Stove/Heater Location

[Foster Price]

Hello All
Otter is a 12.5% enlargement of Woodenboat's 21'2" Double-ender J G Alden plans, so she's effectively a large volume "nearly" 24' boat, although being double ended, shes not big inside by contemporary standards. Sorry I can't post a photo, but anyway, she's a good wee ship.

She's home for the winter for a repaint and a galley rebuild and the addition of a heater so we can enjoy some sailing in our marvellous (but cool) 46 south winter weather.

The heater will be either a diesel or solid fuel job, the smallest possible capacity (say 0.5 Kw low output) and I would like it to be able to take a kettle on top. I've looked at all avaliable stoves and none are within budget, so we'll build it ourselves. Not afraid of that but the problem is siting.

Is the heater best forward beside the mast (there is only a partial forward bulkhead so a bulkhead mount isn't possible). There it will be right at the shoulder of anyone in the berths (we sleep head forward due to the builder triming the bunks "down hill" to the stern!!)and under the table when it is up.

The other option is just forward of the galley, there it will intrude slightly out onto the sole, which currenly at that point is 2'8" (800 mm) wide.

What sayeth you all the the pros and cons of these locations ??

Thanks - Foster

[paladin]

I would just use a single burner diesel fired pressure stove....prefereably one of the old Sea Swing type. When you are cooking use the stove as is....when using it for heat turn a ceramic or terra cotta flower pot upside down over the burner to absorb and store the heat. Use a pot with a hole in the bottom....

[Ian McColgin]

I've lived with both solid fuel and now diesel so, some thoughts:

Easier to find a small solid fuel unit. Also if you go with wood/charcoal you can fire it up for an hour or so and easily shut down. Both coal and oil don't come into their own unless they are kept running for days at a shot.

You don't really want to have anything lit when sailing, though I've done it on very benign days. I'd made my three previous wood stoves and my one coal stove safe with positive screw down doors. The Dickenson oil stove I have now is wonderfully safe, but will also turn itself off when we really heel over.

Finally, location - Try to get the stack abeam and maybe a hair abaft the mast. Even with no sail up, there are strange downdrafts abaft the mast or too close to the boat's centerline. Stick that stack at least 1/4 total beam off -center - about half way from centerline to rail - or more (given the boat's small size) if you can. Just in from the cabin trunk side is nice, but remember to insulate/shield any wood that's within 3" - 4" of the pipe.

I never used to have one but have come to believe that a monoxide meter is a good idea. Most of the hardware store units plug into housecurrent but they are really 12V DC with a transformer, so you can nip the transformer off and just wire to your house battery.

G'luck

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

What Ian says, esp. re location. It really is critical, should you hope to keep it alight at sea.

Avoid rigid cockpit dodgers; they reduce air pressure in the cabin, due to venturi effect and you can get a saloonful of smoke.

Best type of smoke head IMHO is the H shaped head.

You MUST have a good damper in the pipe and the slide type is safer than the butterfly type.

Don't forget a sheet of stainless steel, backed by "not-asbestos-but-something similar-board" on the deckhead over the stove - ditto the galley stove if living aboard. Stops the stove heat drying the deck and causing leaks and is easy to wipe clean.

[Foster Price]

Thanks Guys for the advice - hard won no doubt but practical and based on real experience.

I wasn't anticipating using the heater whilst sailing, so think I will go for the forward location with the flue just off the centreline, and an "H" type smokehead BUT what effect does this type of smoke head have on the deck ie more or less soot and smuts??

Thanks - Foster

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

The soot and smuts issue is a bit of a red herring really. I cannot say that I have ever noticed any, but then I tend to burn hardwood wood or smokeless coal (very common in UK).

[Ian McColgin]

Agreed with A C-B. The pipe above the cabin allows for some rapid cooling and you can get a creosote dribble down the inside of the stack as the moisture/tar laden smoke condenses but that's not much of an issue with annual cleaning. You shouldn't have crud on the deck.

There is a soot and ash issue below, depending on how careful you are taking out the dead ashes. A water bottle mister to gently damp the top of the ash a bit helps.

Or smoke your pipe a whole lot and no one will notice a little added ash. . .

G'luck