Winter in Port Townsend

[TrentePieds]

Thanx, Gord :-)!

I just had a grumble on another thread about inadequate gear being flogged to yotties. I hope others will take the time to read that bit about Peltier dehums in the "Secret Scotland" thing. It speaks to what I call "selling into a market of ignorance", that being the very essence of successful marketing!

An old, old "roll-yer-own" heater for small boats is to mount a socket for an old-fashioned 60W incandescent bulb on a piece of plywood. From a bit of thinnish tin sheet, fashion a cone - a funnel - that you pop over the bulb, apex upwards. Leave a 2" hole at the apex and a 1" gap where the rim meets the plywood (fasten it with tabs, of course), plug 'er in and - presto - you have a heater perfectly capable of keeping your little cabin warm.

Doesn't solve the condensation problem, of course. That's best done with plenty of ventilation and an extra sweater. Except in Onta-ri-o, maybe :-)

Cheers

TP

[1Sunseeker]

This is all good info on living through the Winter. A bit off topic but this Winter for the first Winter in it's life, my boat will be on the hard. I will be 40 degrees South living in my RV. Skyline Marina in Anacortes @ $160. a month will be about $200. a month cheaper than it's normal slip. I keep as much ventilation as possible and I am looking for a 12V fan plugged into cig. lighter to keep air moving. When the weather gets colder like in Nov. I have an AC heater that will kick on and my trouble light on the engine. 1 gal antifreeze in the potable water tank, which is mostly drained. 100 watts of solar to keep batteries topped off. And I will pray a lot.

I did live on my boat one Winter in Port Angles a few hours West of P.T. I had two heat lamps and two electric heater's on all the time and damn near froze. Hopefully you have a good sleeping bag built for two and can find a good little live two legged heater to share it with you. Good luck.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by 1Sunseeker

This is all good info on living through the Winter. A bit off topic but this Winter for the first Winter in it's life, my boat will be on the hard. I will be 40 degrees South living in my RV. Skyline Marina in Anacortes @ $160. a month will be about $200. a month cheaper than it's normal slip. I keep as much ventilation as possible and I am looking for a 12V fan plugged into cig. lighter to keep air moving. When the weather gets colder like in Nov. I have an AC heater that will kick on and my trouble light on the engine. 1 gal antifreeze in the potable water tank, which is mostly drained. 100 watts of solar to keep batteries topped off. And I will pray a lot.

Doing pretty much the same but over a thousand miles due north of you. I put a little more antifreeze in the water tank and pumped it through the system just to be safe.

[a64pilot]

To keep your engine from freezing, place a decent drop light in the engine room and leave it on, even a 60W bulb or smaller puts off an amazing amount of heat, and you could likely use a good drop light anyway.
I’d go with an all metal one, and there believe it or not are rough service bulbs, then can take a little shock, where a regular bulbs filament will bust just about everytime you drop, the drop light.
When you run the engine at the dock, do so in gear at a low cruise RPM, just running it in neutral won’t let it heat up and many people will tell you that does more harm that just not starting it does.

[1Sunseeker]

Good idea about pumping anti freeze through system. I never thought of that and will take care of it this week. Now it seems the rains have started after a very dry Summer. Time to load up and head out.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by 1Sunseeker

Good idea about pumping anti freeze through system. I never thought of that and will take care of it this week. Now it seems the rains have started after a very dry Summer. Time to load up and head out.

Make sure it's "safe" antifreeze, not the elthylene glycol! I bought a boat in Annapolis that was winterized this way with the safe stuff. Common out there. But man it took forever to get it all out of the system. I never did like drinking out of that system. There are ways to drain your entire system so it's empty. Face it, with the anti freeze in there, you are going to have to drain the system in the spring anyway! .... and flush.... and drain, and....

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

To keep your engine from freezing, place a decent drop light in the engine room and leave it on, even a 60W bulb or smaller puts off an amazing amount of heat, and you could likely use a good drop light anyway.
I’d go with an all metal one, and there believe it or not are rough service bulbs, then can take a little shock, where a regular bulbs filament will bust just about everytime you drop, the drop light.
When you run the engine at the dock, do so in gear at a low cruise RPM, just running it in neutral won’t let it heat up and many people will tell you that does more harm that just not starting it does.

Yes, I've used a 100watt many times, and enclosed in an engine room do well. My opinion is to buy one of the little heating devices, equivalent to a 100 w bulb. They dont burn out. My last boat was in my driveway for the winter. I bought heavy duty bulbs but found them burned out twice in one winter.