Heat And A/c

Thanks guys, that is something to consider

but I'll be using an outboard engine, at least that's the plan.

Giving this a little more thought, an auto AC set up I think would be fine, but it will be expensive as well. Probably be cheaper to buy an old car with a good air unit, take it out and get rid of the car. Guess what I'm thinking is that a roof top, all said and done, probably the easiest....but I like the idea of having ducted AC and keeping the roof clear (as well as possible leaks).

Can a small bathroom gas heater be used? Change the orfice for propane if needed (many run off propane), some are very small and are wall mounted.

Just thinking that the basic units are much the same, when an item says "aircraft" for a bolt, it costs 4 times as much, or "marine". While I realize that certain appliances or parts are special for a reason, many are not, it's just a gig fee.

 

Yes. That's the way to go for your type of boat.

I have a rooftop running off a Honda eu2000. They don't leak, even on an rv that goes over bumpy roads.

If you want simple and cheap, do what rv people do.

 

Gas is dangerous. When I was a kid the neighbors daughter was killed by a leaking propane water heater on a boat.

The diesel heater that Battan recommended is a great unit. Its only disadvantage is that it takes up prime real esatse in the saloon of a small craft.

 

Michael, I know propane goes boom and is not healty to breath....but with gasoline needed for an outboard, I'd need another fuel tank for diesel. My stove is propane. I need gasoline for my generator. Going diesel, propane and gasoline doesn't make sence to me.

Cat Builder, did you also mean that a wall heater can be used?

Thanks for the confirmation as to roof tops, I will add one to my list!

 

Remember you must vent the exhaust gas from any heater overboard via a stove pipe.

 

And even better, don't mix combustion and room air at all. Get a "direct vent" propane heater.

I have one of these. Like your propane heaters from the cabin, they put all exhaust out the same chimney they draw the air in from. It's a double wall.

There is no danger of CO getting into the cabin. I heat an RV with one and it will toast you out of there no problem. They put out around 12,000 BTU.

Also, unlike some of those catalytic heaters you see, this is very dry heat. All combustion moisture goes up the chimney:


http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|406|1066337|324057&id=548713

 

Too much features in 24' of boat ?

You really should seriously see if you can trade up to a boat that comes STANDARD with heat & AC.

SO much simpler & enjoyable. Maybe safer if you do not know how to layout & select parts for a marine installation.

This project is NOT a simple one. Screw up & some body becomes a vegatable or permanant loss of memory. Worst case is a funeral of people you care about or yourself.

Go for the safe & immediate enjoyment of the bigger boat.

Good luck
Rich

 

LOL

What were we talking about? What loss of memory???????

Thanks for the warnings.
Yes, I have had propane at my cabin and a small wall heater. They now make ventless heaters that vent out the back (depending on where you put it) and fresh air returns. I can see one on the aft cabin wall to the open cockpit and piped up so that you aren't breathing anything while sitting in the cockpit, even if you are outside. All joints must be taped and checked as well as lines and alarms darn near everwhere you can think of, cabin, storage area and I'd go lower too as propane will be heavier than air. Am I right?

Actually, I don't like propane as some in bottles don't smell enough to detect a leak, the pumped stuff in a large tank will generally smell for instant detection. It also goes boom easily. But it is what it is, heater, stove, water heater, etc. Could even run the gen set or engine.

Well aware of the dangers and I would be very careful with it.

Get a larger boat? I need 14 for a cabin, 8 open forward deck and 3 aft plus whatever the bow really takes up, it could be 24, probably 27 to 30 range, maybe 32. But it must be trailerable for me, that's just a requirement for several reasons. I'm not sailing around South America to get to the west coast, if I go. I'm not leaving my boat in a slip, paying rents that I would not use. I'm not paying big fees for haulouts or getting highway permits to have a semi pull my boat somewhere. I will need to go around damns on rivers and it's easy to find someone that could pull me out and back in with a pickup.
I could go on....

However, if I make a big move and go to the coast where I would actually live on the boat that would be a different story, but for now, the plan is very long trips, perhaps months at a time on the rivers, ICW and gulf area....even the swamps! (That means shallow draught, less than 2 feet hopefully)

In any case, I would think that Bolger's Tenessee, a 32' sharpie hull river boat would be fine to live on. But, we will see.

 

Im curious. In the USA what would be the typical monthly dockage fee for a 25ft boat ? At a friendly marina .

 

$120 per foot per summer (May to November) or in the case of a 25 ft boat, $120 times the length of the dock finger.

 

Ouch ! expensive. What is out of the water storage at a decent shipyard.

 

Michael, here are two links. The first is the summer storage/slip contract and the second is the winter storage contract.

http://www.byy.com/Portals/0/Forms/GlenCove/BGC-SummerSlip2012.pdf

http://www.byy.com/Portals/0/Forms/GlenCove/BGC-WinterStorage2011.pdf

This marina is one of the largest in the north east USA with locations from New York to Maine.

It is a good indicator of prices in that area. You can also see all the rules and labor rates on these contracts. This is about what we pay in the Northeast USA if we have a slip or hire out any work.

Do remember how large the country is though. There are places that are much less money than this. However, there is a large population in this area who keep boats, despite winter arriving each year.

Florida can be even more expensive in the Miami or Fort Lauderdale area. Or... much less expensive (say, on the other coast of FL north of Tampa). It is very much supply and demand, however, those prices are what I am subject to in the Northeast.

 

Yah, too many yachts in the world. As a poor boy I could never afford a 25 footer in the port Im presently in . High season dockage is 6.5 euro per square meter PER DAY. Eye watering.
Normal folks can only sail by, have a look, then sail out without ever going ashore.

The greed of the port authorities and the concession operators is so great that the local marine industry has been stunted. You would never ever think of cruising by to do a refit.

 

I checked EBay and there were several 30' + sailboats and even a couple trawlers for less than 10K. Buying a large boat is not a problem, keeping it is.

I'm hoping for large enough to survive with a little comfort so I can smile, self sufficient on the hook, year round, efficient to cruise and mobile if I get tired of an area. With a good trailer and tow vehicle, your boat can be a great RV camper. Instead of dock fees, you can check in at a motel in really bad weather or for the jacuzzi.

 

Everything costs more in New England. Check these Florida dock prices: http://www.docksearch.com/s/search_s_fl.asp?pa=do_search&listing_country_code=US&listing_state=FL

$8 to $25 per foot depending on the real estate.