Navigator Stove Works (marine wood stoves)

[ssullivan]

I have to plug this guy on this site. He has been extremely helpful in planning out my installation of the "Little Cod" woodstove aboard my boat. Not only that, he is a very interesting guy who lived in Williamsburg in Brooklyn early on before it became so trendy.

Anyway, Andrew over at Navigator Stove Works is an interesting guy with some interesting stories. He is also a very helpful expert when it comes to figuring out if a Little Cod stove is right for you, and how to install one.

I just ordered mine today. He can arrange for the stove (he builds this), all of the stove pipe, the deck head, and all of the heat shielding.

I highly suggest calling him if you are in the market for a wood stove. He definintely deserves this plug.

This is the website:

http://www.marinestove.com/index.htm

[GordMay]

Remember to providing adequate outside combustion air within 24" of the stove.!!!
These are NOT "Direct Vent" or "SEaled Combustion" appliances.

[ssullivan]

GordMay once whispered in the wind:
Remember to providing adequate outside combustion air within 24" of the stove.!!!
These are NOT "Direct Vent" or "SEaled Combustion" appliances.

To anyone installing one of these:

Make sure you have a source of air as Gord suggests, adequate heat shielding, and remember to clean the chimney/pipe often. There is a very detailed manual on the stove at the website. Make sure to read it and understand it before you even order. It's not "plug and play." You have to do some construction and use your head with this one.

Install according to ABYC standards.

[By Invitation]

Just my .02

I wouldn't put a wood burning stove on any boat these days, I would however install a diesel fired heating stove - gots lots of diesel on board but only finished teak to burn - ouch!

Just curious, where are you planning on storing all this wood you plan to burn?

[ssullivan]

By Invitation once whispered in the wind:
Just my .02

I wouldn't put a wood burning stove on any boat these days, I would however install a diesel fired heating stove - gots lots of diesel on board but only finished teak to burn - ouch!

Just curious, where are you planning on storing all this wood you plan to burn?

Average price of diesel per gallon in New England today =$2.92.

Cost of diesel heater and installation = $3000 +/-

Also an ouch.

Instead, I spent $2000 (all-in, including heat shielding, etc...) and will never have to worry about dependency on fossil fuel and the whim of large corporations that control it. It's the same reason I sail instead of motor around. It's the same reason I didn't buy a powerboat. I am anti-oil. 20 years from now, any diesel heater would have long given up the ghost. I'll still be using my same $2000 investment while others pay $4000 (with inflation) for a new diesel heater after theirs breaks. This doesn't even include hundreds of gallons of diesel to run the thing at thousands more dollars.

These are the logical reasons.

Answering the question: The wood will be stored in the cockpit this season. I anticipate being able to store about 2 weeks' worth there. Every 2 weeks, I'll go out and gather/cut/buy more. We won't be wintering over every year, so we will really only need to use the stove in late fall and early spring for those chilly times. This doesn't require a huge amount of wood, compartively, and I have plenty of room in various places to put it (45' LOA x 13'8" Beam). Plus... you can have some fun looking around for seasoned wood on nearby shores to make your current wood stash last a little longer.

I think this is only practical for me because I have given up on being a member of corporate America. I decided to trade in hours sitting at a desk for hours cutting and stacking wood, making bread, working on the boat, etc...

It may not be practical for everyone, but if you are on a limited budget, and want some exercise, this is a great way to heat your boat.

I'll post some photos when it's done.

[GordMay]

Another alternative is to sail South, young man , for a climate obliging a heating appliance is not fit for a gentleman. (my apologies to Horace Greeley)

Gord

[ssullivan]

GordMay once whispered in the wind:
Another alternative is to sail South, young man , for a climate obliging a heating appliance is not fit for a gentleman. (my apologies to Horace Greeley)

Gord

Now THAT'S the simple answer.

Only wish I could do that this year. Have to wait one year, unfortunatley. ha ha ha

[By Invitation]

I understand your point and that is fine. I would like to point out that diesel heaters don't cost near what you are quoting to purchase or run, are extremelly efficient, reliable and safe. I have been sailing for 40 years, most of the boats I have owned don't even have a motor or fuel on board.

I hope everything works out for you. I'll stick with my heater.

[Jentine]

If you only need heat for one year, an inexpensive propane space heater is a more reasonable alternative.

