Real winter Liveaboard?

Just a reminder if anyone is contemplating living aboard in 2017 , about now is the time to start the purchase and install of a genuine heating system.

Relying on 8 space heaters is not a realistic option.

FF said:

Just a reminder if anyone is contemplating living aboard in 2017 , about now is the time to start the purchase and install of a genuine heating system.

Relying on 8 space heaters is not a realistic option.

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While I will keep that in mind should I choose to live aboard, I think most of us SWFL locals focus more on the air conditioning systems.

Ted

..nothing beat a diesel heater well installed...

The webasto diesel heating system is one of the primary reasons we been a live aboard for 20 years. Keep the entire living area a constant 70+ F degrees, and the boat dry. Best to have an installer be involved with the layout and design. The are expensive but worth it.

Phil Fill said:

The webasto diesel heating system is one of the primary reasons we been a live aboard for 20 years. Keep the entire living area a constant 70+ F degrees, and the boat dry. Best to have an installer be involved with the layout and design. The are expensive but worth it.

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We lived aboard this winter in the Annapolis area. Got along just fine with two ceramic heaters and one oil-filled radiator.

catalinajack said:

We lived aboard this winter in the Annapolis area. Got along just fine with two ceramic heaters and one oil-filled radiator.

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Same with me in Annapolis, 3 electric heaters.

But when the power goes out, it gets cold fast.

We lived aboard for 6 winters in Baltimore. We could not keep the boat warm enough with space heaters. We installed an ITR hydronic diesel heater and were very happy with it. Individual temperature control in each room of the boat. We have used it a night or two in Florida.

We have built in electric wall heaters in each stateroom and the salon. They are 1000 watt with thermostat control. I just replaced the salon heater with a King pic-a-watt heater, it's nearly silent in operation with the squirrel cage fan. At night the we only heat the berth we sleep in, in the morning I use the built-in and a portable to warm up the salon and then can turn the portable off. I've stayed onboard with low temperatures in the teens and highs in the 20s and was very comfortable. I just came home after being aboard for 2 weeks and the water is warm enough the reverse cycle units put out good heat to warm boat faster in the mornings.

I can and have heated my boat in several ways. Electricity is by far the most expensive and I winter in a inexpensive power area (7¢/kwh). Diesel is 2nd most expensive at $2+/gallon with boiler hydronics and/or cook stove. Wood pellets are 1/2 the cost of diesel, but you have to haul 40# pellet bags. Bought firewood is near what pellets cost but more work hauling and more ash removal. Firewood I cut is the cheapest, but dry storage is an issue and I'm near 70. I burn 2 chords a month in the coldest weather. My diesel, pellet and wood stoves all have water coils for heating the boiler and avoiding diesel use. All done when diesel was $4. Stoves keep the boat much dryer, about 30% or lower humidity. Electric heat keeps the humidity about 60-80% on a normal PNW day.
Cheapest/easiest is diesel for me if the diesel price stays around $2/gallon. For the price of a Wabasco, you'd have to save a ton of money.

Can you guys keep your plumbing (water + waste) working in the winter in the colder states that encounter freezing temps or do you winterize those systems and use facilities on-shore?

mystery said:

Can you guys keep your plumbing (water + waste) working in the winter in the colder states that encounter freezing temps or do you winterize those systems and use facilities on-shore?

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My boat winters in water in Toronto. It is insulated and all water lines have been moved away from the hull sides.
I have a heated winter water inlet that goes to 3 feet below water level and the marina drops all the summer water lines into the water where they won't freeze. I have hot showers and running water all winter and a pumpout on tracks comes right down the dock to the boat. My only reason to go to the onshore facilities is for laundry. Living aboard should not be a camping trip.

When living in the Baltimore harbor for six winters, we used all systems aboard the boat. The marina brought the water to the boat all winter. We had the pump out boat visit as needed. We showered and laundried everyday.

mystery said:

Can you guys keep your plumbing (water + waste) working in the winter in the colder states that encounter freezing temps or do you winterize those systems and use facilities on-shore?

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The Puget sound is a constant 50 degree so below the water line does not freeze, even when the marina freeze over. In addition the webasto diesel also keep the bilge 60+ degrees. The water tanks hold 400 gallon which can last us 2+ weeks. Ss for waste the tank is 50 gallons which is pumped out weekly, and when it can't be pumped the boat has a waste system. We also have a water maker but I have not service it for years and the boat has 2 generators if the power goes out. We do the laundry at the marine, but the boat does have a washer and dryer, but they are small capacity.

16 years a liveaboard in Toronto.
It helps that my boat is fully insulated, has a heated water line and plenty of heat plus my genny can be online in minutes in the event of a power outage. The ice eater keeps it floating in it's own 75 foot lake. I have used the genny only 3 days in all that time for power outages.

The Other Gary said:

16 years a liveaboard in Toronto.
It helps that my boat is fully insulated, has a heated water line and plenty of heat plus my genny can be online in minutes in the event of a power outage. The ice eater keeps it floating in it's own 75 foot lake. I have used the genny only 3 days in all that time for power outages.

