R31CB winterization

[eriknelson3]

Hello, new Ranger Tug owner here.

We recently purchased our 2022 R31CB in the Bellingham, WA area. It came with a 120 VAC/700W Twin Hornet 45 heater. We were told it was a heater used during the winter to keep the engine compartment warm (approx 40 degrees F) which makes sense given my research on this product.

Question: I can’t seem to find a 120V outlet inside the engine compartment anywhere. I could run an extension cord through the doorways to reach the outlets in the main cabin but this would force me to leave several doors ajar (and therefore unlocked) for long periods during the winter. Is anybody aware of a 120V outlet location inside the engine compartment and, if so, where?

Thanks,

Erik and Rainee
Invictus

 

[Bruce Moore]

Did you check the inverter?

 

[eriknelson3]

Did you check the inverter?

I did not but will later today.

Thanks
Erik

 

[glider4]

We have a completely different boat do this may not apply at all to the R-31.
We have the same Twin Hornet heater in the bilge. No A/C outlet in the bilge area and did not want to keep the inverter on all winter. The cord on the Twin Hornet is quite long. I run the cord forward along side the engine and underneath the cabin to cockpit door. There’s a small inspection hatch just inside the cabin door and aft of the teak and holly sole. I prop that hatch up with a foot long section of 1” ABS pipe to make room for the cord to exit. Then I run the cord (or an extension cord) to one of the cabin A/C outlets.
The black ABS pipe resting on the cabin hatch flange lifts the far end of the hatch giving enough room so the cord is not sliced. And the pipe is strong enough to walk on the hatch without breaking the pipe.

 

[eriknelson3]

Bruce, thanks for the suggestion. After half crawling down into the port side lazerette I was able to get eyes on the aft side of the inverter and found the outlets. Thanks again

Erik

 

[eriknelson3]

We have a completely different boat do this may not apply at all to the R-31.
We have the same Twin Hornet heater in the bilge. No A/C outlet in the bilge area and did not want to keep the inverter on all winter. The cord on the Twin Hornet is quite long. I run the cord forward along side the engine and underneath the cabin to cockpit door. There’s a small inspection hatch just inside the cabin door and aft of the teak and holly sole. I prop that hatch up with a foot long section of 1” ABS pipe to make room for the cord to exit. Then I run the cord (or an extension cord) to one of the cabin A/C outlets.
The black ABS pipe resting on the cabin hatch flange lifts the far end of the hatch giving enough room so the cord is not sliced. And the pipe is strong enough to walk on the hatch without breaking the pipe.

Thanks Glider4. I’ll have to see if I can find a similar path as you’ve described. Thanks for the suggestion.
Erik

 

[eriknelson3]

Bruce, maybe a secondary question (probably stupid). Now that it’s plugged into the inverter, what is the source of power for these outlets on the inverter? Are they 110V outlets getting power from shore power? Or, are they getting post “inverted” power from the solar panels. Hoping it’s coming from shore power but thought I’d ask

Thanks again

 

[JeffreyAC77]

We have a 2015 R-31CB and I believe there is an outlet under the ice maker in front of the port side lazaret above the house batteries.

 

[eriknelson3]

We have a 2015 R-31CB and I believe there is an outlet under the ice maker in front of the port side lazaret above the house batteries.

Great. Thanks

 

[srhawk454]

Hi Erik and Rainee,

Congrats with your new boat, she is beautiful! We were slip neighbors at Everett Marina with Invictus.
I could not find an outlet as well so I feed the extension cord under the sound isolation front of the engine into the water pump compartment and from there I have a slight opening between the plywood sheets into the cave so I feed it through and into the outlet on the wall. Easy and clean.

 

[JeffreyAC77]

For what it's worth, we have a 2015 R31-CB (owned the past three winters) and we have never put a heater in our engine compartment (only a regulated heater in the cabin area). Our boat is located on Lake Union.

 

[bemiller75]

Also, for what it's worth, in my 2016 R31S I had a local marine electrician install a 110 outlet in the engine compartment off the spare breaker in the (main #2) a/c shore power line, and a 110 outlet below the ac switchboard off the spare breaker in the (main #1) inverter shore power line. The two breakers power my freeze protection -- my engine compartment heater and my cabin heater, respectively. Worked well last winter (although I did winterize fluid systems, just to be safe).