HEATING ON YOUR BOAT. SANTA BARBARA, CA

January, 2020. Winter in Southern California is-to my Minnesota mind-amazing. Mostly sunny days in the 60’s, with perfect night time night temps in the 40’s. From November until April. Coming from the Minnesota tundra, this kind of “winter” is perfect.

My boat, built in 1981, does not have a built in heating and cooling system.  Which… makes  temperature management an art. Summers are easy. Days can be hot in July, August, September and early October, but a small room fan-plus open windows, can-with rare-very rare exception- make the boat comfortable for nighttime sleeping. No particular kind of weather lasts long, so it is easy to put up with any temporary discomfort. Plus our evening are always cool. Starting around 5:00 every day, temps start to drop when cooler ocean air starts moving from the water to inland. By the time bedtime rolls around, a light flannel sheet and blanket are all you need.

Winter is another story. Our boats rest in water, and winter water temps average 55 degrees. Most older boats have very little-if any-insulation, which adds to the cooling effect, especially in the staterooms which in many boats lie lower in the boat, closer to the ocean. 

Heating…. The first two winters on the boat were cold. Inside and outside. SB’s weather used to be-like everywhere in the world- more predictable. The first winter I lived on the Katahdin, my heat source was  three old crusty electric burners from the original 1981 stove. 5:00 am I would leap out of bed and turn them to hot/hot bright red and hop back into bed. To wait for the boat to warm up. A bit. Just a bit. The previous owner told me she did this for years when she lived on board. But I came to associate the nasty snap, crackle and pop of those three burners with some kind of disaster. Nothing ever happened, but using them as a heat source felt sketchy at best. So I replaced the stove burner method with other options.  First ceramic. Next a looking funny oil unit. None of these critters worked well. Though… the sleeping cat size $99.00, West Marine unit was the best of the bunch. In late  2019, after nasty bouts with first pneumonia, then, four months later bronchitis,  I broke down and bought a Dyson hot cool with a hepa filter. I needed help keeping the air clean. There is a lot of stuff in our air.  Sources:  Santa Ana winds, and November brought the 4,200 acre Painted Cave fire. Plus our generally desert dry and dusty climate, and… something in Cali is always burning.  Mr. Dyson’s Hot/Cool cost $400.00 plus some change. For another $300.00 more you can get a far fancier unit with a downloadable control app. My inexpensive (by comparison) unit does not have that phone option. The phone gizmo is for folks who want to turn on the heat or cool their boat BEFORE they arrive. And I don’t think I would use that feature. Though… I’d better hold my horses on that one. I can picture a hot day where it would be nice to have the fan on and the boat cooler than the Hades she can become on a truly toasty afternoon. With all windows closed. The decision to buy the less expensive unit was based on several factors: First, my needs: heat, cool and hepa filtration in one unit was essential. Storage space on a boat is tough to come by, and three separate units would take up much more room than one, and two, it cost less than the fancy dancy number.  It was a good choice for me, because of what I value and how I live.  I  enjoy having to be conscious, aware of my consumption habits.  And the Dyson unit is both visually pleasing  (the designer in me went oh, yes!), and moves air very nicely through some belly dancer swivels and shimmies, and has a tiny handheld thermostatic and movement control that is magnetized and rests on top of the unit. She is lovely. For both aesthetic and practical reasons. Plus my breathing seems to have improved, and the boat seems cleaner.

Over the past 18 months, in any remodeling project, I looked for ways to insulate, to make for more even interior temperatures. For example, installing 5/8” interlocking rubber flooring and carpet tiles in the main salon, former galley and aft stateroom helped insulate the floor and provide a barrier between the winter boat hull of 55 degrees and the boat interior. When the galley was removed, 1” rigid  insulation was glued to the outside walls and then an inexpensive carpet glued over that surface. It looks nice and just adding insulation to that small area has helped to keep both the Vee berth and nearby head more comfortable. The entry door has been weather stripped too, so though not pretty, it is sure at lot less drafty.

Other things that add heat. Open the oven door post cooking, and enjoy five minutes of warmth. Vee berth and head not occupied by guests. Close the doors, and and it’s like not heating an unused room in your home. Daytimes when out and about and not home til 5:00. Close up boat and capture the heat.  My stateroom. I read in bed a lot. Two layers of down blankets-with flannel duvet covers- is pretty darn close to the “heavy blanket” weight being touted to promote deep sleep. That magic blanket number -supposedly 10% of your body weight-can be found-in the two down blankets I sleep under. Plus, on cold nights I wear on old men’s cashmere sweater (Goodwill, $6.99) and a lightweight down jacket (Costco , $19.99), and a hat-if needed. For added warmth, a small electric (foot )heater-locate between blanket layers-set for 1 hour-will help send you to land of nod.

Not sure what else I can do to add to the boats heating and cooling, but will keep an open mind. And, look for ways to insulate whoever and where ever possible.