Juneau Alaska new CHB owner -- new heater!

Greetings from "the land of perpetual October," as my husband Jim affectionately calls our hometown.

We've just bought this summer a 1978 34' CHB, the Pavane. It has a truly ancient Espar heater that we have not even tried to fire up yet. We are exploring other heater options, especially heaters that will work at anchor far from shore power. Diesel, propane, solid fuel -- the options are many as are the opinions.

We have a wood stove at home that we use to supplement our diesel boiler. We have a lot of trees on our property that we will be gradually thinning out; hence a source of tailorable-sized wood. We also have a local source of wood pellets should we get lazy with the wood cutting. I am interested in the Sig Marine solid fuel heater for the Pavane. Does anyone have experience with this unit?

Thanks, and I appreciate the nice forum.

Michelle

No experience with boat heaters here in California but welcome to the forum Michelle.

Michelle- Welcome from Ketchikan! Here is the real deal on replacement for your espar. We dumped ours last year and replaced it with the DT30 model of Wallas.

Wallas | Boat heaters | Easy and silent | Diesel heaters for boats | Paraffin heaters for boats

These fellows two brothers, are located on West Lake on Lake Union. They are the most helpful folks on your making your own installation. I am a clutz when it comes to technical application. Were you to choose this method you will find as near a drop in replacement as you can fine. The results are dead quite heat. Very efficient. little amp draw and fuel usage is nil as far as we can tell. We have used our unit on many days and don't even know it is on.

It may well use all the ducting you current have although we changed everything.

Yes, I installed myself with comfortable calling to the "Boys" who never barked at me for simple inquiry to what was or could have been a complex accomplishment for me. They made it easy. I recall that our unit cost about $2000 when said and done.

There is a cheaper similar unit to the Espar made in Russia that is advertised
for under $1000.00. However the two systems are totally different. The Espar is more like a running jet engine where the Wallas is similar to a Toyo stove or pot burner very quite.

Of the two the Wallas is of simpler design with only fan motors involved.

Give them a look see and hopefully the other Wallas user in Alaska from further up North will chime in. I recall he has three of these units in his 45-48 foot Bayliner

Al-(Bridge to Nowhere) Alaska

Al,

Thanks much, good to hear the scoop from another cool, wet place. The Wallas looks very interesting and it is encouraging to hear that you were able to install it yourself.

We are shooting to run down to the West coast of Prince of Wales next spring -- used to be my old stomping grounds -- and we'd sure like to get the heater in by that time.

Maybe I can find someone in Juneau that has got one of these and I can check it out in person!

Thanks again,
Michelle

Welcome aboard!

Maybe Kevin Sanders will pipe in as he has a Bayliner 4788 and lives in Seward, Alaska.
He has Wallas heaters in his boat and seems happy with them.

Yep- Kevin is the fellow in mind. Michelle- ask your local heating or marine dealers. There was a solicitation trip by these fellows to the local heating outlets and marine suppliers towards establishing sub-dealers. Ketchikan merchants passed on the opportunity.
I hope you find somebody local with on installed, there should be as good as they perform.
I recall that Kevin and others had a forum thread going last year early on as that was the disussion for our moving on the Wallas.
Al

Not that it matters...but I'm only a couple boats down from Sanders so that might qualify me to chime in...

I think the Wallas is a great little furnace. Not nearly as loud as the Espar. I'm also the dealer in Anchorage. You should look at the website at Scanmarineusa.com for more info. Your local dealers are

Willie’s Marine Sales and Service
2281 Industrial Blvd., Juneau, AK 99801
907-789-4831; Fax: 907-789-1094
williesmarine@gci.net
www.williesmarine.com

Tanner’s Service Center
808 Front Street, PO Box 240329, Douglas, AK 99824
907-364-2434; Fax: 907-364-3409
ragentili@gmail.com
www.tannersservicecenter.com

Hope that helps you if you decide to choose Wallas. Good luck.

AkFish- Great post and timely- Here is the thread on the subject:

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s30/central-heating-system

Al

strange, didn't come up- it serves as a clue should you wish to seek it out.
Al

We passed on the Wallas for some reason I can't recall.

We went Wabasto and I like it. The only drawback is that we clogged ours up at about 800hrs time. Wouldn't start. Needed to take it in for servicing and now we're going to run on kerosene as recommended by Sure Marine.

Need to reinstall the unit, get a fuel tank of about 2 gallons or so and find a place for same. That's kind of a problem.

We use the Wabasto while under way rather than the buss heater (Red Dot) because the thermostat maintains a constant temperature. Don't even realize it's on until we step out into the aft cockpit. The best heater is like the best waiter .... you don't even know they're there.

Pavane we just moved from Thorne Bay to NW WA. Dry Pass is great but avoid anchoring in Calder Bay. Bad black stinking mud. Large and only about 20' deep so looks perfect. I'd go there again only in a gale and Calder Bay is excellent for that. 10-1 scope if you want.

We were there for 8 years. Took many pics on our trip south titled "A Long Way Home" ... a thread still in the archives ... I think. We have a boating friend in Juneau .. Gordon Taylor. He has a Willard also.

