The more I get into designing the new interior of this '68 Chris Craft
Corsair I want to turn into a winter boat, the more I get to wondering
about different things. One of which was brought home this morning as
I took the dogs out for exercise.

Having arthritis, cold isn't my friend. Adding to that, I don't enjoy
the cold all that much - never have. I tolerate it, but I don't like
it. Therefore, it is paramount in a winter boat to have....

HEAT.

My thought was to pull heat off the engine much like the radiator
system in a car. The way the design is developing, there will be an
interior cabin of a sort or at least a place where one could get out
of the wind, rain, etc. Think of a Parker/Steiger type pilot house
without the adjoining cuddy space. This is where I would put the
heating unit.

I'm just not sure this is a valid way of heating this small space.

Any thoughts?

Later,

Tom
-----------
"Angling may be said to be so
like the mathematics that it
can never be fully learnt..."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler", 1653

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 07:46:01 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
The more I get into designing the new interior of this '68 Chris Craft
Corsair I want to turn into a winter boat, the more I get to wondering
about different things. One of which was brought home this morning as
I took the dogs out for exercise.

Having arthritis, cold isn't my friend. Adding to that, I don't enjoy
the cold all that much - never have. I tolerate it, but I don't like
it. Therefore, it is paramount in a winter boat to have....

HEAT.

My thought was to pull heat off the engine much like the radiator
system in a car. The way the design is developing, there will be an
interior cabin of a sort or at least a place where one could get out
of the wind, rain, etc. Think of a Parker/Steiger type pilot house
without the adjoining cuddy space. This is where I would put the
heating unit.

I'm just not sure this is a valid way of heating this small space.

Any thoughts?

Later,

Tom


How much heat do you need? Under what weather conditions will you be
using the boat?

I need enough heat that I don't get cold - say like a town car sized
space for instance - it's about the same total amount of space that
will be enclosed. As to weather, it's only a 20' boat, so sea
conditions light certainly, but it could be cold, snow, rain, etc.

As you know, above the waterline boats really are not insulated, and
they typically have single-pane glass, and they have a lot of cabintop
area, compared to cabinside area, so you will have a tremendous amount
of heat loss. If you are planning to head out on the Connecticut
waterways from late November through March, you are going to have one
hell of a time keeping a boat cabin warm. Especially the cabin on a
gasoline powered boat. There are some heaters/stoves around that burn
diesel fuel, and you might be able to engineer one of these so that you
have heat even when the engine is not running. Remember the first word
in boat heating...the word is ventilation.

You make some good points, but I plan on using some flotation foam as
insulating material in the cabin space. I understand about the
ventilation choices - that's why I wanted to pull heat off the engine
instead of using a separate heating source requiring ventilation.

Check with Chuck...he's a NW boater and even in August, he has the boat
furnace going...since the water temp at that point is only about 32.5F !

I was hoping he might chime in on this one.

Later,

Tom

"Beware the one legged man in a butt
kicking contest - he is there for a
reason."

Wun Hung Lo - date unknown

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
The more I get into designing the new interior of this '68 Chris Craft
Corsair I want to turn into a winter boat, the more I get to wondering
about different things. One of which was brought home this morning as
I took the dogs out for exercise.

Having arthritis, cold isn't my friend. Adding to that, I don't enjoy
the cold all that much - never have. I tolerate it, but I don't like
it. Therefore, it is paramount in a winter boat to have....

HEAT.

My thought was to pull heat off the engine much like the radiator
system in a car. The way the design is developing, there will be an
interior cabin of a sort or at least a place where one could get out
of the wind, rain, etc. Think of a Parker/Steiger type pilot house
without the adjoining cuddy space. This is where I would put the
heating unit.

I'm just not sure this is a valid way of heating this small space.

Any thoughts?

Later,

Tom
-----------
"Angling may be said to be so
like the mathematics that it
can never be fully learnt..."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler", 1653

I probably missed a bunch about your plans. Is the heating requirement
while underway or at the dock? It would seem that underway you are
limited to whatever you can generate by capturing engine heat or that
available for conversion to electric by the engine and/or generator, if
equipped. A set of quality and heavy thermal underwear will help. :-)


If the heating requirement is at the dock, more options exist.

