Heater

[Paul D.]

Femme has the same solid wood stove arrangement pictured only we put a sheet of copper around a 1/2" heat proof cement board.

I agree that adding a fan can really make a difference when considering any heating options. We have a Hella turbo up under the port side deck by the heater and use it on low blowing over the top of the heater when it is very cold. Even though we get radiant heat from a solid fuel stove, the fan really seems to distribute the heat throughout the cabin well. I added some stout Lake Superior stones to the top of the heater too which gives it a little more mass. One other thing to consider in colder climates is carpeting. I made a template from light cardboard and used leftover carpet from a renovation over some underlay. That helps warm things up a bit on the old toes.

Sailor's toes need all the help they can get, especially those of us who like to go barefoot...

[fmueller]

28,000 BTU is a lot of heat ! Will it be regulated ?

Fred

[John Stone]

That’s lovely Paul. Are you happy with the solid fuel? What kind of wood (?) do you usually use?

We have been delighted with the Refleks M66 MK heater. It’s direct plumbed to our 10 gallo kerosene tank so it can run for weeks. We have used it while sailing though not offshore, not yet anyway. We have had the inside temps up to 70°F when it’s below freezing outside. I think the eco fan is a key component. Have you tried one in your solid fuel heater? It does a great job of distributing the heat around the boat. Best of all you can aim it right at your feet.

[Tom Keevil]

It's 2,800 BTU not 28,000. You only use it when you're motoring, heating up the cabin while you're outside running the boat. If it's too hot when you stop, it will cool off quickly enough. If you are down below while underway, you can regulate the temperature by opening a hatch or the companionway. I think heat regulation would be overkill - just one more thing to break.

I agree with Paul and John about the usefulness of a fan. We also set an EcoFan on top of the stove. That doesn't use any electricity. We also use carpets, but not elegant fitted ones like Paul - just cheap throw rugs from a big box store. They are replaced frequently to keep the nonskid on the bottom from hardening up, and to change the look of the boat when we get bored with it.

If our stove setup appears similar to Paul's, that's because he was our consultant when we bought and installed ours. We also put concrete board on the bulkhead, but covered it with ceramic tile instead of copper. Copper is no doubt better for reflecting the heat.

Thanks for the compliments on the appearance of Rover. For full disclosure, however, I should say that those photos were taken right after we installed a new cabin sole, and both heaters. Since then, we have sailed thousands of miles, and it all looks a lot more normal by now.

The author Douglas Adams introduced us to a very useful unit of distance. This is the Shepley, which is defined as the distance at which sheep still look picturesque. Our goal is to have Rover look stunning at a distance of one Shepley. Any closer, don't look too carefully - we've been out sailing.

[Paul D.]

To answer John's questions, I use wood I pick up from around the house or neighbors'. I used to trim all the trees on the block and for friends but I've really 'cut that back' these days. I took some of my Bur Oak tree trimmings of about four to eight inches in diameter and cut them up into short, 5 inch billets and then split them. Since it is a white oak family, it burns long, and evenly at just the right temp. In fact, I just split some today in the fine spring weather. For kindling I usually have some shop scrap around and mooch some out of my brother's shop sometimes. Gotta be careful with that as you can get a really hot fire going which can warp the door.

We also collect plenty of driftwood along the Lake Superior shores which, again if you get it into the right size, works well. There's plenty. I am rather picky about the wood I bring aboard as sometimes it sits for a year in the locker under the starboard berth. I can recall one or two seasons where I made only one fire.

We are happy with the stove but it would not work for long term living aboard in cold climes. The Refleks looks really nice. And I really like that eco fan and may get one of them. I've hesitated as the blades would be quite close to our body parts when moving around the table and the port berth.

Getting antsy to get aboard, do some brightwork and launch!

[John Stone]

Thanks Paul. Good info.

The blades have little power behind them though they spin pretty fast. They’re Aluminum so they don’t hurt. Not even a little.