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did the boat come insulated or did you do it? if you did it, how?

When I bought the boat in NJ it was stock with Monkey fur in the cabins. I removed this and glued half inch flexible unicellular foam to the hull and than glued a nice sof vinyl over that. All the trim was removed and every area I could access was insulated.
Same with the headliner area. I also got 2 x 8 sheets of 1 inch house siding foam which I cut to fit under the mattresses. I get no condensation on the mattress bottoms. In winter I cover all but one window with Reflectrix bubble insulation, 2 layers per window. All waterlines are run central just under the deck and away from the hullsides. I heat with 4 x 750 watt King fan heaters that are very quiet plus a 400 watt ceramic plate heater in the head that is below the towel rack. Engine room is covered by 400 watt oil pan heaters on both Cummins oil pans. The biggest help is a nice tight shrinkwrap, properly vented bottom and top, which stops the wind from stripping heat from the boat. My dock has heated water lines to 3 feet below ice level and a tracked pumpout comes as needed. The panel is well balanced and I have a 50/125/250 cord but I never seem to use more than 25 amps per side even in the coldest parts of the winter.
Two years ago we got a new harbour entrance that has tripled the water exchange from Lake Ontario which never falls below 40 degrees so we have far less ice than when the first picture was taken. Last year I only used the ice eater for 12 days.

Anyone have any experience with Hurricane SCH25?
Thank You
Jim

The Other Gary, Is the shrink wrap for heat retention or to keep the snow off ? Is it the same shrink wrap a non-liveaboard would use or is there anything different ? Thanks.

It is the same shrinkwrap anyone would use for winter storage. I make sure that I have lots of vents at the stern, sides and under the anchor pulpit. Adding a door and several windows to see out helps as well. The wrap does keep the wind from stripping the heat from the boat better than no wrap and the snow slides right off. The semi dead air space also lets me keep ports open even when it is really cold. If anything the boat can be too dry.
Basically the boat is set at 72 degrees summer and winter, same as a house.

Thanks!

Winters IceBound

We have an electric furnace, had diesel and it worked well, but for the last few years we have had a wood stove. Loved it. Free firewood all around us, as opposed to paying 5 bucks a gallon for diesel (in Canada)....

One difference in winter living is weather to clear the slip of ice.

The bubbler system used to keep pilings in place (compressed air is pumped thru the dock FW piping) is really hard to live with as the noise constant bubbling like living in a fish tank gets old.

The ice eaters , underwater electric propellers to blow warm bottom water up works but the hole created has to be large or the boat crunches into the ice as the wind shifts.

Our technique was simply to ice in , hopefully while the boat was level.

In the spring thaw the boat would free , and the ice in the slip thin enough to bust up with a boat hook.

The extent of the tides (6-8 Ft in NYC) will be the decision maker for most folks.

We used agitators, no noise.
We also let it freeze in but she never came up on an even keel when the ice pushed her up, so we kept it clear if we knew we were staying onboard.
Even in Toronto we got 2 to 3 feet of ice, up here in Bobcaygeon several feet.

Move the boat to FL and complain about the 'cold'.

I worked one winter, in northern Alberta, -46F below ("it's a different kind of cold, a dry cold." yea right) .... they would walk a D9 across the ice to get to an island to log ..... Getting fresh water for the logging camps, chain saws and a tanker truck. The diesel for the heating stoves and cooking, kept the storage tank inside the bunk house and cook shack. The 'head', go up over the berm, drop trow, take care of business.....
Drove on 'ice roads', in my 4X4, all winter, drifting through curves and fighting loaded logging trucks for road space.
Sort of funny, once a week I would take my long underwear off for washing, drying and reinstalling them on my body. Mittens not gloves. You sweat, you freeze.

Ah yes, it is a gray day in FL, a bit chilly but, "it's a different kind of chilly.", but I am still wearing shorts and the A/C is running too.

I like oil filled radiant heaters on there own dedicated power line. One In the forward section of the boat and one aft. The whole boat was spray foamed when redid and I don’t need much power. When you have a lot of snow the ice does not get very thick around the hull my hull is steel and I didn’t care about ice.

I think the Titanic thought the same?

The only worry is, the boat becoming top heavy with ice and snow and the ice buckling the swim platform but, I am sure you are aware of such things.

I have been known to go out and break ice. But you did bring up a good point make sure you know we’re thru hulls are because you don’t want them at the water line. They can freeze over and break. Mine are stainless steel for reduced worries.

funangler said:

I have been known to go out and break ice. But you did bring up a good point make sure you know we’re thru hulls are because you don’t want them at the water line. They can freeze over and break. Mine are stainless steel for reduced worries.

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You need to write a book

Does the boat rise with enough ice at waterline?

Good lord. Y’all are nuts boating in that stuff! We got 2” of snow here in SoTx last night and the entire town is shut down. [emoji23]

cardude01 said:

Good lord. Y’all are nuts boating in that stuff! We got 2” of snow here in SoTx last night and the entire town is shut down. [emoji23]

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Man, there has been a lot of whining from down there. Wind, rain, and now snow.