We finally pulled the trigger

Well after what seemed like an eternity (2+years) looking at every thing that floats, we made an offer on a 1996 Grand Banks 42 Classic. Owner accepted and we think this will work just fine for our needs.

This has been a great site for information that helped in the search and final decision on this boat. Now comes all the rest of the things that need to be done. One thing that was missing on this PNW boat was any sort of heat supply. This will be first and I would appreciate information on what others are using on a boat this size with the Webasto diesel air system. I was thinking of the 5500 but not sure as we will use it year round.

Pictures to come after closing.
Regards
chuck

Several here prefer the Wallas furnaces due to their quietness outside and somewhat inside the boat.

I hear good and bad about all brands so unless you see/hear/taste/feel every one...it may be a roll of the dice.

I went with a Wallas that would not by itself heat the whole boat...but I don't spend all winter up north so I looked at it as a supplemental heater to reverse cycle or space heaters and an engine fed bus heater while traveling.

Hurricane.

We put a Webasto 5500 in our boat when we bought it. There are three ducts. One to the salon, and one each to the staterooms. The 5500 is able to keep the salon comfortable as long as it's not too cold outside. The staterooms don't heat very well at all. The boat is a bit too big for the 5500. We are moving to a Webasto hydronic system this summer.

Rusty,

We were looking at the Webasto 5500 as a possibility for our 36. Maybe not a fair question, but do you think it would work in the smaller spaces of a 36? Will you be trading the current system in or selling when you do your refit?

We have one in our 32 and it was comfy all winter. One duct to the salon, one to the v birth and one to the head. Warm head=happy wife.

We have an Espar D5 that does fine in air temps down to 25f, that's as cold as we've experienced. Outlets in salon, both staterooms, and the head.

If I were starting a new install hydronic would be my choice since it can provide hot water continuously.

Wallas 40DT is the one we chose for a number of reasons:

• Quiet- the Wallas is silent outside the boat, and extremely quiet in the boat. The noise we hear inside is fan noise- the regular sound of a forced air heater operating (just like at home).
• 2 inlets and 2 outlets- the Wallas takes air for heating from inside the boat (return air) and outside the boat (makeup air). This ensures that you are not heating only moist air inside the boat- the return air adds fresh outside to the mix, which greatly helps in eliminating moisture in the boat.
  2 outlets means you have a more consistent heat, rather than 1 long run that is hot by the outlet, and cool/cold at the far end.
• Small exhaust port-smaller hole to pop in your hull.
• Easy installation- it's as easy as selecting the install location, hanging the unit, then running fuel, power, remote control cable, and ducting to the unit. With a Webasto or Espar, you have to install a stand-alone fuel pump and run power to it AND run power to the main unit.
  

Doug and Bruce at Scan Marine will come to your boat, sketch out the install, and then give you the choice of them installing or you installing the parts- and they will always walk you thru any challenges the DIY type might face.

Congrats on your new purchase!

Well, you certainly have a lot of company in the PNW owning a GB. Largest, most active owner's group I know anywhere for any brand. I think just a great boat for the average couple of small family. Such great ultilization of space.

Another vote for Hurricane.

Plus, ideally, a 2nd independent source to heat at least the saloon, not connected to shore power. Could be fireplace, could be cook stove, a red dot off of the engine - it's just nice to have a backup when it's damp and cold!

Thanks to all you gave me lots to think about. Now do some more research and get it done.

We looked hard at hydronic: I really liked the idea of running 3/4" hose vice 3" ducting. Also, having the hydronic system heat the engines and the domestic water was a definite benefit.

What I didn't want was to install a Red Dot register in every cabin (you also have to run 12v power to every register), or to have all that water circulating thru the boat.

I plan on installing a small diesel furnace that loops into the engines and water heater in the future, but it's not a pressing issue right now.

There's a trade off for each system.

Pau Hana said:

There's a trade off for each system.

Click to expand...

Indeed. Btw, while I use the Hurricane to heat potable water, plumbing to engine(s) didn't work for me. My intention was to scavenge waste engine heat to heat water and cabins with heat exchanger, and I also had a thought about heating engines in winter - proportioned through a manual valve. But you can't really heat the engine(s) without a separate inline circulation pump, and the amount of scavenged heat wasn't useful (you are fighting the engine cooling system, which in PNW is very effective with the cold water). I ended up shutting it off.

Thanks to all and we decided to go Wallas.

chucks said:

Thanks to all and we decided to go Wallas.

Click to expand...

I had a Wallas - not much output but no problems. However, in the PNW, ITR is just up the road in Vancouver - very responsive in comparison to (Wallas, Finland) and Espar / Webasto (Germany). Also ITR is a marine company, the others are automotive. Ultimately, however, a BTU is a BTU.