Tue Feb 22 18:39:49 EST 2011
The heating system on Issuma consists of two drip-pot diesel heaters. The pilothouse is heated by a Dickinson Lofoten heater, which is also used for cooking (though most cooking is done by a gas stove/oven). The forward part of the boat is heated by a Dickinson Alaska heater (see previous blog entry).
Fuel for the heaters is gravity-fed from the daytank, through a fuel
filter/water separator. The drip-pot diesel heaters will not run if there is water in the fuel. A little water in the fuel will result in it boiling loudly as it enters the combustion chamber, and the heater might stay running, but with a lot of water in the fuel, the flame will go out, and the regulator needs to have the water removed from it (there are no drain plugs, so the way I've done this is to suck it out with a copper tube).
Between these two heaters, the inside temperature can be about 25 degrees C higher than the outside temperature, or about 20 degrees higher if it is windy.
This works well down to about -10C/14F (and not so well at -20C/-4F).
Previously, a wood stove was used. This put out a decent amount of heat, but had to be tended every hour or two, so, over the course of 24 hours, didn't put out as much heat as a diesel heater did. The wood stove was more suitable for heating when there are several people aboard, to share the task of tending the stove.
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Comments [5]
The Sigmar 120 heater I used earlier had the ability to draw air from outside, but I never configured it that way. I ran that heater both in the location up forward and in the pilothouse, and it worked well in both places, but just wasn't big enough for heating in winter. The balanced air intake pipe that heater had on the bottom did pull quite a bit of moist air out of the bilge, and was a nice feature.
When I replaced the Sigmar 120 with the Lofoten, I tried installing the Sigmar in the bedroom, for use as a third heater for when it was really cold. I used an existing vent hole in the centerboard trunk for the chimney, which involved two 90 degree turns, and the draft never worked out. It would work if I put the chimney thru the deck, but it was a temporary install for use in -15 to -20 temperatures only (otherwise it is too big a heater for the bedroom), and the cold weat
I abandoned the idea of getting either of these heaters working under sail. Neither chimney location is free of downdrafts while sailing, and both have high stacks, which prevent backdrafts, but also get in the way of sails and lines if trying to sail with them.
While it would be comfortable to have a warm boat while sailing, no heaters are really reliable (diesel heaters stop when out of fuel, or too much water or dirt in the fuel, or when chimneys fall overboard), so one always needs sufficient clothing for the temperatures one sails in. Not having a warm cabin when sailing results in wearing suitable clothing for the temperatures, so isnt a real disadvantage.
Mon Feb 21 18:48:48 EST 2011
The Dickinson Alaska heater in the forward part of the boat. This heater puts out about half as much heat as the Lofoten heater in the pilothouse.
There are 24 volt (Issuma's electrical system is 24 volt) computer fans on the wall that blow the warm air off the chimney into the boat. The plywood wall is covered with sheet aluminum to keep heat away. A strip of aluminum foil is hung from the ceiling to reflect heat back into the main part of the boat (this is only used on cold days in the winter at the dock).
Not shown in the picture is a barometric damper, which injects room air into the chimney, so less heat is wasted going up the chimney and out of the boat. Putting in the barometric damper made the heater put 30-40% more heat in the boat than it did when running without the barometric damper (this is partly because there is a tall stack--about 3m in total).
To be installed soon is a grating that protects things from touching the hot chimney.
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Wed Feb 16 8:44:06 EST 2011, Toronto, Canada
The entrance to the harbor Issuma is in is to the right of the green daymark
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Wed Feb 9 7:21:05 EST 2011, Toronto, Canada
The red nun buoy in this picture is much easier to recognize than the one in yesterday's picture that was loaded with ice. This buoy is around a bend in the channel, so it doesn't get the breaking waves that the outer buoy does...I believe that is why it is not covered in ice. This part of the channel still gets swell coming in, which breaks up the ice.
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Tue Feb 8 10:32:04 EST 2011, Toronto, Canada
Below and to the left of the lighthouse, what looks like a floating piece of ice is actually a red nun (buoy with a pointed top), marking the entrance channel to the harbor.
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Thu Feb 3 17:10:48 EST 2011, Toronto, Canada
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Wed Feb 2 18:27:16 EST 2011, Toronto, Canada
It warmed up to -10C (14F) and got windy last night and this morning. This is the entrance to the harbor where Issuma is. The waves broke up the ice a fair way into the harbor, but not as far as Issuma, which is still frozen into the ice.
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Mon Jan 24 11:03:22 EST 2011, Toronto, Canada
Outside the harbor yesterday, when it was cold (-19C/-4F). The misty areas of the picture are steam coming off the water and steam from the spray when the water hits the ice-covered rocks.
Today it warmed up enough to snow (for those not used to cold climates, snow requires clouds and clouds reflect heat back to the surface, so the coldest temperatures happen when there are no clouds--ie when it is not snowing).
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http://torngats.blogspot.com/2011/01/scene-not-often-seen-trawler-in-nain.html#links
Sun Jan 23 16:29:33 EST 2011, Toronto, Canada
In contrast to the previous picture of sailing on a beautiful summer day in Labrador, here is where Issuma is today, locked in the ice, which is now covered with snow. Being covered with snow means the ice wont get thicker as quickly (because snow is a good insulator), which is good, as the thicker the ice is, the longer Issuma will be stuck in the ice.
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and nice boat, isn't she?
friendly
Are you thinking you want her back :)
Fri Jan 21 7:53:58 EST 2011
As Issuma is still frozen into the ice, I can only dream about sailing :), so here is a picture of Issuma this summer in Labrador.
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Jerry, s/v 'Kama'
Jerry, Happy New Year. I imagine one could still go sailing in NY harbor now, which would really be nice. Is your boat out of the water for the winter? While there is open water less than 100m from me, the boat is firmly enough held to the dock by the ice that I'm not going anywhere until it melts.
I have fond memories of sailing Rosemary Ruth in NY Harbor, both summer and winter.
I like the roller furling sails on Issuma, because the sails are all big (so physically harder to handle without roller furling gear) and it is a much wetter boat than Rosemary Ruth, so changing headsails on a furler-less Issuma while going to windward in a chop would be no fun.
I don't have a chartplotter on Issuma (though there is one on Rosemary Ruth), but use a laptop with charting software. A chartplotter would be better (because it is waterproof), but then I'd need all new charts, which would be really expensive. I find electronic chartplotting of any kind makes coastal sailing, especially singlehanding into harbors, much easier.
Best wishes on your trip to Nova Scotia, it is a nice place.
