Life is Like Sailing - How I Heat My Sailboat - Newport Dickinson P9000 

Thank you!

Thank you and so glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you!

Thanks Martyn and great to hear you liveaboard in the PNW as well! Having a couple heating options is great and those little wood stoves look pretty cool! :)

Nice, I have heard of them being installed into tiny homes! :)

Yep...

I've heard good things about Webasto so nice to hear that from you! Thanks!

Glad you enjoyed this one and thank you for commenting on so many of the episodes. Devlin and I hope you are enjoying all the content. :)

Thank you and glad you enjoyed this one with a little more detail. :)

Oh yes this could help them with their research on heating systems. :) You have a good memory also for that old episode! Hopefully others like yourself will like the additional detail. :)

From reply I got from followtheboat, think they are leaning towards diesel sort of like mentioned here in this video he is thinking about getting to replace propane. But who knows, will wait and see what they end up doing.

Thanks for all that info Michael! Lots of options out there and this will be a next year project likely so I'll at least have time to do lots of research. :)

Planar should be one third of the cost of Webasto and Eberspächer. And spare parts are as cheap. And I also had a look at cubicminiwoodstoves.com.

I had the same issue with the Webasto..in Seattle...works great but needs complete overhaul after running for 2000 hours (which is 83 days). Cost to overhaul is 2000 so a buck an hour to run plus the cost of the diesel. Just got my Dickinson Diesel Bulkhead Heater fired up and works great...will know more after this winter...Best...

Nice to hear you are staying warm! You will be happy with insulating I'm sure. :)

Thank you so much for that feedback. I'll be sure to do lots of research and everyone's feedback helps a lot! :)

Yep...Webasto works great but complete overhaul at 2000 hours (83) days...costs 2000 bucks plus the cost of the diesel. I just put in a Dickinson Diesel Bulkhead Heater...works great...looks beautiful...cranks out the heat...will know more after this winter...Best...

If you're using the webasco at low heat a lot it will not work as great. Plus use good diesel I have one in my semi truck I turn it on full heat once a month in summer to make sure it's clean hope that help you :)

A great little unit for sure. Where are you located and what kind of temps do you experience?

SV. EL FARO thanks. .. would you change this heat type or any further details as compared to this propane option?

Same here...love it...!

Thank you and I agree that having two heating options on board is a good idea!

Just go my Dickinson Diesel Bulkhead Heater fired up...just in time...works great...!

Propane is not dangerous. Millions of houses are heated with it. Make good connections and you’re good. Radiant heat like you get out of this heater is by far the best. Heats you to the bone and is always radiating. Unlike a forced air setup that is constantly starting and stopping and the fuel pumps are really noisy. Radiant definitely the way to go in my opinion. Insulate the van. It’s won’t take much to improve it 100%

Thanks for all that info and Webasto isn't at the top of my list. :) For sure I'll be doing quite a bit more research before I make a final decision. This might be a next winter project. I do like the diesel Dickinson heaters! :)

Those Espar/Webasto systems definitely work for the short term.. Those systems though suffer from Carbon build up and fan/electrical failures after a period of time. I know you want something as a backup and don't want to replace the propane unit, but if you want reliability those ducted diesel heaters just won't do it. If you had 100 gallons of diesel fuel a standard Dickinson heater on low will heat for 90 days or so at roughly 6000 btus regardless of electricity availability. You won't get that out of the propane setup. My friend usually gets 1.5 to 9 days out of a roughly 2.3 gallon/11lb propane bottle depending on how cold it happens to be. Would you rather have a bulletproof diesel heater that never quits or a maintenance hog diesel ducted heater and a short term propane heater. I would just pull the propane heater, replace it with the sig-100 dickinson it is about the same size. The chimney piping probably will work the same for the diesel wall heater as it does for the propane unit. Also the Dickinson will work at around a 45 degree heel no problem on low. The wall mount diesel would likely only require a small pump and some fuel line to hook up. Some people opt for the header tank so that you don't have to listen to the pump click over every 20 minutes or so. You are also probably going to spend $500 more on an Espar /Webasto as you would on a sig-100. Then sell the propane unit on ebay(You could get 200-600 for it most likely US$). The cost of ownership over 10 or 15 years of the Dickinson diesel wall heaters is thousands less then the Espar/Webasto units. Not to mention the propane heater is many times more dangerous due to the potential for escaped gases in the cabin. Having your propane off while you are sleeping is a much better safety factor.

You are correct...I have a Webasto...they work great but complete overhaul at 2000 hours (83) days cost to overhaul is 2000 so a buck an hour plus the cost of diesel. I just put in a Dickinson Diesel Bulkhead Heater and so far works great...will know more after this winter...Best..

I have thought about adding a third sniffer in the bilge, good reminder for me on that. I do have a carbon monoxide detector that is on 24-7. I think I mentioned it in the video, but I can't remember for sure as I haven't watched this episode in a long time. :) ha

It sure is!!

