other around $850 for labor plus materials which I think were similar in price to those on the website. Theses labor prices are very rough estimates on their part.

One unit that looks interesting is a completely portable furnace, just add a 12 volt battery and an exhaust location. https://planarheaters.com/product-category/portable-diesel-heaters/

They have a number of videos on the PLanar website and others have posted videos on Youtube. Maintenance, seems simpler and less often than the other main brands from the videos I've seen. I have zero experience with maintenance, though, so am just repeating what I've heard. The installers did mention that if you plan to run the unit on a lower setting, that can carbon up the various orifices and chambers, burning kerosene in the spring and fall can clean all that out. They also sell fuel tanks, pumps, fuel line for remote locations.

If anyone has any advice for or against Planar, I'd love to hear it. Once we finish engine servicing and other boat projects, we hope to start that project.

Dave

[kennharriet]

Thanks everyone for the great input. I’m still undecided. There are several good options but it seems everything is a compromise. Most of you favor forced air systems for heat distribution and moisture control it appears. I called Bruce at Scan Marine today to ask some questions about the Wallas 1300. I like its simplicity. He really downplayed it as a viable option which was disappointing. He did highly promote the Wallas dt95 cooktop for $3,000 but that’s not going to happen. I do appreciate everyone’s input and will continue researching and am all ears. I still favor the Wallas 1300 if any more can offer their experience with it. For redundancy and added capacity, I think I will keep the Dickinson P-9000. Thanks again, Ken

[Aurelia]

PM sent Ken,

Our 1300 is still a highlight of our 19.

Greg

[lloyds]

Had the 1300 in my 22 for several years and never had a problem. Quick, dry heat and lots of it. Sat under the counter forward of the sink. Easy install. I now have one on a 16' arima sea explorer with the same results. Put the remote switch in the cuddy so I don't have to get out of bed to turn it on. Wait a few minutes and the moisture is gone, windows clear, nice and toasty. If the 1300 was going to be a problem I would have known by now. I keep it on all the way out for 20 miles for salmon and halibut. Lots of pounding on some days but never a problem. Surprised Bruce would talk it down. Had the single burner wallas stove/heater in my last sailboat and it was a mistake. Never worked very well, had to do a lot of troubleshooting, and noisy.

[kennharriet]

Based on the much appreciated input from some trusted Cbrats, I ordered the Wallas 1300 yesterday. Sounds very durable and trouble free with plenty of dry heat. I’ll post some install pics when I get it installed. I’ll leave the Dickinson P9000 in for now for redundancy and added heat capacity, but may remove it if the Wallas is as good as advertised and confirmed by fellow brats.

[smckean (Tosca)]

FWIW, I have a Webasto 2000 in my CD25. It has 2 forced air ducts: one in the main cabin and one in the V-berth. The unit outputs 6825 BTU/hr (about 2/3 more than the Wallas 1300 which outputs 4000 BTU/hr). I find on the 25, with PNW weather, I sometimes wish I had more heat. 80% of the time it is just fine, but on very cold days (still above freezing), it's a little short.

The Wallas 1300 might be fine for a CD22, but on the CD25, my guess is that it would be inadequate.

[kennharriet]

Thanks Sandy. It looks like I’ll have about 8600 available BTU’s if both the Wallas and Dickinson are needed, yet be able to sip JetA or kerosene in the Wallas when that is adequate. With most DIY projects I subscribe to the theory of “overbuild to make up for lack of engineering”. We will be at the Friday Harbor gathering so can report on how it works. Ken