Cabin heaters

[Steve Alarcon]

To all those who sail in colder climates,

We are prepping for cruising to Alaska. One issue that continues to confound me is having sufficient cabin heat. On our CD30, we had a Taylor diesel heater (drip pot type), that was very good for heat, but dropped lots of diesel soot on the deck and occaisionally would "burp" smoke back into the cabin. These two aspects made me consider alternatives.

I have eliminated propane due to the moisture issue and rate of consumption. I had been considering a forced air diesel heater. However, a friend who had recently became a live-aboard had sought repair of the heater, and was told by two different sources that the forced air type heaters are not designed for continous usage.

Any suggestions?

Steve Alarcon
CD36 Tenacity
Seattle



alarcon3@prodigy.net

[Andy Denmark]

My niece and husband have an Espar heater on their Jenneau 41 up at Anacortes. If you'd like to talk directly with them and get first hand information I'll give you their email/phone info via private email. They live in Redmond.

Andy Denmark
CD-27 #270 "Rhiannon"
Oriental, NC



trekker@coastalnet.com

[Kevin LeMans]

I use the Kerosene version of Force 10's "Cozy Cabin Heater" in my CD30. No soot, no smoke, little odor with the de-odorized kerosene available here. I haven't seen the kerosene model advertised recently, but Force 10 can probably make one up on order. They're up in your neck 'o the woods, anyway.

It takes maybe 20 to 30 minutes to really toast the saloon on a cold day, but if you sit close, it will take the chill off fairly quickly. It will burn through the night as long as you don't overfill the fuel tank.

Good Luck.

Kevin LeMans
CD30 Raconteur



lemans@gte.net

[Ken Coit]

Kevin,

Is there some reason not to be concerned about carbon monoxide with the Force 10? I would be very reluctant to run any heater while I slept.

Ken
CD/36 Parfait
Raleigh, NC

I use the Kerosene version of Force 10's "Cozy Cabin Heater" in my CD30. No soot, no smoke, little odor with the de-odorized kerosene available here. I haven't seen the kerosene model advertised recently, but Force 10 can probably make one up on order. They're up in your neck 'o the woods, anyway.

It takes maybe 20 to 30 minutes to really toast the saloon on a cold day, but if you sit close, it will take the chill off fairly quickly. It will burn through the night as long as you don't overfill the fuel tank.

Good Luck.

Kevin LeMans
CD30 Raconteur

PPPPparfait@nc.rr.com

[Larry DeMers]

Kevin,

The Force 10's have an open burner on them don't they? That seems to be a really poor idea from a safety standpoint. It would not take much to accidently flick a blanket or jacket sleeve such that it contacts that flame. Additionally, and to Ken's point, that open burner uses cabin air to support the fire with, with the CO falling off the burner and into the boat. If the burner were at least contained in a box with sealed sides, it would hold the CO until it could be swept up the flue with the exhaust gasses. The propane version of the Force 10 is the same way.
By comparison, the new propane burner from Dickinson is a sealed unit of high quality, using a separate hose for external source of combustion air. It has an internal fan for heat circulation, and is truly a beautiful piece of work. I believe that the Sailnet price was below or close to the Force 10 price by the way.

But above all..you are risking death by leaving that Force 10 burn overnight. I would advise stopping that practice immediately. Use a comforter on the bed..it works well!

We heat with wood and coal, and spend a lot of cold nights aboard in March and April, when things tend to freeze solid before the sun even goes down. We use the fireplace until ready for bed, then it is allowed to burn out. We run a small electric heater sometimes, but the mainstay of our staying warm is a fantastic cheap comforter and two thinner blankets layered in the vberth. That is all we have needed usually.

Cheers,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Sailing Lake Superior

Kevin,

Is there some reason not to be concerned about carbon monoxide with the Force 10? I would be very reluctant to run any heater while I slept.

Ken
CD/36 Parfait
Raleigh, NC

I use the Kerosene version of Force 10's "Cozy Cabin Heater" in my CD30. No soot, no smoke, little odor with the de-odorized kerosene available here. I haven't seen the kerosene model advertised recently, but Force 10 can probably make one up on order. They're up in your neck 'o the woods, anyway.

It takes maybe 20 to 30 minutes to really toast the saloon on a cold day, but if you sit close, it will take the chill off fairly quickly. It will burn through the night as long as you don't overfill the fuel tank.

Good Luck.

Kevin LeMans
CD30 Raconteur

demers@sgi.com

[Kevin LeMans]

Ken is correct regarding the issue of CO2. Force10 does recommend installation of a CO2 sensor, but also notes that their propane version has a oxygen depletion sensor which shuts the unit off (the propane version) if oxygen is depleted to less than 75% of normal.

Regarding Larry's comments, yes it has an open burner, but it's recessed to the point where casual contact with the unit is unlikely to start anything burning.

And as far as using propane goes, call me old fashioned, but I'm real happy without it.

I've actually only left the unit on during the night on a couple of occasions in the last two years (this is California, after all), and apparently I'm still alive, but I'm giving the CO2 sensor idea some thought!

Cheers Guys,

Kevin LeMans
CD30 Raconteur



lemans@gte.net