Eisboch

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 07:56:34 -0500, Eisboch wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
The more I get into designing the new interior of this '68 Chris Craft
Corsair I want to turn into a winter boat, the more I get to wondering
about different things. One of which was brought home this morning as
I took the dogs out for exercise.

Having arthritis, cold isn't my friend. Adding to that, I don't enjoy
the cold all that much - never have. I tolerate it, but I don't like
it. Therefore, it is paramount in a winter boat to have....

HEAT.

My thought was to pull heat off the engine much like the radiator
system in a car. The way the design is developing, there will be an
interior cabin of a sort or at least a place where one could get out
of the wind, rain, etc. Think of a Parker/Steiger type pilot house
without the adjoining cuddy space. This is where I would put the
heating unit.

I'm just not sure this is a valid way of heating this small space.

Any thoughts?

I probably missed a bunch about your plans. Is the heating requirement
while underway or at the dock? It would seem that underway you are
limited to whatever you can generate by capturing engine heat or that
available for conversion to electric by the engine and/or generator, if
equipped. A set of quality and heavy thermal underwear will help. :-)

I haven't really talked much about it because it's been in the works
for almost a year. I've just finished up the design now - hobby, get
all the ducks in a row, before I start kind of thing.

It's more of a "let's get the temperature up to the point where I can
warm up" kind of heat while on the water. I don't intend on having a
sauna in the pilot house. I mentioned to Harry that the space is about
the size of a town car and the required temperature would be about the
same as it would be in winter traveling in a car.

Here's another thought. How much heat can I obtain having a fair
amount of eisenglass using solar heating?

If the heating requirement is at the dock, more options exist.

Nope - this is strictly a trailer operation for cod in Boston Harbor
or winter flounder off the Westerly Reef. Weather gets snarky, I'm
outa there. :)

Take care.

Tom

"The beatings will stop when morale improves."
E. Teach, 1717

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:


I need enough heat that I don't get cold - say like a town car sized
space for instance - it's about the same total amount of space that
will be enclosed. As to weather, it's only a 20' boat, so sea
conditions light certainly, but it could be cold, snow, rain, etc.




Later,

Tom

"Beware the one legged man in a butt
kicking contest - he is there for a
reason."

Wun Hung Lo - date unknown

Recognizing that I don't know what I am talking about, a couple of thoughts:

1. Insulation only retards the transfer of heat from the cabin to the
outside. You need heating BTU capacity capable of overcoming the loss,
given the desired cabin temp. The higher the desired cabin temp, the
greater heat transfer for a given amount of insulation. That's where the
thermal underwear comes in handy.

2. Is the engine fresh water or raw water cooled? Seems to me that a
heat exchanger working at 180-200 degrees will work better than one
using 140 degree water.

Eisboch

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 12:26:51 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
My thought was to pull heat off the engine much like the radiator
system in a car. The way the design is developing, there will be an
interior cabin of a sort or at least a place where one could get out
of the wind, rain, etc. Think of a Parker/Steiger type pilot house
without the adjoining cuddy space. This is where I would put the
heating unit.
========================================

Small commercial fishing boats have been using engine coolant heating
in the cabin for a long time. There are a lot of variables. For
example, the closed cooling side of a FWC engine will typically have
the highest available temperature (160 to 170 F), but a raw water
engine wouldl have a lower coolant temperature.

My former Bertram 33 had a full flybridge enclosure (lots of
protection but somewhat drafty). We used to run in cold weather
using just a 1500 watt electric heater. It was comfortable in
temperatures down into the 30s. You could do something similar with a
lightweight Honda generator on the back deck. They are very quiet and
it would have other uses. I'd get a battery operated CO detector for
the cabin in any case.

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 12:26:51 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

The more I get into designing the new interior of this '68 Chris Craft
Corsair I want to turn into a winter boat, the more I get to wondering
about different things. One of which was brought home this morning as
I took the dogs out for exercise.

Having arthritis, cold isn't my friend. Adding to that, I don't enjoy
the cold all that much - never have. I tolerate it, but I don't like
it. Therefore, it is paramount in a winter boat to have....

HEAT.

My thought was to pull heat off the engine much like the radiator
system in a car. The way the design is developing, there will be an
interior cabin of a sort or at least a place where one could get out
of the wind, rain, etc. Think of a Parker/Steiger type pilot house
without the adjoining cuddy space. This is where I would put the
heating unit.


