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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Winter Heat Poll

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Doug
Captain

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USA
457 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/29/2005 : 11:27:47

I know there's a safety issue, but I'd be curious to know:

How many of you leave a space heater (or some other 110 heat source) on the boat during the Winter?

Doug - #1913 Noeta

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2005 : 11:46:50

Hi Doug,

I use a West Marine dehumidifier 24/7 during the winter months ... it is very different from a "space heater," but it does elevate the temperature inside the boat somewhat.

'Hope that helps ...

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2005 : 11:50:31

Doug - I have a small Caframo heater that I leave on "snow setting". It comes on when the cabin temp drops to 40 degrees. The boat is on a hoist so it responds to the air temp rather than the water temp which seldom goes below 60 degrees.
Derek

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2005 : 21:04:20

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Derek Crawford
 Doug - I have a small Caframo heater that I leave on "snow setting". It comes on when the cabin temp drops to 40 degrees. The boat is on a hoist so it responds to the air temp rather than the water temp which seldom goes below 60 degrees.
Derek
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Is that what that setting is!

I leave the West marine dehumidifier on all the time but I may turn the Caframo on too. West had them on sale recently for $30. I sure have liked mine.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2005 : 21:32:24

40 degrees - that thing would be going for 3 or 4 straight months up here. I figure if I can't sail it, there's no use in heating it. You temperate climate people sure rub it in during the off season.

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2005 : 21:48:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">You temperate climate people sure rub it in during the off season.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yeah, I was going to ask, "What's a space heater?" but decided not to.

Steve

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2005 : 22:25:49

... and what's an "Off Season?"

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atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2005 : 22:40:12

In Jacksonville it is June,July, And August!

Tom.

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Dan86
Navigator

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130 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2005 : 22:47:34

In Corpus Christi, we have 2 seasons, Summer and August...

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PamC
Navigator

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171 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2005 : 23:43:33

I'm with Duane! The boat is in our yard with a big tarp on it.

Here's my sentiments (to be sung to the tune of "Let It Snow"):

The barometer's surely saggin'
And those southern folks are braggin'
And since I can't sail no where,
Let me swear, Let me swear, Let me swear!
#$^$&^%#$##_)(&*%%$

The lake will soon freeze all over,
and the critters have all found cover,
And since I can't sail no where,
I'll just swear, I'll just swear, I'll just swear!
(_&*&^^$^*(*()(*&^$@#$%%$@@!#^*())

I'm just jealous. I hope y'all down south enjoy many lovely holiday sails (as opposed to 'sales') and I'll think of you while I bundle up in my fleece and fix another toddy.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2005 : 02:12:24

Kansas is an amazing place, we get seriously cold and seriously hot. My big black tarp can cause enough greenhouse effect that my dehumidifier is a good idea regardless of the outside temp. It also creates a negative pressure on the inside of the the tarp which creates a shrinkwrap effect.

Edited by - Frank Hopper on 11/30/2005 02:45:08

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2005 : 08:22:47

Our club won’t allow any “unattended” electricity usage for insurance and liability reasons. (not to mention costs – especially if all hundred or so boats that they keep on the hard were to plug in)

We throw a small space heater on if we are working in the cabin over the winter months, but unplug it if we leave.

Leon –

For most up here off season is Labor Day to Memorial day. All boats are generally on the hard by the 2nd week in November with most being out of the water by the end of October. Launch schedules usually start in early April, however they are almost always postponed so you get a mid to late April Launch. So for the real sailors the off season would be November to April.

Not very easy to get out of the slip in these conditions:

I’m not sure which club this is, but notice the dog parked in the one slip.

And even without the ice – the 30 + knot winds would make it very difficult to even get out – and then your dealing with 5 to 6 footers which aren’t like being on the ocean, the frequency of which is about every 8 to 10 seconds.

