Coal in Norfolk, VA

[Hudson Force]

There's another factor to consider here. I had a wood burning stove on another boat, but with little use in my North Florida home port. In the small space there's little room for a long stove pipe and much heat moves up and out the "Charlie Noble". There's a need to be very careful with the heat transfered to the deck area around this effluent. My solution was to have a water jacket welded around the pipe at the deck and a tap to draw away hot water with more cold water added.

I had the benefit of a hot waterr source with my warmed cabin, but coal burns even hotter. On a small boat more attention is needed to protect the deck above the stove.

[robert644]

https://www.toyotomiusa.com/factoryO...product_id=173

[jdham137]

Old Snipe,
I'm at the Little Creek amphib marina.
John

[jdham137]

Dory boater,
No, I don't have a coal grate though I could fab one up in an afternoon. I was actually worried about the firebox being too large for such a small cabin.
John

[jdham137]

Everyone else ;-),
I chose to go with a solid fuel stove because this is the boat I'll one day use to circumnavigate. I'll be spending a lot of time in northern climes and want serious flexibility with my fuel sources; scrap wood, diftwood, charcoal, coal, etc. I don't have an internal combustion engine on board (converted to electric with an Electric Yacht kit) so I can't just tap into whatever fuel I have on board. At some point I might install a diesel cooking stove but for now I'm keeping the alcohol stove till I use up my two 5-gallon jugs of alcohol. The solid fuel stove I built will be removeable so I can take it off in the summer.

John

[Steve W]

Are there any coal-burning power plants close by? They might work something out with you.

[alma libre]

I share the same concern as Hudson Force...heat transfer where chimney exits the boat, I heat with wood in N. Ontario and have had only one experience with anthracite...45 years ago when I was 12...family week long winter vacation to old rustic cabin...-40 degrees at night...I was responsible to fire with wood in daytime...old cookstove ...responsible to have 3-4 inches of hot embers in stove at 10:30 pm when dad and uncle took over adding anthracite for night. I was told the need for embers was to ignite the anthracite uniformly to burn off all of the coal gas (poisonous) and then damper the coal down for the night. I also have concerns in lighting the paper bag to ignite the anthracite, from this experience. Some one with more experience than I, please weigh in. That coal burns really hot, I think that for you boat, your other mentioned fuel sources will probably suffice. have a great time!

[Cheechako]

I would think coal would leave a mess on the boat deck and possibly the sails... as well as inside transporting it and cleaning out the heater...?

[Zai]

I would recomend to look into spontaneous combustion, with regards to moisture. Could be problematic in a marine environment.

[Steve_T]

I would be interested in hearing how you made out with that small stove last winter. I have experimented with using anthracite in my garage stove, and find that I need a pretty good wood fire first in order to get the coal burning. Although the fuel itself can be dusty, it is clean burning and high energy, which is why it was the fuel of choice for home heating.

[mikemenza]

the optimum coal bed is 4 to 6 inches deep and requires grate, under and over air adjustment as well as stovepipe draft damper.. (assuming natural draft) a run away coal fire will cause the heater and the stove pipe to glow a nice red... coal gas is smelly and noxious.. coal gas kills.. coal no matter how clean makes alot of ash...

You can light coal with Matchlight charcoal..

40 year hvac tech..

[Steve_T]

@ Mike - by clean I mean virtually no visible smoke or creosote. Anthracite is better than wood in that regard, and not to be confused with soft coal.

Your comments on proper set up for combustion are well taken.

Breathing the exhaust from any fuel containing carbon is liable to shorten your life, and the smoke from any coal or charcoal fire is particularly high in carbon monoxide. Preventing flue draft reversal is critical for safety in anything but a sealed or "direct vent" combustion system. Trickier than it sounds when the fire dies down.

A carbon monoxide detector is a must in my opinion, especially in something that seals up as tight as a sailboat. They are required by law in all houses where I live, unless there are no combustion appliances present at all.

[jdham137]

Steve,
I never followed through with it. I built the stove but it was getting so late in the year that I never installed it. I still have it in my garage, unused, but ready to be installed as I now start to prep my boat for a decade-from-now round the world trip. I still plan on sticking with a solid fuel stove but my experiment is on hold. I'm also considering cutting the welds and making it even smaller than it is now. I'm afraid I might roast myself out of my, what will be, a very well insulated boat. I'd also like to redesign it to pull in the combustion air from outside instead of just drawing in ambient air. Not sure yet how I'll pull that off but I have plenty of time to figure it out.
John

[Lepke]

Before my pellet stove I used coal to augment overnight wood fires in a parlor stove. I would add a couple big chunks that made the night fire hotter. However, unless you're getting free wood or electricity, pellets are the way to go. Hauling coal is a dirty job and it makes lots of soot and ash.
Nothing I have found pencils out as cheap as pellets.