[ssullivan]

By Invitation once whispered in the wind:
I understand your point and that is fine. I would like to point out that diesel heaters don't cost near what you are quoting to purchase or run, are extremelly efficient, reliable and safe. I have been sailing for 40 years, most of the boats I have owned don't even have a motor or fuel on board.

I hope everything works out for you. I'll stick with my heater.

Ok... didn't mean to offend, so apologies if I did. I was just trying to get across my justification for not going with the mainstream diesel heating solution. I didn't mean to imply that you were some kind of powerboater... I would never dish out such an insult (ha ha ha), especialy since we have been participating on this board together for some time.

Diesel is great for people who like the convenience and don't mind paying $3 a gallon for heating fuel and more than $2000 for the unit itself. (at least these are the costs I looked at for my 45 LOA x 13'8" beam boat)

But.... to each their own. I'm a "wood guy" I guess... I'm also a "Macintosh" computer guy, so go figure. It's a wonder I'm not heating with solar... ha ha ha

[ssullivan]

Jentine once whispered in the wind:
If you only need heat for one year, an inexpensive propane space heater is a more reasonable alternative.

I did look at this alternative too... I don't have any propane on the boat now (stove is alcohol), so I would have had to install quite a system to get that one up and running. Definitely more than $2000 worth of stuff.

Sean, again we agree. I plan to order a Little Cod this year as well. I have the Dickensen on my old wood boat, and love it. Every anchorage I have ever been in (no tropical as of yet), has had driftwood I could scavange. Makes for a fun trip to row in and grab wood on the beach. The ambiance of a wood stove is also something that can not be matched. A cold night in the cabin in the Pacific Northwest sipping Port by a fire is the stuff memories are made of.

[Jentine]

Sean, You may become an itenerant beach coamer just to stay warm. In case you haven't checked on the price of wood lately, you may be surprised to find that the prices are quite high. Also, with the recent rise in the price of oil, the competition for the available free wood will be more keen.
There are non vented propane heaters available for space heating such as http://www.noventgas.com/index.htm.
Much more practical than wood unless you work in a woodworking shop and get the fuel for free.
Jim

Works for me, Jim, you talk him out of it, and I will buy his used stove for my boat
In all seriousness, you can buy a bundle of wood at the local grocery for $5.00. I get about a week in the Dickensen with that, cutting it with pruning saw into 3" lengths, and brning it at night about 4-6 hours per night. As this is not my live aboard, we usually only spend about a week at a time on this boat. I have done the driftwood thing, and it usualy turns into a bonfire on the beach with a few logs taken back to the boat to take the chill off. I had a Taylors Parafin stove on our other wood boat, and it was such a pain to light, I rarely used it. Even with the vent, we still smelled the fumes, and that was annoying. We had a Force10 propane stove, but at a gallon per day if run full time, it got REALLY expensive, and did not produce enough BTU's for our40 footer. I "reinstalled" it in our storage, ready for the next swap meet.

[ssullivan]

Kai Nui once whispered in the wind:
Works for me, Jim, you talk him out of it, and I will buy his used stove for my boat
In all seriousness, you can buy a bundle of wood at the local grocery for $5.00. I get about a week in the Dickensen with that, cutting it with pruning saw into 3" lengths, and brning it at night about 4-6 hours per night. As this is not my live aboard, we usually only spend about a week at a time on this boat. I have done the driftwood thing, and it usualy turns into a bonfire on the beach with a few logs taken back to the boat to take the chill off. I had a Taylors Parafin stove on our other wood boat, and it was such a pain to light, I rarely used it. Even with the vent, we still smelled the fumes, and that was annoying. We had a Force10 propane stove, but at a gallon per day if run full time, it got REALLY expensive, and did not produce enough BTU's for our40 footer. I "reinstalled" it in our storage, ready for the next swap meet.

Kai Nui:

Thanks for piping in here. I thought i was the only one crazy enough to be very excited about my new stove. The Little Cod looks to be the best thing on the market at this time, since the non-marine stoves just don't cut it (for many reasons I won't get into here yet). I completely agree about the ambiance of a wood stove as well. It's amazing how different the heat feels. I guess I am looking forward to that too. Unfortunately, nobody's talking me out of this one. I've already ordered it and it's on its way. I'll let you know how it turns out, and how the burn rate is in case you are interested.

Jentine:

Agreed about the wood prices, but I don't pay for wood. I can get seasoned hardwood for free just about anywhere in the North East. This is a secret I'm not sure I can give out yet, since the wife will kill me. If you are creative, aside from drift wood, you can easily find "excess" wood if you talk to the right people.