Thank you and Oh yes, I have connected with them and I am excited to see what they install! Also super excited to meet them hopefully!! :)

Glad ou enjoyed it and I know that I would feel much better about leaving a diesel heater on overnight. :)

@@lifeislikesailing Dickinson advises not to leave unattended...for me this includes when I am sleeping...burns up oxygen inside the cabin and depending on wind and barometric conditions you may pull in CO...not to mention fire...

Thanks! I'll take a look at it. :)

It has a really low power draw so would work well at anchor with solar power

@@suepeck2772 I like the looks of the Wallas also, but not ready to give up our oven! If you're ok with just a stove top, the Wallas is a great way to get a heater and a stove in one unit.

@@suepeck2772 I like the looks of the Wallas also, but not ready to give up our oven! If you're ok with just a stove top, the Wallas is a great way to get a heater and a stove in one unit.

Sailing Callisto our Wallace heater is a complete separate unit from our propane stove and oven

Good idea! :)

Yep...I have two on my Dickinson Diesel Bulkhead Heater and they work great...no noise

Thank you and glad you enjoyed it. :)

I've heard goo things about Webasto and glad to hear your brother is happy with his. I would definitely have systems like that running on my house bank and not the starter batt. My house bank also has solar panels that help with charging them up during the day. :)

Thank you and glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for the info, but maybe I didn't describe it properly. The hot air blows out of the top and downward towards the floor on mine heater so I think it is correct. :) Thanks for double checking though. :)

Life is Like Sailing hi Alfy. I recall that when I turned the heater fan on the fan , which is just a 12 volt computer muffin fan located in the bottom of the heater blew a strong stream of warm air out the bottom of the heater. If I stuck my hand under the bottom of the heater I could feel the steam of warm air. My favourite spot was to sit on the settee with my feet under the heater fan vent to warm my toes. If you put your fan on high and feel warm air blowing out the top and front of the heater, imho the fan is backwards. Tom

I'll check it out to be sure, thanks :)

There are plenty of "silent" fan designs now available due to computer modding, so it would probably be quite simple to switch to a fan with quieter blade design and remove that noise source. A simple trawl of Amazon/eBay will turn up plenty of models, I've switched 3-4 out on household devices recently to great effect.

Thanks and I'll take a look! :)

Glad to hear you are enjoying the videos and I appreciate and enjoy constructive comments. I am certainly no expert on this topic, but was just going by what I had heard and by what seems to be happening on my boat. I keep a close eye on the humidity levels in the cabin and it seems to be easier to heat the cabin when the air is less humid. Not talking about 30% vs 90%, but more like 40% vs 70%. I guess because it just feels damper when the humidity is up that is doesn't feel warmer inside. Of course I am right on the water and in a colder climate so maybe that also has an impact. Well that is the best reply I could come up with, hard to explain things sometimes. ha I hope you'll check out some of the cruising episodes as they are my favourites, because I get to show everyone this amazing part of the world for cruising. Fair winds! :) Alfy

@@lifeislikesailing Thanks for the speedy reply. I was looking at live aboard on a trimaran when I was living in FL, but the boats I was able to afford needed too much work. A boat really is in many ways a hole in the water that you throw money into, lol, which is not a bad thing if you can afford it. You are living the dream, brother, but at least I can watch from the sidelines via your videos. Looking forward to the cruising videos. :)

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for that info and I'll be doing lots more research for sure! :)

I've heard of that one and some people I met here at my marina have it. They are very happy with it they said. I'll look into that one as an option. :)

instablaster.

Just got my Dickinson Diesel Bulkhead Heater fired up...works great...

Thanks and so glad you enjoyed this video and some of the others. :) The chimney was installed in the boat when I purchased it, but I believe you can get it through Dickinson as I think it is a Dickinson product. Good luck with the install! Alfy

So...not sure why you can't use the duel chimney propane chimney on the diesel heater but suspect it may have to do with too much heat, burn characteristics of the diesel heater versus the propane heater, and CO getting back into the cabin. I just put in a Dickinson Diesel Bulkhead Heater and followed instructions and works great...lots of heat, really nice look, and roasts me out. Best...

No ice in the harbour here and not really any ice on the west coast of Canada. :) I put the boat on the hard as needed for maintenance. Check out an episode I posted not too long ago called 'annual maintenance and upgrades'. :)

1/2 inch, I think I mentioned that a couple times in the video. ;)

I have been hearing for the others that maybe Webasto isn't the best unit to go with and it honestly wasn't at the top of my list. This will be a next year project likely so I'll have lots of time to research for sure! I like the Reflex heater for sure. :)

Kerosene is a fuel I have thought of for cooking once I leave Canada, but I hadn't thought of it for heat. I will look into that! Thanks for the suggestion. :)

When it's -37 outside and soon to be -37 inside, the power's out and your previously heated propane tanks are getting colder and will soon stop working cost doesn't matter. My kerosene heater is ready to save my life with only the flick of a match. What else are you going to do? Start burning the furniture? Edit: People freeze to death in Canada. I don't want to be one of them. Yes I've had to get clever a couple of times to avoid that. An ounce of prevention has intervened. Yes you have the diesel to fire up. I don't.

