Diesel Boat Heaters

Discussion in 'Powerboats' started by Boston, Apr 19, 2010.

  1. mark775

    mark775 Guest

    1 person likes this.
  2. apex1

    apex1 Guest

  3. dskira

    dskira Previous Member

    Solid fuel, like coal, bricket or wood is a good answer. Work all the time, what ever the state of the sea, get the boat nice and dry, and never go wrong since not mechanical part is involve.
    just have a good locker for the solid fuel. It is not that large amount needed contrary to the beleif.
    You can have the fire working all night long without touching it.
    And as for the comfort, visual and physical you can't beat it!
    Daniel
     
  4. apex1

    apex1 Guest

    Fully concur Daniel,

    the dry and nice heat of a conventional stove is´nt to beat. Let alone the flickering fire when you have a glass door on it.

    Regards
    Richard
     
  5. TeddyDiver
    Joined: Dec 2007
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    Location: Finland/Norway

    TeddyDiver Gollywobbler

    This is what I'm dreaming..
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Boston

    Boston Previous Member

    I took a page out of the axe bow book and thought I'd make a sketch of what it might look like

    [​IMG]

    I kinda like it
    but I've pictured the draft to deep for the displacement I've calculated so I need to design a different bottom
    I kinda like the Dashew's design but I only want one large prop

    [​IMG]

    hydrogen fuel cells are a long way off
    oh they have them, but the cost is outrageous

    I kinda prefer a fuel like wood pellets that is not industry dependent. A small pellet mill and a pile of dust later and you have your fuel. Next trick is to find a trouble free boiler system and apply that to the right steam engine. Low tec low cost fuel and steam engines have mind bending longevity.

    simpler is better

    cheers
    B
     
  7. mark775

    mark775 Guest

    Fuel cells are here NOW, Bos. Fuel cells for propulsion are a long way off. I will be the first in line to get one of these Volvo gadgets even if more expensive than a generator (the Stirling engine will have to come down to the cost of a generator) The lack of economy of scale have just kept the price out of reach (NASA and other government agencies have used them for decades). I do like steam power for a boat like yours. Tell me, could you then stop at any mill in, say, SE Alaska and scrounge up their sawdust and make pellets? Have you got a line on steam engines that don't go "boom"?
     
  8. apex1

    apex1 Guest

    Yeah,

    we had that stove already on another thread a while ago. Here the smaller one with a blond Supermodel![​IMG]
     
  9. mark775

    mark775 Guest

    Oh, on your drawing; Shallow draft boats don't take weather as well, don't have interior volume, often are better suited to stay put when weather is coming, hence Naiads (or whatever brand) aren't worth the trouble. I have installed many of these stabilizers and the reinforcement needed, the use of valuable space in an often space-premium engine room, the complication, the expense (just the bolts that hold the thing to the hull are special one-time-use things that cost a small fortune), the fact that you need to be making a fair turn of speed for them to work, the fact they reach out ang grab pot lines, logs (at great expense), they slow you down, and the fact that you will be safely, warmly anchored when the weather gets bad, and if it does get bad while you are out, these things complicate and make steering non-intuitive - I wouldn't have 'em on a boat like this, no way. Those things are for a seventy foot china-breaker like a Delta built on a fishing-boat hull like Zopilote was...

    imfjbs.jpg

    Single engine is the only way to go - if you ever saw my engine space and compare it to boats like mine twice the size with twins, you'd agree. Narrow is efficient to motivate, but you have stated that SE is your intended cruising grounds. I submit that, if one has time, currents can play a huge role in moving your boat and a vast majority of your time will be spent at your destinations (I picture a huge anchor and commensurate gear and your boat happily bobbing for weeks or months in one beautiful hide out. Multiply that hideout by a hundred others and you'll be busy for awhile without spending much fuel. When SE gets boring, the real fun begins - Prince William sound is a playground in the summer, then Alaska Peninsula, where you'll see so few other people that you will actually welcome visitors!
    There is no more inspiring area on Earth (that I have seen). I tried to find a pic that captured the immensity of some parts of the AK peninsula, but it doesn't exist - suffice to say that you can find holes that make you feel as big as an ant and not see another human for years, get lonely and move to a cozier spot and have commercial boats stop in for a month spring and fall on their migrations. SE is beautiful and accessable. AK Pen. is still Alaska. Sorry for the tangent but I knew it interested you.
     
  10. mark775

    mark775 Guest

    Richard, That is the stove you mentioned earlier (with the wood-burning ability)?
    Boston, are there any pellet stoves (auto feed) you would trust on a boat?
     
  11. apex1

    apex1 Guest

    No Mark,

    this is just one of the good old fashioned wood and coal burners, not the combined "Refleks" stove.

    here are more:

    http://www.marinestove.com/halibutinfo.htm

    Regards
    Richard
     
  12. Boston

    Boston Previous Member

    ya reliable steam engine company is willing to put a system together for me but they are kind a grumpy bunch with a dont call us unless your ready to buy attitude

    which I kinda liked actually
    in my experience those kinda grumpy old farts tend to really know what they are doing

    they sent me some info and prices on a system that would fit my engine room and with plenty to spare

    pellets can literally be made out of just about any combustible as long as its reasonably dry

    hardwood shavings and dust works best but even dried grass would do it in a pinch

    Ive installed several pellet stoves in my day but not sure how any of them would perform upside down
    my take is to use a horizontal feed boiler type
     
  13. WestVanHan
    Joined: Aug 2009
    Posts: 1,373
    Likes: 56, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 746
    Location: Vancouver

    WestVanHan Not a Senior Member

    From the whispergen site:
    -automotive grade diesel – consumption 0.75L/h (1/5 US gal/h) at max output.

    One can buy a Kubota EB single that will run for 6-7 hours on a gallon of diesel at a quiet 2000 rpm-generating maybe 2500 watts at that burn rate.
    So why not run an electric heater..and run a heat exchanger to warm your boat.

    Plus you can run electric clutches and drive a hydraulic pumps,scuba compressor,freezer compressor,etc

    Change the oil,and it'll last for a very long time.
    At $2k,it's much cheaper and reliable than a stirling engined,microprocessor controlled unit.
     
  14. mark775

    mark775 Guest

    Well, for me, the fuel usage isn't the biggest thing, Han. I'm still not getting one because they cost way too much. I like the genset/electric heater, as well but there are times when that infernal generator racket will drive one bonkers (plus the weight)!
     

  15. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    On a much smaller scale, I'm looking at heating the cabin of a 28' sharpie on winter weekends -- in a mild climate.

    Although I love wood stoves (despite chilly memories of rolling out at 4:30 in the morning when it was my turn to light the fire as a child), I think they'd be massive overkill for my purposes. I'm thinking more along the lines of a portable propane catalytic heater, such as the ones Coleman sells for tent campers.
     
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