Heater for a GB 36

[Caballero II]

Port side aft cabin, loose part of the single bunk

So, did you remove the port side bunk and furniture to place the stove on the floor? Or did you place the stove on the flat of the bunk, mattress removed I assume. Chimney (Charlie Noble) up through the house top right there? Does that heat rise and spread well enough to heat the saloon amidships?

Sounds cozy, but does away with a significant storage area for us. Yet, sounds very functional. We always ask for pictures, as they make it so much easier to understand, but understand if it's too much hassle.

Thanks for contributing this.

 

[FF]

The Paul Luke soapstone are the RR of boat gear.

P. E. Luke. Full Service Boatyard, Boothbay, Maine. - Boat ...

www.peluke.com

pe-luke-lift. Overlays. Previous Next Previous Next. Paul E. Luke's is a family run, full-service boatyard with 75 years of history and a worldwide reputation for craftsmanship. We are located on beautiful Linekin Bay, just around the point from Boothbay Harbor.

 

[Endeavor GB 32]

GB heat return air

Caballero,
If you install forced air heat on your 36, with the furnace in the engine room, no return air ducting is required. It could be done, however it would cause a buildup of humidity which would cause condensation problems. Ideally you want the furnace to intake outside air (provided by the engine room air intakes) which being colder contains less moisture, and heat it and provide it to the cabins. Our boats are not air sealed and it will find its way out. I believe that if you prowl around the Sure Marine Service website that there are some decent diagrams that show the general concept. The ducting is small and can be run through the various voids and spaces without problems. Well, providing that you're a dwarf with extra joints and x-ray vision... but that applies to ALL boat projects!
Regards,
Scott

 

[Caballero II]

The Paul Luke soapstone are the RR of boat gear.

P. E. Luke. Full Service Boatyard, Boothbay, Maine. - Boat ...

www.peluke.com

pe-luke-lift. Overlays. Previous Next Previous Next. Paul E. Luke's is a family run, full-service boatyard with 75 years of history and a worldwide reputation for craftsmanship. We are located on beautiful Linekin Bay, just around the point from Boothbay Harbor.

Of course I know about the Paul Luke boatyard. Being a wooden boat nut, I have admired them for many years. I always wanted one of their anchors. I remember something about a soap stone stove, but didn't find it on the link you sent. It wouldn't work for me, I don't think, but I'd love to see it anyway. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[Caballero II]

Caballero,
If you install forced air heat on your 36, with the furnace in the engine room, no return air ducting is required. It could be done, however it would cause a buildup of humidity which would cause condensation problems. Ideally you want the furnace to intake outside air (provided by the engine room air intakes) which being colder contains less moisture, and heat it and provide it to the cabins. Our boats are not air sealed and it will find its way out. I believe that if you prowl around the Sure Marine Service website that there are some decent diagrams that show the general concept. The ducting is small and can be run through the various voids and spaces without problems. Well, providing that you're a dwarf with extra joints and x-ray vision... but that applies to ALL boat projects!
Regards,
Scott

So far, I have come to the same conclusions. The well vented ER will provide plenty of fresh air, so I am not too worried about fresh air input. I believe I can make this as simply as possible by running the heating ducts fore and aft from the centrally located ER to the for and aft stairwell into the cabins. I am now figuring out where to station the heating unit (maybe a Sebasto AT 5500 from Sure Marine), and thinking about how I can minimize noise that might transmit down the ducts. They have sent me an installation pdf which has helped immensely with planning. I think the hardest part will accessing diesel and cutting the holes for the heater hoses. I may have to make an access portal to the top of my 1/8" ss fuel tank.

I am far from a dwarf, and at 70, I cannot tunnel around like I used to, by a long ways.

 

[Wildbill]

We've got a Hatteras 42 LRC, that's new to us. She originally came with a Hurricane hydronic heater that the previous owner removed but left all the remaining hardware including filters and fuel pump connected to the main fuel tanks. Since we're Maine bound (present home state) in 2022, and Loop bound in 2023 I figure we'll need a heater so I'm trying to get a replacement new updated Hurricane installed. Have talked with Wayne at Zimmerman marine a couple times with promises to contact ITR and get back to me, the marina next door to where the boat is stored is a Zimmerman Marina but wondering if there are any other Hurricane dealers on the East coast....Not feeling fuzzy about there desire to sell or install.

 

[Jeff F]

We've got a Hatteras 42 LRC, that's new to us. She originally came with a Hurricane hydronic heater that the previous owner removed but left all the remaining hardware including filters and fuel pump connected to the main fuel tanks. Since we're Maine bound (present home state) in 2022, and Loop bound in 2023 I figure we'll need a heater so I'm trying to get a replacement new updated Hurricane installed. Have talked with Wayne at Zimmerman marine a couple times with promises to contact ITR and get back to me, the marina next door to where the boat is stored is a Zimmerman Marina but wondering if there are any other Hurricane dealers on the East coast....Not feeling fuzzy about there desire to sell or install.