Al said:

strange, didn't come up- it serves as a clue should you wish to seek it out.
Al

Click to expand...

Searched it out and your link is missing its ending, thanks for the reminder........
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s30/central-heating-systems-11337.html

Well, welcome from another Alaskan.

I like the Wallas furnaces. I've had Several Eapars over the years and even had and sold the Toyotomi units when they were in production.

The thing about the Wallas furnaces is that they are quiet. Quiet enough that you cannot hear them. Anybody that has had a Eapar, or webasto, or other gunn type furnace knows at there is a noise factor to consider.

I also like the fact that the Wallas units are forced air. Some will say hydronic is the way to go but forced air offers something hydronic cannot, fresh air.

A forced air furnace, properly installed will mix the return air between cabin and outside air. This provides ventilation, reducing humidity and stagnant air, which is a issue in Alaska's damp climate.

Thanks, Kevin, and all. Great input and the Wallas does sound like it might be perfect for us.

Thanks for the great responses,
Michelle and Jim

Michelle/Jim,

Be sure if you would, keep us posted on the choice and installation. Again, the installation is a snap on a 34 CHB. In addition they take little space and that space can be useful for any other use, I'd bet your current Espar location will be the choice.
Al

Pavane,
Wish I could remember the reason we rejected the Wallas. It is quieter by more than a tad to be sure but the Wabasto is plenty quiet enough for me. Outside the boat where our exhause exits the stern the noise could or would be annoying if you were in a marina and people near were in the stern of their boats ... and I don't think that would be the case w the Wallas. The Wallas is definitely more on the quiet side.

Things to consider are:
Thermostat control.
Fuel burn.
Installation.
Price
Electrical consumption

Re installation variables like heat distribution. Our Wabasto is located 10' fwd of aft (under the salon floor) and we have two forced air outlets. One on the floor of the aft end of the salon and one very low on the floor of the fore cabin below the fwd berths. Since we don't have a door on the head it heats the whole boat from both ends.

We will be in Juneau during late afternoon of September 16.

And Markpiece, when will you be in K-Town on this voyage?

Al

Al said:

And Markpiece, when will you be in K-Town on this voyage?

Al

Click to expand...

On the 15th during the morning.

Forecast- 66 degrees, sunny "A very beautiful day" is the ACCURA weather forcast.

Welcome to another photographic day in Ketchikan, Catch as many interesting boat on camera as you are able.

I will wear a red carnation just in case.
Al

Although I'm in the lower 48, I have to put in a plug for the Wallas heaters. We researched all the options for our boat in both forced air and hydronic.

The Wallas 40DT is what we went with. The install was easy:

• Determine the placement of the heater unit and install
• Figure out the ducting routing
• Drill holes, install ductwork
• Tap the tank, install fuel line and filter
• Install electrical wiring and control panel
• test system

The fuel pump is integrated into the unit, so there's one less part to have to run power and plumbing to. With the dual air inlets (outside and inside) the air in the boat is constantly being exchanged, and the boat stays dry.

The biggest selling point was (and remains) Bruce and Doug, the brother who run Scan Marine. They will either install it for you or walk you thru an install- and they always have time for their customers.

I echo Pau's observation on the brothers. Never a sense of a question or inqury as being anything but important to you and them. Good post Pau.
Al

Welcome Michelle/Jim! On my boat I have reverse heat/AC and have to have shore or genny power. I have heard good things about wallas.

Pau Hana said:

Although I'm in the lower 48, I have to put in a plug for the Wallas heaters. We researched all the options for our boat in both forced air and hydronic.

The Wallas 40DT is what we went with. The install was easy:

• Determine the placement of the heater unit and install
• Figure out the ducting routing
• Drill holes, install ductwork
• Tap the tank, install fuel line and filter
• Install electrical wiring and control panel
• test system

The fuel pump is integrated into the unit, so there's one less part to have to run power and plumbing to. With the dual air inlets (outside and inside) the air in the boat is constantly being exchanged, and the boat stays dry.

The biggest selling point was (and remains) Bruce and Doug, the brother who run Scan Marine. They will either install it for you or walk you thru an install- and they always have time for their customers.

Click to expand...

Did you install one DT40 or multiple ones, talked to our local supplier and he said one wouldn't be enough for our boat.........

rochepoint said:

Did you install one DT40 or multiple ones, talked to our local supplier and he said one wouldn't be enough for our boat.........

Click to expand...

We have three Wallas furnaces on our Bayliner 4788

A DT 30 for the salon
A DT 30 for the lower cabins
And a DT 20 for the pilothouse.

This allows us to have three heat zones based on elevation, which in our boat is how heating needs to be distributed.

rochepoint said:

Did you install one DT40 or multiple ones, talked to our local supplier and he said one wouldn't be enough for our boat.........

Click to expand...

Mike, we installed a single DT40. The heat is zoned to the aft cabin and salon, and keeps us toasty. I may add a 2nd Wallas if needs permit.

The DT40 should be more than enough for your 38. Call Scan Marine and talk to Doug or Bruce.