Cabin Heater

[Shawn]

"If you think about it, there is plenty of make up air supply on a 23.  The gap between the top drop board and the sliding hatch should be plenty and in addition there is the route through the cockpit seats over the main settee aft bulkheads and through the lower companionway area. "

Possibly, but if you are anchored into the wind the gap between the drop board will likely be leaking air out of the cabin, not in. Per Bernoulli the moving air (outside air) will be at a lower pressure than the static air (cabin air) so the flow would be inside->out, not outside in... at least till equalized. Having a cowl vent will help to replenish the air leaking out the back. On the Dickinson they require a 3" supply feed for the stove alone. As it is vented that will also help to draw in fresh air.

Shawn

[Michael]

On a Rawson 30 in the San Juan Islands I installed an Espar diesel heater. It is very small and compact, has ducting to put the heat where you want it. It does draw some power, but not much. It has a small fuel pump and fan, the exhaust is vented to the outside and the unit is electronically controlled and has a little dial thermostat - works just like a house thermostat - turn it on, set it, and things get warm. I built a custom exhaust for it out of ss tubing and a ss bowl and plate that I found in a second-hand store. These are mounted to my cabin top.  I got the heater off ebay several years ago. It seems very reliable, still heats my Rawson. My wife loves it.

On a 25 foot boat it would only run for a few minutes at a time. I could take some pics for anyone interested in going this route.

Fair winds,

MM in Wonder

[brackish]

"If you think about it, there is plenty of make up air supply on a 23.  The gap between the top drop board and the sliding hatch should be plenty and in addition there is the route through the cockpit seats over the main settee aft bulkheads and through the lower companionway area. "

Possibly, but if you are anchored into the wind the gap between the drop board will likely be leaking air out of the cabin, not in. Per Bernoulli the moving air (outside air) will be at a lower pressure than the static air (cabin air) so the flow would be inside->out, not outside in... at least till equalized. Having a cowl vent will help to replenish the air leaking out the back. On the Dickinson they require a 3" supply feed for the stove alone. As it is vented that will also help to draw in fresh air.

Shawn

That's a good point, I guess I've never used it in that condition.  On my lake, when it gets that cold and I'm out overnight, it is usually dead calm, or I'm nosed up to a high bank with full wind protection.  Certainly you could crack the forward hatch to provide some supply air under those conditions. Regardless, I won't use it while sleeping, just a little afraid of it, and a good sleeping bag will keep me warm enough.  For where you live, however, I think your stove is just the ticket.

[Bob23]

Skip: Capeche! Good call on the CO detector. I thought of that last fall while drying out in my 23 while the kerocene latern was burning. Looking at it's nice warm glow, I wondered if I dozed off if I was gonna wake up again...I promptly blew it out. Probably a bit of paranoa mixed in there but CO poisoning is no joke. I almost lost a friend to it while he drove his old Corvair.
Thanks,
Bob23

[BruceW]

Agreed on the oxygen sensor; or CO detector, or whatever the heck it is. This is the process I recall my friend following:

It was one of the Coleman catalytic heaters. He shut up his CP 19 with it going and a friend's sensor; the sensor never went off.

Frankly, I think I'd turn the thing off like Brack does his, as soon as I get into the sleeping bag. No sense tempting fate, eh?

[skip1930]

CO2 poisoning ... your in a fire and your dragged out and 'saved'.
The EMT's toss an oxygen mask over your face and they dump you in a hospital.
Not being out of the woods yet ... you die. Why?
It's because the body 'takes so much more time to rid it' self of CO2 and replace that blood gas with oxygenated blood.

Simply put the exchange of blood gases is S-L-O-W.
Don't be gasses.

Shawn--> Thanks I never really had co and co2 squared away in my mind ... I guess it's kind-of, sort-of understood here. The '2' is what we blow on ambers to make fire. Since un like birds with two air sacs we humans are not very efficient. [the first air sac extrapolates oxygen and then this discharged air is sent to the second air sac to grab the last little bit of oxygen before being exhaled.]

skip.

[bobbar]

Welcome Bobbar!  We like to keep track of whom our boats select next in their sailing life.  Bill still hangs out here from time to time, it seems once a Com-Pac hook gets you, you always need a little bit of a fix.

TG

OBTW  Bob23 needs a little earnest money....

Thanks Tim and Bob! Yes I purchased "Pooka" and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made! I sometimes feel bad for Bill. I love this boat!
I'm currently at the Severn River Marina outside of Hayes Va. I had the boat shipped to oriental, nc and then came up the ICW to explorer the Chesapeake!

[Shawn]

Skip,
Almost... it is CO (carbon monoxide) that binds to your blood displacing the ability to carry O2 and is so hard to shed.

CO2 (carbon di-oxide) your body gets rid of easily. It us what you exhale. 

Shawn