This image only shows about 4 footers, but take a peak at the frequency

Edited by - Champipple on 11/30/2005 09:06:30

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2005 : 08:42:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Doug
 I know there's a safety issue, but I'd be curious to know:

How many of you leave a space heater (or some other 110 heat source) on the boat during the Winter?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The last time I had an in-water slip, at Owl Harbor from Oct 2003 to March 2004, I used a 1000 watt space heater on the 4 or 5 really cold days in January when I was working on the boat. "Really cold" in this part of California means the mid 30's, so I know you guys in the Arctic places like upper New York State and the Great Lakes are laughing at me

. I never left the heater, or even the shore power cord, plugged in when I left the boat to go home. The potential for "a problem", like a short circuit and electrical fire, seemed too risky. Owl Harbor is on the old and a little run down end of the marina spectrum, and I had heard of a couple people getting popped GFI's or circuit breakers while working with shore power there, so I didn't want to leave my boat unattended with shore power plugged in.
Down in the Bay Area, a common thing for slip renters to do is leave a 100 watt light bulb in each space of their boat, like one in the main cabin, one in the head, and one in the V-berth. This apparently puts out just enough heat to prevent condensation without running up the electric bill too badly. A full-time electric dehumidifer would probably actually be more effective and would use less electricity.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2005 : 09:02:51

Hi All, I know you all down south are jelous of our winters so I have included a link to a live web cam at the Marina we will be moving to this spring. Click on the link and the first button on the left is the web camera, aptly marked "Web Camera". Click that and then click the "Start Control" buttom and you have control of the cam for four minutes. The also provide wireless highspeed internet within the marina parimiter. Cheers.

http://www.portsanilacmarina.com/

Edited by - on

danandlu
Navigator

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USA
175 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2005 : 10:17:03

djn,

Thanks for sharing. I took a look. I didn't see your boat. Is it visible from the webcam?

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

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USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2005 : 10:23:49

I live in Oregon, which is temperagraphically (made that word up) halfway between Florida and Minnesota. Looking at djn's web cam is depressing, all those empty slips...

I can't speak for myself, but the club I sail at in Seattle has about 30 boats, and all have 1000 watt space heaters on lowest possible setting on all their boats year round.

Dehumidifier is an interesting idea, can anyone point me to a web page for one? What do they cost?

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2005 : 10:32:51

Hi Kevin, where in Oregon do you live? My wife and I lived in Estacada for four years. My brother Pat still lives there. Cheers.

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2005 : 11:54:34

Frank - for the snow setting on the Caframo, you set the fan at "2" and the temp control on the snowflake...remember, if all else fails, read the instructions!

Derek

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2005 : 12:38:47

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by kevinmac
 ... Dehumidifier is an interesting idea, can anyone point me to a web page for one? What do they cost?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hi Kevin,

Here is a picture of the one I bought at West Marine:

Here is a link ... it has gone up in price since I bought mine

... they also have a couple of other models available, but I don't know anything about them: [url="http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=21504"]dehumidifier[/url]

'Hope that helps ...

Edited by - on

John V.
Admiral

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USA
559 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2005 : 19:38:00

I put a 250 watt heat lamp clamped to the dinette table and have a small 110 v appliance cooling fan on the floor. I open all the lockers and keep the air moving. The lamp will run for about 3 months so it should get us through the winter. It seems simple, but for many years this system has worked great.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2005 : 20:28:46

I have a 500w/1500w 120v space heater with fan for when I'm working on the boat during the cooler months. I've used a 100w light bulb and 120v computer muffin fan similar to John V's suggestion to prevent mold and mildew. It worked fine.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Esteban
Navigator

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139 Posts

Response Posted - 12/12/2005 : 20:54:48

Well if that wasn't the coolest webcam!

Edited by - on

Captain Bill
Navigator

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USA
148 Posts

Response Posted - 12/16/2005 : 20:22:25

A 40 watt bulb in a drop cord is enough to keep the condensation in check here on the Pamlico River. Going down tomorrow to do some teak polishing. Of course, in July and August it's definately an off season here.

Happy holidays to all, Bill

Edited by - on

Doug
Captain

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USA
457 Posts

Response Posted - 12/16/2005 : 22:59:58

Footnote to my first question:
It's been cold here on the Sound for a while, and yes, I've been running a heater on the boat. I stop by every night and check everything, and the other day I looked at the power meter for my slip. The little wheel inside the power meter was spinning at a decent pace, indicating I was using some electricity running the heater. On a whim I looked at the meters for other boats up and down the dock.

I'd say about 7 out of 10 were sucking up power about as fast as me.

All those dark, Winterized boats were using juice for something. I have to assume there's more than a few heaters running.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 12/17/2005 : 11:03:42

I too have the Davis 'dehumidifier'... which is basically a low-output 120 watt heater without a fan.

For time aboard at the slip I have a very compact 600/1200 watt heater. For time away from the dock I have a propane powered 'Heat-Buddy' radiant heater that can chase the damp and chill off a winter morning. Don't use it very often though.

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