Heat on 19'
- Thread starter @ C
- Start date
BVP Bill-
The Wallas and Dickinson Propane Fireplace are great solutions to the heat issue on your 19, the first costing about $2000 depending on installation costs, and the second aboaut $600 plus installation and propane lines and tank. Slightly less expensive would be the Force 10 Cozy Cabin Propane Heater at about $400 plus as above. All these heaters are externally vented through exhaust tubes.
Any heater installation on a closed in boat should also include a carbon monoxide alarm for safety reasons, which can cost as little as $50, or up to $100 or so for more sosphisticated ones. Propane powered stoves should also be accompanied by a propane detector for leaks and flame outs.
Since your 19 is not totally sealed (even if it has canvas over the open back), you might want to consider a portable heater if the cost of the more permanent ones seems out of reach. Such a heater does not have an exhaust tube and is allowed to vent into the cabin.
The dangers from carbon monoxide, propane, and gasoline fumes are real, and I certainly don't want to be the one to recommend anything unsafe. But if the closure of your canvas in the rear of the cabin is not all that tight, a much less expensive portable heater like the Mr. Buddy heater will probably work fine providing you use it with a carbon monoxide detector and a propane detector. This would get the heater cost down to something in the $100 range plus maybe another $100 or so for the two detectors.
To my knowledge these heaters are used routinely in tents and other applications where similar ventilation conditions exist, and should be fine in your 19 with the detectors. Their combustion is catalytic, and the amount of carbon monoxide is quite minimal.
If I were to use such a heater, I'd be insistent on fabricating a solid mount for it, so as to make turning it over impossible.
I'd also want to put in quite a few hours of daytime use with the set-up before trying to sleep overnight with it, partially just to prove it's functionality during the day,aand then partially so that I could set my mind at ease and be able to sleep at night!
Worth a thought at least!
Joe.
The Wallas and Dickinson Propane Fireplace are great solutions to the heat issue on your 19, the first costing about $2000 depending on installation costs, and the second aboaut $600 plus installation and propane lines and tank. Slightly less expensive would be the Force 10 Cozy Cabin Propane Heater at about $400 plus as above. All these heaters are externally vented through exhaust tubes.
Any heater installation on a closed in boat should also include a carbon monoxide alarm for safety reasons, which can cost as little as $50, or up to $100 or so for more sosphisticated ones. Propane powered stoves should also be accompanied by a propane detector for leaks and flame outs.
Since your 19 is not totally sealed (even if it has canvas over the open back), you might want to consider a portable heater if the cost of the more permanent ones seems out of reach. Such a heater does not have an exhaust tube and is allowed to vent into the cabin.
The dangers from carbon monoxide, propane, and gasoline fumes are real, and I certainly don't want to be the one to recommend anything unsafe. But if the closure of your canvas in the rear of the cabin is not all that tight, a much less expensive portable heater like the Mr. Buddy heater will probably work fine providing you use it with a carbon monoxide detector and a propane detector. This would get the heater cost down to something in the $100 range plus maybe another $100 or so for the two detectors.
To my knowledge these heaters are used routinely in tents and other applications where similar ventilation conditions exist, and should be fine in your 19 with the detectors. Their combustion is catalytic, and the amount of carbon monoxide is quite minimal.
If I were to use such a heater, I'd be insistent on fabricating a solid mount for it, so as to make turning it over impossible.
I'd also want to put in quite a few hours of daytime use with the set-up before trying to sleep overnight with it, partially just to prove it's functionality during the day,aand then partially so that I could set my mind at ease and be able to sleep at night!
Worth a thought at least!
Joe.
Good thoughts Joe. I never use my propane heater when I am sleeping. Just too risky for me, and I have a warm sleeping bag! (Actually, if I use the heater during the day, it dries out the boat, sleeping bag and cushions so that I stay warmer at night.) I use the one pound fuel bottles and not the larger tanks. The hose is long enough so that I can place the bottle outboard of the cockpit for added safety. I get about 5 to 7 hours of burn time on one bottle. I carry the bottles in the motor well in a sealed ammo type container. Works ok. The nice thing about the vented heaters is that you don't get a build up moisture in the boat. In fact, it dries out the boat in short order. This is a nice feature in the gooey northwest winters. I have seen catalytic heaters used on both 16's and 19's while docked, and the owners seem to be satisfied with them. I agree with Joe, you have got to be super careful about safety issues. Robbi
I have a 16’ Cruiser so I don’t have as large of an area to heat. With the camper-back on, we use a 3000 BTU Coleman catalytic heater set on the rear deck. I adapted a computer fan to fit on the heater and circulate the air. It keeps the boat comfortable enough for a T-shirt with the outside temperature in the mid to lower 40’s. With the fan going there is no moisture build up. Total cost of the unit was under $65. For a larger picture, click on the thumbnails.BVP Bill":3h5fssfi said:
You will need a better mounting system than I have. I don’t use mine when cursing
Attachments
I actually purchased one of those colemans you show. Took it out of the box, assembled it, and got to worrying about all that heat sitting on a fiberglass surface and chickened out and took it back. Apparently I should have kept it. But I have been pretty happy with the Buddy heater. I have the small one and it fits under the seat real nice, and it will run you out no matter how cold outside it is. Unfortunately you have to supply a lot of fresh air (like both windows open) or you will fog everything up bad.
Roger - I thought about it and came up with a simple way of holding the heater solidly in place when cruising. Now I can use it when cruising. All I need is some really cold weather to test it out.rogerbum":2o1pex6r said:
Catman & Lloyds - I think if you use some type of fan in your boat for air circulation, you won’t get as much moisture build up. Coleman makes a similar heater as I have with a fan, but it takes 4 D cell batteries and is larger in size and cost about $20 more. Mine will come apart, fold up and takes less than half the space of their fan operated one. One canister will give 7 hours of heat on high. I also bought an adapter so I can refill the canister from a five-gallon propane bottle.
That's good info, I might have to reconsider this winter. In the meantime I am going to do something about air circulation. I am enjoying the luxury of windshield wipers, now time to work on defrosters. Also, I am still hoping to hear from you about your adventures on Lake Chelan. That was the subject I PM'd to you awhile back.