You might call ITR directly. I think their main focus is RVs these days... Marcello the sales manager there should be able and willing to help.

https://itrheat.com

 

[SteveK]

On most if not all vehicles the heater has an outside air and a recirculation air setting. in the winter I switch to recirc.

On a boat if it is cold enough to turn on the heat I will recirculate the inside air before I heat outside air continuously.

 

[Lepke]

Webasto parts can be found on ebay for less than dealers prices.


Any heating system on a boat needs to change the cabin air. Unless you seriously vent cooking and shower moisture your windows will always be wet, drip, and will rot any wood trim. Electric heat just reheats the same moist air. Your clothing, cushions, and clothes will feel damp.
I have a Webasto hydronic system, but with forced air units instead of radiators. I can go from a cold boat to comfortable in about 20 minutes. With the old radiators, it took 4 hours. I also cook on a diesel stove in the winter. MY current interior humidity is 33%, outside is 78%.
In mild weather, instead of the hydronic, I use a couple Chinese air heaters on opposite ends of the main cabin/salon. If I had a small boat, that's what I'd install.

 

[Caballero II]

Webasto parts can be found on ebay for less than dealers prices.


Any heating system on a boat needs to change the cabin air. Unless you seriously vent cooking and shower moisture your windows will always be wet, drip, and will rot any wood trim. Electric heat just reheats the same moist air. Your clothing, cushions, and clothes will feel damp.
I have a Webasto hydronic system, but with forced air units instead of radiators. I can go from a cold boat to comfortable in about 20 minutes. With the old radiators, it took 4 hours. I also cook on a diesel stove in the winter. MY current interior humidity is 33%, outside is 78%.
In mild weather, instead of the hydronic, I use a couple Chinese air heaters on opposite ends of the main cabin/salon. If I had a small boat, that's what I'd install.

Thanks Lepke. Good stuff. It think I am narrowing it down. Good thing we don't really have much humidity here in SoCal, so I'm thinking that won't be much of a problem. And ER air is all from outside. Not recirculating anything.

 

[SteveK]

Lepke, we finally do not agree, bound to happen sooner or later. My humidity is around 45, an acceptable level with recirculation.
ETA: Correction, it is 46 right now.

 

[Slowmo]

I suspect others have said the same as I will say but here goes. Our 40' Tollycraft has a similar layout to the GB. Our Espar is mounted on the forward bulkhead of the engine room which keeps things quiet. The air inlet is drawn from one of the engine room vents and the furnace exhaust is on the opposite side. There is a short duct run up to under the salon settee where an outlet heats the salon. There's a main duct running in the engine room back to the aft cabin and a short one to the forward cabin and head. When the ducting leaves the engine room it runs through the bottom of cabinets so is pretty much out of the way. Ours will keep the boat comfortable in any temperature we've experienced (down to 20F).

Running water lines for hydronic would be simpler but then each cabin needs its own heat exchanger and fan assembly. So in some respect you're just trading one complication for another. But I surely recommend cabin heat. Nothing better in the morning that flipping on the heat and 10 minutes later the cabin is warm.

 

[rgano]

Caballero, I had pretty much the opposite situation here in PC when I brought the GB42 I owned here from San Diego. It had zero air conditioning of any sort, and life aboard in the summer was untenable until the AC problem was resolved. Even two 16,000 BTU reverse cycle units was not sufficient until the vinyl overheads were pulled down (revealing NO insulation) in all three compartments to insert an inch and a half of foam insulation, reflective white canvas snapped outside the large windows for summer, and insulating foam panels fitted to those windows in winter and sometimes in summer too. So be sure to address the insulation issues too.

 

[Caballero II]

I suspect others have said the same as I will say but here goes. Our 40' Tollycraft has a similar layout to the GB. Our Espar is mounted on the forward bulkhead of the engine room which keeps things quiet. The air inlet is drawn from one of the engine room vents and the furnace exhaust is on the opposite side. There is a short duct run up to under the salon settee where an outlet heats the salon. There's a main duct running in the engine room back to the aft cabin and a short one to the forward cabin and head. When the ducting leaves the engine room it runs through the bottom of cabinets so is pretty much out of the way. Ours will keep the boat comfortable in any temperature we've experienced (down to 20F).

Running water lines for hydronic would be simpler but then each cabin needs its own heat exchanger and fan assembly. So in some respect you're just trading one complication for another. But I surely recommend cabin heat. Nothing better in the morning that flipping on the heat and 10 minutes later the cabin is warm.

Slowmo,

It sounds like you have mounted your Espar in an athwartship orientation, rather than fore-and-aft. Has that led to any operational problems? It would be an easier orientation for me to mount as well, but I was avoiding that in order to mount the unit fore-and-aft as recommended in the installation instructions.

I agree with you about trading space occupying problems with hydronic heating installation, at least in my boat.

Thanks..