Sojourner (CD28) is spending the winter on the water.
I've bought an Xtreme bilge heater and I'm now considering where to fit it. Has anyone out there completed this project? What's a good placement?
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Bilge Heater
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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CFFrank35
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Aug 12th, '10, 16:54
- Location: Cape Dory 28 #330, Sojourner, New York, NY
Bilge Heater
Sojourner
We have kept our CD 28 in the water for the past 13 years here
in the northwest by using a regular cabin heater. West Marine
has them which they call "Portable Cabin Heater" for around $80.00
but you can purchase them elsewhere for less. They are made in Canada and are very efficient. I keep all the doors open, including
the bilge and also open the engine compartment. I do turn off all
the water, as well as drain all my water tanks As this heater has
a number of settings, I just use the lowest setting and run it in
the 900 watt mode. It will turn itself on when the cabin drops to
around 40 degrees F.
Hope this helps
Ken Cave
CD 28 "Dragon Tale"
LaConner, WA.
in the northwest by using a regular cabin heater. West Marine
has them which they call "Portable Cabin Heater" for around $80.00
but you can purchase them elsewhere for less. They are made in Canada and are very efficient. I keep all the doors open, including
the bilge and also open the engine compartment. I do turn off all
the water, as well as drain all my water tanks As this heater has
a number of settings, I just use the lowest setting and run it in
the 900 watt mode. It will turn itself on when the cabin drops to
around 40 degrees F.
Hope this helps
Ken Cave
CD 28 "Dragon Tale"
LaConner, WA.
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Steve Laume
- Posts: 4131
- Joined: Feb 13th, '05, 20:40
- Location: Raven1984 Cape Dory 30C Hull #309Noank, CT
- Contact:
When my daughter was very young, she once asked; "so what's the point?".
Raven stays in all winter but does not rely on a bilge heater. I drain the fresh water before we get nights below freezing and winterize the engine before it gets too much colder. I have thought about the heater route but I am almost an hour away from the boat and feel there is too much that could go wrong to rely on a heater to keep things from freezing. If I could run right over and check on things every day or so I might feel differently. A general power failure is one concern but at least you would be aware of that. If something were to happen that only effected your boat you might not know about it until some freezing damage occurred.
With that behind us, I am sure you would have plenty of room to mount the heater behind the engine. There is a lot of room aft of the stuffing box, between the hull and the cockpit sole. You would need to glass in a small shelf to level things up and give you a surface that you could put fasteners in but it would be an excellent location. Raven has a 4 Gal hot water heater sitting in there.
I keep a small electric heater on the boat in the winter for when I am there. It is one of those little 1500 Watt ceramic jobbies that I sit on the cabin sole. There was only one night, that it was near zero and very windy, that I could not get the temp higher than 50. It will generally keep the cabin nice and toasty with things closed up.
Space heat for the cabin is very nice but for my situation, I feel that winterizing the engine is a far more practical solution that external heat. We still manage to get out a few time and just re winterize the engine, Steve.
Raven stays in all winter but does not rely on a bilge heater. I drain the fresh water before we get nights below freezing and winterize the engine before it gets too much colder. I have thought about the heater route but I am almost an hour away from the boat and feel there is too much that could go wrong to rely on a heater to keep things from freezing. If I could run right over and check on things every day or so I might feel differently. A general power failure is one concern but at least you would be aware of that. If something were to happen that only effected your boat you might not know about it until some freezing damage occurred.
With that behind us, I am sure you would have plenty of room to mount the heater behind the engine. There is a lot of room aft of the stuffing box, between the hull and the cockpit sole. You would need to glass in a small shelf to level things up and give you a surface that you could put fasteners in but it would be an excellent location. Raven has a 4 Gal hot water heater sitting in there.
I keep a small electric heater on the boat in the winter for when I am there. It is one of those little 1500 Watt ceramic jobbies that I sit on the cabin sole. There was only one night, that it was near zero and very windy, that I could not get the temp higher than 50. It will generally keep the cabin nice and toasty with things closed up.
Space heat for the cabin is very nice but for my situation, I feel that winterizing the engine is a far more practical solution that external heat. We still manage to get out a few time and just re winterize the engine, Steve.
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CFFrank35
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Aug 12th, '10, 16:54
- Location: Cape Dory 28 #330, Sojourner, New York, NY
Bilge Heater
Thanks guys you've been very helpful; I now don't feel so bad about leaving the old girl in the water all winter.
We're trying to be intrepid and extend our sailing season. I'm hoping for a sail on the Hudson on Christmas day. As we don't plan any extended trips, I'm shutting down the head and fresh-water systems this weekend.
Steve, I love the idea of re-winterizing after a trip, I'm going to give that a go for sure.
Cheers
Cliff
We're trying to be intrepid and extend our sailing season. I'm hoping for a sail on the Hudson on Christmas day. As we don't plan any extended trips, I'm shutting down the head and fresh-water systems this weekend.
Steve, I love the idea of re-winterizing after a trip, I'm going to give that a go for sure.
Cheers
Cliff
Sojourner
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mike ritenour
- Posts: 564
- Joined: Jun 19th, '07, 12:47
- Location: " Lavida" - CD33 /"Dorothy" - Open Cockpit Typhoon
- Contact:
Cabin heater
Cliff,
Although we haul LaVida almost each winter I have weathered some really cold stuff afloat.
Either on the hard or underway we rely on a small oil filled heater when we are in port. DeLoren (sp) makes a small model that we've had excellent success with.
Since I'm onboard two or three times a week during the layup, I keep the heater on low all the time. It keeps the cabin above freezing and when I go onboard I light off our "Little Buddy" propane heater to toast up the cabin for working conditions or day dreaming sessions.
The downside is of course you need 110v AC to run it. However, it does not use much power and for safety I have it hooked up through our GFI circuit on the boat.
I've never had a freezing problem.
Stay Warm!
Rit
Although we haul LaVida almost each winter I have weathered some really cold stuff afloat.
Either on the hard or underway we rely on a small oil filled heater when we are in port. DeLoren (sp) makes a small model that we've had excellent success with.
Since I'm onboard two or three times a week during the layup, I keep the heater on low all the time. It keeps the cabin above freezing and when I go onboard I light off our "Little Buddy" propane heater to toast up the cabin for working conditions or day dreaming sessions.
The downside is of course you need 110v AC to run it. However, it does not use much power and for safety I have it hooked up through our GFI circuit on the boat.
I've never had a freezing problem.
Stay Warm!
Rit
"When you stop sailing, they put you in a box"
www.seascan.com
www.michaelritenour.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shorthanded_sailing/
www.seascan.com
www.michaelritenour.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shorthanded_sailing/
Another thought
If you do put a heater on your boat, be sure that your
diesel tank is full with some biocide as an extra bonus.
With the cabin warmer, and the tank half under the stove. it
will be exposed to condensation if the tank is partially full.
Ken Cave
CD 28 Dragon Tale
LaConner, WA
diesel tank is full with some biocide as an extra bonus.
With the cabin warmer, and the tank half under the stove. it
will be exposed to condensation if the tank is partially full.
Ken Cave
CD 28 Dragon Tale
LaConner, WA