OK gang.....let's say we liveaboard where there is NO shore power. Winter is going to be cold. We don't want to run the genset 24/7, so retrofitting to a propane heater seems to be the way to go.

What out there, has anyone used in a similar situation? What about installation hang-ups?

We're about to do a "new-for-us" boat between Jan & June 2008. Something in the 15-16'wide by 55-65' long and it's possible we may find a more suitable boat for us in a used model. If this is the case I want to plan an attack for electric heaters to propane heaters.

Thanks in advance,
Edd

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Chance Favors The Prepared Mind!

Find a dock with electricity or get a apartment in town. What you're describing will be more of a cold stay in hell, instead of just roughing it!

Bob

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I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

When I was boat shopping, I looked a an early '80s Lazy Daze 50' that had a propane central furnace. Don't know if it was original.

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Harbor Master 47
Watts Bar Lake - TN River

Depending on the size of the boat you might be able to install a couple through-the-wall RV heaters. They're vented, so should be safe. I think running them full-time would get expensive though.

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Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

When we have enclosure on front deck in winter, we use a direct-to-bottle infrared heater to warm the enclosure for a smoking area. While I know this isn't as insulated as the interior (which isn't very inslulated either), we will use a 25lb grill bottle every two weekends, heating only while awake in usually 40deg. weather. Guessing a tank every 2days @ $15.00 each, = $225.00 month. Might be cheaper (and a lot less trips to refill) with 100lb cylinders, but combined with tank weight you'd have to be lugging around 165 to 180 lbs. couple times weekly. Is this supposed to be fun, survival training, or what?

Bob

P.S. Used to exchange propane cyls at my business. Distinctly remember some very unfortunate souls attempting to heat housetrailers(being brutally honest what are our boats, but floating trailorhouses) with 100lb cylinders. It could be done when driven by absolute poverty, but sure didn't seem like fun.

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I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

I heat my boat with a kerosene heater on those rare times I need it here in Florida. Works well but I do NOT run it when sleeping and yes I have a CO alarm.

There are diesel heaters made for the purpose that have a stack and are properly vented. They ain't cheap. Google "diesel heater"

Here's one that might work: http://www.defender.com/produc...48311|324056&id=48865

You could also look into a wood stove, but they ain't cheap either, and where you'd find the space on the average houseboat is beyond me.

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Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

Edited: 06/05/2007 at 07:29:21 AM by stmbtwle

Unvented propane radiant heaters make it rain inside the boat. Most heaters have a fan that requires 12 volt or 120 volt power. The sailboat people have vented radiant heaters in propane and diesel that might fit your needs.

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OLD HOUSEBOATER

There are basically three types of heater that you could utilize.  

You could install a "furnace", which heats air in a heat exchanger and then uses a blower to move the air into the living space, either directly or via ducts.  You can have the modernized version of the old Franklin stove where fuel is burnt inside a small firebox which is vented outside.  The third option is to have a catalytic heater that mounts to the wall and doesn't need any exterior vent.

Pros/cons:

Furnace:  

Pros:  Produces a lot of heat and the heat can be vented to multiple rooms.  Remote thermostat control
Cons:  Requires electrical power to operate, either 12v or 110, to run the blower

If you have a pontoon style houseboat that is built more like an RV the furnace can be a very easily installation.  If you can provide the 12 volts it requires it will be the most comfortable for you. Here is an example of such a unit:

http://www.atwoodmobile.com/Products/furnace/8500x.cfm

"Stove"
Pros:  Requires no (or very little) power to operate.  Vented so it is safe to operate
Cons: Takes up a lot of space, high temperature vent going through the roof/side, surface temperature could be hot enough to cause skin burns.

Catalytic:
Pros:  Easy installation, no power to operate, no venting required
Cons: typical units are NOT thermostat controlled, they can consume all the oxygen in the room and the combustion byproducts will really raise the humidity in the room.

You can find Catalytic heaters that have vents so that they draw the fresh air for combustion from outside, thus dramatically reducing the risk of oxygen depletion.  Many units have an oxygen sensor that will shut the heater down if the oxygen level drops too low.  Some units will also allow a thermostat control but then they will require a power source (very small power draw, however).


How cold does it get during the winter where you plan on doing this?  Houseboats are typically not the best insulated dwellings so I would imagine that you will be spending a LOT on fuel to keep it warm during a cold winter.

Rod

when my father moved on to his boat he first tried radiant heaters and as OHB said it rained inside the boat.(remember a byproduct of burning propane is H2O) Thru work i was able to locate him a RV 12vdc sealed combustion furnace that fit into the forward closet of his Nautaline and vents out the side. it required a little duct work under the sink to reach the rear of the boat and the cuddy but after 7 years it is still going strong. The nice thing about being 12vdc is if you have a power outage or lose your electric for any reason you can run about 3 days on a battery. He also uses a 100 gallon tank mounted on his dock for the winter(Nov./ March, and 20 ponders at other times.


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UC FANS
1999, 52' Monticello - Miller Tyme
Port of Aurora IN

Having owned several boats and cruising the Northwest in all seasons, my choice of heaters was always Wabasto. Check them out. They have several types, with my favorite the diesel furnace. It was inexpensive for such a good system and was esxtremely quiet.

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McSpuds
48' Myacht
Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho

100 gallon?  You sure wouldn't want to move that tank around full.  How did he fill it?  Could the propane delivery truck get close enough to the dock to reach with his hose?

I would also be a little concerend about that much weight sitting on the dock.

Rod

MUSTA' been 100lb!

Bob

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I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

no it was a 100 gallon tank, after doing hvac work for the last 26 years i know the difference.... at our marina we own our own docks and rent the frontage to secure it to for $110.00/mth. my fathers dock is 100 ft across with 2-45ft x 8 foot fingers and one down the middle thats 45x16. (capable of holding 4 boats) the propane truck backs to within 50ft of the dock to refill the tank(closer than most home tanks) when spring gets close we run the tank down almost to empty and roll it into a shed he has built on one end of the dock for the summer.



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UC FANS
1999, 52' Monticello - Miller Tyme
Port of Aurora IN

Edited: 06/19/2007 at 08:05:41 PM by MILLERTYME

additionally the weight of propane is .504 the weight of water(approx 4.3pounds per gallon) a hundred gallon propane tank can only be filled to 80 percent capacity to allow for thermal expansion as temperatures rise, so the tanks weight is approx. 484 lbs( 344 for propane and 140 for the tank)


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UC FANS
1999, 52' Monticello - Miller Tyme
Port of Aurora IN

Edited: 06/19/2007 at 08:22:33 PM by MILLERTYME

Still make the mistake of assuming! Sure you can understand how that would be a pretty easy mistake to make.

Sorry

Bob

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I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

There is more to the assumption than meets the eye.(I'm sure nobody understood that)
What I mean is -- who would think about owning your own dock and renting the space its in??? That is awesome. Wish we could do that! 

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Boatless at the moment
www.spboatsales.com

Lots of very usefull information here. Thanks everyone for the input, it has kept me very busy in research. I've come to the conclussion that no matter what boat I buy, heating will not be a problem. Thanks again for all the valuable 411.

Edd

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Chance Favors The Prepared Mind!