I don't know of any places that fill LPG here, but I think they have that more in the USA. I have heard that those heating systems keep the boat very warm, but yes a bit noisy.

Luckily it doesn't get that cold here. :)

Dickinson Diesel Heater...?

So glad you enjoy the channel! Do a Google search for 'Abarth' and that is the car I have. :)

The research I did on locations for the monitor said low, mid or high was fine as Carbon Monoxide was basically the same weight as air. At least that is what I found. :)

You're right but it does have a tendency to hang in the air similar to cigarette smoke and takes time to defuse to the rest of the air above and below. But It's fine for your use. Personally I can only handle 0 ppm.

I think 0 ppm is a good threshold to have! :)

Nice to hear you also have a C&C. If I had to access the hull/deck joint bolts it would just be a matter of cutting a small part of the cork and foam away. It could be easily re-glued back into the same spot I think. I can see most bolts and they came down further than the insulation so holes where cut into the foam and cork as I mounted it all. :)

Great. thanks. seeing your insulation install was helpful. I can see that the bolt stick down through the foam/cork.

Yes I insulated in nearly every place I could get to. I show little more detail of the insulating in this episode. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rrdoTmKjk6s.html

Thanks for the reply and link, Alfy. I just watched that video. I am adding insulating to my long project list.

Yes C&C sailboats are made in Canada, but not sure why they were not insulated on their original builds? Maybe because they are considered a racer/cruiser so always trying to keep the weight down. ha It wasn't hard to insulate the boat, just took my time to do it right. Lots of detailed cutting and fitting. ha

C&Cs were made in Ontario where we have two seasons. Frozen and summer. Boats go up on the hard in early October and launch in May. Not much call for heaters or insulation. People cruise when it’s warm only.

Great to have light in the darker areas! Here is the link. www.amazon.ca/Anywhere-Portable-Wireless-Activated-Rechargeable/dp/B06XQ39PMF/ref=sr_1_32?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1520918441&sr=1-32

I talk about it in this episode. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rrdoTmKjk6s.html

Thanks for the reminder

I used an adhesive to attach the foam to the hull. The wood is just the top finish.

Ah. It was a little confusing because here ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_IdnW15fnns.html ) it sounded like you put vertical planks against the hull, then foam, then horizontal planks.

The challenges of filming and editing. ha Hopefully cleared that up. :)

Nope. Just a little when I use the cooking stove.

I figured an updated video would be good as it seems that most people don't find the old one, but still ask me the questions about heating. haha But a few long time followers remember the old video so that is nice to know! :) I seriously thought about a stove/heater combination and even upgrading my heating system is something I haven't made a absolute final decision (since my plan is to sail south...way south) ha I really do like the stove/heater combos! :)

It seems to me that the Wallas would be a good way to go. Not only getting rid of propane altogether on the boat but also a heat source as well as cook top without the humidity and danger of propane. For baking you could use something like a Breville smart oven through an inverter or genset. Thoughts?

I'd like to not have any propane on the boat when I leave Canada eventually for the main reason of the ease of filling other fuel types. :) I'll need a larger boat for a genset! ha That is a long ways away still so I'll see what I can come up with or even see if it is on this boat. :)

A couple of deep cycle batteries and solar charger with an inverter would take care of the occasional use of a microwave and smart oven and do away with the need for propane if you go the route of a Wallas for heat and stovetop. And one less hole in the top of the boat. You have a great boat and much invested in it. Why knot (heehee) make it perfect? Edit: Propane scares the crap out of me on a boat. Next on the list of things to do away with is gas.Things to keep are bikinis.

Definitely lots to look into for those options! :) I do love this boat and a good chance I'll be keeping it long term so I'll just keep upgrading it as if that is the plan. :) Doing away with the propane will likely happen if I take the boat for the long distance cruising that I hope to do. Warmer climates will likely bring out bikinis I think. hah

I get some condensation on the metal frames on the hatches when it gets very cold, I plan on putting some foam tape on them to see if that helps. :)

So your hatches/skylights aren't made of glass? Or do you have two layers os glass in them? On mine there are more condensation on the glass then on the metal frames. really enjoy your videos by the way, have not missed a single one of them. :)

I think they are made of single layer tempered glass, but no condensations on the glass, just a little on the metal frames in the really cold temps. Really glad to hear you have seen all the videos!! :) Stay tuned for more!

Propane explodes, Diesel won't even burn unless it is atomized

haha