Dickinson solid fuel stove or propane

[goboatingnow]

Gas heaters in Europe must be room sealed.

[JoetheCobbler]

I've used a solid fuel heater for 10+ years along the east coast USA from NY to Florida.
I built it out of steel plate and stainless flu and pipe.
It's fashioned after the Dickinson solid fuel, but much heavier Guage steel plate for the firebox.
It has a stainless framed door with glass and a cast iron grate in the bottom of the firebox and stainless steel ash drawer for disposing ash.
I just removed and maintenance and cleaned it up yesterday and reinstalled it.
I'm in upstate NY this winter and will be in the water for the season and the heater will be an inducement to spend More time aboard during the cold weather.
The wood burning is dirty and labor intensive, but the price and availability cannot be beat !

[Oeanda]

Originally Posted by blu3534

Would you mind to ask the neighbors for a bit more details? Tiny is expected but otherwise (from videos/blogs) I thought that it would be rather good.

He got back to me to say;

“I like the design…but its too small.
Kind of expensive, though i guess not crazy. Low grade (rolled?) steel. Rusts easy.
It would be a good stove for a mini van or something. 3” pipe needs very frequent cleaning“

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Huh? Propane is easily found up and down the BC (British Columbia) coast.

It’s available in most towns but as you know the towns are pretty scattered sometimes. Propane often isn’t available within walking distance of docks. Where I am you need a vehicle to transport your tanks a ten minute drive from the harbour over to Skidegate to fill. Not very convenient for a visiting boat. I’m not sure how excited most taxi drivers would be about it but here they’d probably oblige. Heaters really guzzle the stuff so I assume it’d mean fairly frequent town visits while you’re travelling.

Meanwhile diesel is available right at your boat in most towns, and the beaches here are covered in endless amounts of firewood.

I’m sure it’s true that wood and diesel burn dirtier than propane. But that’s only taking into account the last stage of the journey. Just stating the obvious- but there’s always a backstory.

With diesel it’s spills (inevitable along the path), depletion of your fuel tanks, stench, soot and blackened everything, many hours spent on forum research trying to figure out why your new $tove runs so crappy, enchanted evenings spent freezing and grovelling by the unlit fireplace pissing around with fiddly fuel-coated parts, luxury diesel skin care and that sexy scent, and so much more.


With propane it’s rusty tanks, smell, solenoid issues, leaks, gas detectors, renting car$ to lug heavy stinky propane tanks around in exotic new places, captivating conversations with local mouth-breathing attendants amidst clouds of mercaptan. asphyxiation, explosions, death, etc.

With anything there’s the all-important backstory of the pollution you caused along the way while earning the money required to buy pricey stoves, tanks, equipment, a lifetime supply of fuel, and transport thereof.

In my situation any half decent woodstove and the occasional trip to the beach to gather some wood would definitely be the path of least destruction. Then at least we could dry our clothes and get warm during the never-ending rains, while over there the west coast of North America goes up in smoke and flames from massive forest fires every summer...

[goboatingnow]

Round here the beaches don’t have drift wood , or if they do you need a chain saw. I burn wood to heat my house It’s an incredibly labour intensive task and only justified cause I’m a cheap skate

[bensolomon]

I use an alcohol heater when I sail in the winter. I also clothe up. When I sleep I have flannel pajamas, and a thermal undershirt with a wool base layer shirt and fluffy socks. I am hot during the night I don't leave the heater running while sleeping. Got up yesterday and it was 40 degrees F(4.4 C), fired up the alcohol heater and made breakfast. The cabin was 64 F (17 C) and it was comfortable when I sat down to eat.

Alcohol is a more expensive fuel source, but I use grain alcohol and it burns clean, with very little condensation. Probably not a great solution to living aboard at anchor, but for two weeks or so, has worked fine.

The other thing to do is add carbohydrates to the diet in the cold, when sleeping. Rice, potatoes, and to a lesser extent, pasta. Dietary thermogenesis will increase and help keep you warm. My last meal of the day is high in carbs so I burn at night.

I know it is slightly off the heater appliance topic, but I have been successful winter sailing here in the Northeast US using the above tactics.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Oeanda

It’s available in most towns but as you know the towns are pretty scattered sometimes. Propane often isn’t available within walking distance of docks. Where I am you need a vehicle to transport your tanks a ten minute drive from the harbour over to Skidegate to fill. Not very convenient for a visiting boat. I’m not sure how excited most taxi drivers would be about it but here they’d probably oblige. Heaters really guzzle the stuff so I assume it’d mean fairly frequent town visits while you’re travelling.

...

No argument here. But propane IS "available" frequently enough along the BC coast, unless perhaps one relies on only one 5-10 lb bottle.

Skidegate, yes. I headed there once from QCC docks with empty bottle. Was immediately given a ride (without even trying to hitchhike) to the COOP in Skidegate. And a ride back.

Island folk!

[Oeanda]

Oh yes definitely available and widely used for cooking with. And if we see people wandering around in the streets with propane tanks we will probably stop to help

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Gas heaters in Europe must be room sealed.

Just to keep on topic about the Dickinson heaters, they are room sealed. Or what we call direct vent in the states. That is, the air for combustion comes from outside the boat. There is no exchange of inside and outside air.

It uses a double wall chimney to draw air down the chimney and release combustion gases up the chimney at the same time.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Just to keep on topic about the Dickinson heaters, they are room sealed. Or what we call direct vent in the states. That is, the air for combustion comes from outside the boat. There is no exchange of inside and outside air.

It uses a double wall chimney to draw air down the chimney and release combustion gases up the chimney at the same time.

I'm sure they exist, but I have never seen this in Canada on boats with Dickinson diesel heaters (including Pelagia). I expect you are referring specifically to Dickinson propane heaters.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

I'm sure they exist, but I have never seen this in Canada on boats with Dickinson diesel heaters (including Pelagia). I expect you are referring specifically to Dickinson propane heaters.

The exact heater is the Dickinson Newport. Yes, it is the propane heater.

Goboatingnow mentioned the law in Europe as it pertains to gas heaters. So that’s the one I’m talking about.

http://dickinsonmarine.com/product/n...p12000-heater/

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Just to keep on topic about the Dickinson heaters, they are room sealed. Or what we call direct vent in the states. That is, the air for combustion comes from outside the boat. There is no exchange of inside and outside air.

It uses a double wall chimney to draw air down the chimney and release combustion gases up the chimney at the same time.

Problem with these is they do nothing to reduce the humidity inside the boat and actually help increase relative humidity inside. Drawing combustion air from the cabin and exhausting out the flue greatly reduces the humidity inside the cabin. As long as makeup air is maintained there is little chance of asphyxiation.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by rbk

As long as makeup air is maintained there is little chance of asphyxiation.

And thats why they do not meet ABYC Standards. If your next insurance survey, surveyor is smart enough to catch it you will be denied insurance.

[JoetheCobbler]

Ah Yes,the mysterious ABYC standards - that are unpublished.
Perhaps if they were, people could study them and decide to their merits.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

And thats why they do not meet ABYC Standards. If your next insurance survey, surveyor is smart enough to catch it you will be denied insurance.

Nope and nope. Lots of things on lots of boats aren’t ABYC compliant and are fully insured and have been paid out claims. Lots of boats and products are not even manufactured to those standards and you yourself have pointed out many, many times. Unless you made your cabin take tight there is plenty of air leakage to make up for combustion of a marine heater.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

And thats why they do not meet ABYC Standards. If your next insurance survey, surveyor is smart enough to catch it you will be denied insurance.

So everyone with the ubiquitous Newport diesel heater is in violation. That's a lot of boats!