One of the challenges we have faced during our cruising adventures is that our vessels have not had a good source for heat when the temperatures get colder. Hence, we have always opted to end our sailing season in early Fall. While the crisp fall air is lovely, being comfortable sleeping in 40 degree temperatures certainly turns pleasure into an ordeal. Heating clay flower pots on a stovetop is not exactly efficient, effective, or safe!
Beth and I sail with our adorable Bichon, Annabelle. While Beth and I can don wool caps and wrap ourselves in a warm sleeping bags, little Annabelle isn't a sleeping bag diva. Beyond our concern for Annabelle, we don't really enjoy on-board winter expedition camping.
Of course, it's not just the cold temps in the Fall that can be a challenge. There are many a damp and raw day during our general sailing season that having a reliable and safe heating source is a great benefit. Sailing the coast of Maine in the summer can be made more comfortable with a nice dry and warm cabin. Moreover, being a "snowbird" and cruising down the ICW or the Atlantic coast often requires a warm cabin. Even if we were to contemplate living aboard in a marina, we would need a better heat source than a 1500 watt AC baseboard unit.
So, what to do? There are several options available: diesel, propane, solid fuel, alcohol, and electric. Consistent with our objectives for cruising Harmony, we want to be as environmental responsible as possible, as simply effective as possible, and safe as possible. Given those guidelines, we can narrow down our choices to either diesel or propane because we will be carrying those fuels on-board, they are the most efficient, and offer the least impact to the environment in which we sail.
Our installation is complicated by the fact that Harmony has two cabin areas to heat: the salon/dinette area and the aft cabin in which we sleep. We will need either 2 heaters or a very good system for circulating air between the fore and aft sections of the boat. Additional challenges exist for locating the exhaust chimneys, as on-deck hardware may interfere with the placement of a suitable "Charley Noble".
On the diesel side of the ledger, heaters can be divided into forced hot air blowers and small stove-like burners. Forced hot air furnaces, notably Espar and Webasto, supply heated air into the various compartments of the boat via ductwork run through and under the berths. They are generally expensive at $5,000 plus installed and finicky about clean fuel. However, they generally can heat and dry out a boat very well. Diesel stove-like burners, like the Dickinson heaters, are stationary radiant heat sources in cabins. They are relatively inexpensive at $1,000 installed and provide a significant amount of btu's.
Propane heaters are generally wall mounted units that radiate heat, but produce less btu's than a diesel unit. Propane units can be a closed system using an air supply from out side of the boat or an open flame unit which uses inside cabin oxygen. The latter offers more risk from oxygen depletion and fire. Propane gas has it own safety risk by being heavier than air, but this can be minimized by installing gas leak detectors. However, a propane heater will use propane quite quickly: from a low setting at 1 pound over 7 hours to 1 pound over 3+ hours at high. Propane heaters are relatively inexpensive at $1,000 installed.
Since we will have both diesel and propane on-board we have choices. Due to the expense and required space of a diesel hot air furnace system, we have decided against either an Espar or Webasto heater. We like the ease of installation and convenience of a closed propane system like the Dickenson P9000 or P12000 units. However, we are concerned that we'll be filling propane tanks all the time between heating and cooking. We like the heat output and fuel efficiency of the diesel cabin heaters, but are concerned with where to put the chimneys and how to effectively heat both cabin areas.
We have consulted the trusty Westsail Owners Association and the recommendations run the gamut of choices we listed above. As soon as we feel we have narrowed our choice, we waver and need to tack. Fortunately, we don't have to make a decision now. However, we will need to make a decision at some point.
The biggest issue right now is the location of the chimney, particularly in the salon. Our staysail track runs right over the best area for a chimney for either the propane or diesel unit. We are considering replacing our staysail boom with a roller furler and that change could eliminate the port/starboard staysail track. If so, we would have a clear cabin top for the chimney.
So, this topic remains on the burner. We are satisfied that whatever choice we make we'll be warm and the least impactful to our cruising world. Our preference is for the diesel cabin heaters because of the fuel simplicity, heat output, and overall efficiency. I guess its time to put another log on the fire, so to speak!
Fair Winds and Following Seas!
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