[C320-list] Cabin Heat /// Interesting Proposal!

[Magnuson's Time A Weigh]

Thanks Rick for the sanity check.  We are in Bayfield, WI - Lake Superior, 
and the nights are in the 40's this week, after leaving 95 deg weather in 
Illinois.  We are using a small ceramic heater which serves us well. The 
idea of the shore powered water heater, which keeps the water at scalding 
temps, possibly doing double duty if it had a circulating pump tapped into 
the cooling loop to the engine through a truck coil, would work in the slip 
and the engine would provide the heat while under power.  While anchored out 
in the islands, I think the other configurations would offer a more reliable 
heat source, but for the short time in the spring, and fall, it just seemed 
like an idea worth consideration.

Thanks,
Gary #205


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Sulewski" <rsulewski at bex.net>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 7:04 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Cabin Heat /// Interesting Proposal!


> Gary,
>
> We use a 16K BTU AC/Heat unit while at the dock, but your idea has merit 
> for
> those who anchor out or for those who stay below during colder weather
> passages when an engine could be monitored at idle speed while sailing.
>
> You have identified a very interesting concept, not unlike what truckers 
> do
> when they pull over their rig to rest for the night while keeping their
> engines or diesel generators at idle speed to provide heat and/or
> electricity for their sleeper cabins. If the hot engine water could be
> by-passed from the heat exchanger to a truck type heat coil with a fan
> located in a cold air return air box that would serve to dissipate the 
> heat
> into the main cabin, that could be enough heat relief to use the main 
> cabin
> at anchor when temperatures dip into the low 40s or upper 30s for early
> spring or late fall sailing trips. The low amount of fuel consumed at idle
> would certainly cover the cost-benefit ratio of having heat, even if 
> enough
> heat could be generated for the only the main cabin.
>
> I wonder if Catalina has ever considered such an aftermarket innovation? 
> It
> strikes me that the heat coil and fan (acting as a radiator) could be
> mounted under the Nav station to gain simple access to run the water lines
> from the hot water tank while also bypassing heat exchanger with a simple
> valve to ensure all of the heat is directed to the cabin heater coil. The
> hot air could then be directed to the main cabin with a variable 12 volt
> fan...
>
> Rick
> My-Ria # 277
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Brad Kuether
> Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 7:17 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Cabin Heat
>
> 100 degrees in Baltimore.  Not thinking heat right now....  :)
>
> -Brad, Mary, Monica, and Jarod
> "Independence"
> 2004 Catalina 320 Hull 1006
> Middle River, MD
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Magnuson's Time A Weigh" <gary.magnuson at frontier.com>
> To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
> Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 12:05 PM
> Subject: [C320-list] Cabin Heat
>
>
>> Has anyone considered splicing into the heat exchanger coolant loop
>> between the engine and the water heater, with an automotive type heater
>> core and a 12 volt fan to generate cabin heat while under way?  If a
>> circulating pump were added, could it also generate cabin heat from the
>> water tank heater while on shore power.  It seems like it could be 
>> mounted
>
>> behind the sink cabinet drawers.   A three way valve could cut it out of
>> the loop when it is not required.  Comments?
>>
>> Gary # 205
>>
>
>
>