I looked into engine heating when I had my 20-footer, and it's pretty easy
(What kind of engine do you have?) You just "interrupt" the bypass between
the water pump and the thermostat and take it to a radiator. Same system
as a car.

I suspect you can do the same as what's in my van: two radiators in
separate locations. Works pretty well.

Alternatively you could use any of several portable or built-in propane
heaters, like they use in RVs. The portable ones are OK as long as you can
tie them down somehow and have ADEQUATE VENTILATION

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36 - c/w Dickinson diesel heater

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 08:16:54 -0500, Eisboch wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:


I need enough heat that I don't get cold - say like a town car sized
space for instance - it's about the same total amount of space that
will be enclosed. As to weather, it's only a 20' boat, so sea
conditions light certainly, but it could be cold, snow, rain, etc.

Recognizing that I don't know what I am talking about, a couple of thoughts:

1. Insulation only retards the transfer of heat from the cabin to the
outside. You need heating BTU capacity capable of overcoming the loss,
given the desired cabin temp. The higher the desired cabin temp, the
greater heat transfer for a given amount of insulation. That's where the
thermal underwear comes in handy.

That's a good point and one I hadn't considered. And I do wear those
expedition grade thermals when I do go out in this weather. The
problem is that I still get cold - in particular my feet and hands.
And once that starts, I'm toast - cold toast. :)

It sounds odd, but it has to do with the medicine that I take for the
RA - I have very thin skin and bruise easily, so there really isn't
much in terms of blood to work with. I have a need for heat.

I'm probably the only person you will ever hear about who actually
uses a down filled comforter during the summer when the A/C is on.
Drives my wife nuts. :)

2. Is the engine fresh water or raw water cooled? Seems to me that a
heat exchanger working at 180-200 degrees will work better than one
using 140 degree water.

Oh - neat idea!

Later,

Tom

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 08:29:00 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 12:26:51 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
My thought was to pull heat off the engine much like the radiator
system in a car. The way the design is developing, there will be an
interior cabin of a sort or at least a place where one could get out
of the wind, rain, etc. Think of a Parker/Steiger type pilot house
without the adjoining cuddy space. This is where I would put the
heating unit.
========================================

Small commercial fishing boats have been using engine coolant heating
in the cabin for a long time. There are a lot of variables. For
example, the closed cooling side of a FWC engine will typically have
the highest available temperature (160 to 170 F), but a raw water
engine wouldl have a lower coolant temperature.

I didn't know that. When I was a kid, the lobsta guys used old French
made coal stoves in the cabins - they could keep the heat low and just
ticking over to keep the chill off.

One of my favorite memories was sitting off Baker's Island with one of
my high school buddies and his lobsta fishing father eating a fresh
made chowdah in the cabin of the lobsta boat.

My former Bertram 33 had a full flybridge enclosure (lots of
protection but somewhat drafty). We used to run in cold weather
using just a 1500 watt electric heater. It was comfortable in
temperatures down into the 30s. You could do something similar with a
lightweight Honda generator on the back deck. They are very quiet and
it would have other uses. I'd get a battery operated CO detector for
the cabin in any case.

That's a thought, but it's only 20 feet long - I'm trying to avoid
using a small generator, although I do have one.

Later,

Tom

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 07:09:06 -0800, Lloyd Sumpter
wrote:

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 12:26:51 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

The more I get into designing the new interior of this '68 Chris Craft
Corsair I want to turn into a winter boat, the more I get to wondering
about different things. One of which was brought home this morning as
I took the dogs out for exercise.

Having arthritis, cold isn't my friend. Adding to that, I don't enjoy
the cold all that much - never have. I tolerate it, but I don't like
it. Therefore, it is paramount in a winter boat to have....

HEAT.

My thought was to pull heat off the engine much like the radiator
system in a car. The way the design is developing, there will be an
interior cabin of a sort or at least a place where one could get out
of the wind, rain, etc. Think of a Parker/Steiger type pilot house
without the adjoining cuddy space. This is where I would put the
heating unit.


I looked into engine heating when I had my 20-footer, and it's pretty easy
(What kind of engine do you have?) You just "interrupt" the bypass between
the water pump and the thermostat and take it to a radiator. Same system
as a car.

I suspect you can do the same as what's in my van: two radiators in
separate locations. Works pretty well.

Thanks for the info. Appreciate it.

Later,

Tom