Running Webasto heater during winter time ?

B

baz

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Subject: Running Webasto heater during winter time ?

For a boat in the water during winter time there's some risk to things freezing. The 2019 R29 S/CM models provide heat to the cockpit area via the Webasto diesel heater.

I'm wondering if any owner of the R29 S/CB who keeps their boat in the water during winter time (especially those in very cold climates) have adopted to have their Webasto heater fire up at a certain temp to keep the boat warm and free from things freezing.

I'm particularly interested about the cockpit heating to help keep the engine compartment warm. If the cockpit has a full enclosure it would seem to me that having heated air going into the cockpit area would help to keep that area warm and could avoid freezing issues. It's possible to crack open the engine hatch and allow some warm air to penetrate the engine space, right ?

Is there any safety issue with running the Webasto heater unattended ?

Thanks... 🙂
 
Hi
We have our boat in the water full time in Victoria. I was away for a couple months during the snow storm and the colder ( still cold ) weather. I have a couple light bulbs I have installed in the engine room. I left them on and they make quite a difference in the temp. While we were gone I had a small electric heater on low in the bathroom and another in the main cabin on low. I found this worked out well. (I had friends check in weekly) I am not a fan of having the diesel heater on unattended.. I have had ours ( a Planar ) for over 4 years now and it is by far the best heat in the boat. It works flawlessly all the time, but I just worry about it when I am not on the boat. I have also read on other posts of people using electric blankets over their engine.. I liked this idea but couldn't bear to sacrifice a good electric blanket ...
Good luck I am sure you will get lots of suggestions. And also Congratulations on your new boat.. I guess your next jump will be to the 41 🙂

Best.
 
For keeping the engine area warm, get an “engine room heater” unit like this one. It’s designed for the engine room environment:

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/caframo- ... ecordNum=4

It turns on at 41F and turns off at 65F. I used one in both of my Ranger Tugs. They can be permanently mounted if desired. They run on 110 AC power. Warming up the cockpit above the engine wouldn’t be an efficient way to keep the engine warm.
 
Thanks Sue..... That heater looks like a good suggestion. 🙂
 
I use the camframo in the engine and two dehumidifiers in the cabin during the winter
 
I, too, have a bilge heater. Right now, it is running full time in Portland, OR. In past years, I’m not sure it has run at all. But at least I know it’s doing it’s job.

One problem with trying to run the Webasto to keep things above freezing is that you would want to run it at a low speed, low heat. I’m no expert on this, but my understanding is that the Webasto can carbon-up if it doesn’t get a good work out regularly. I would worry that leaving it to run on low settings for extended periods would cause those kinds of problems. Otherwise, I have to say that when I’m on the boat in below freezing temps, as I have been the past couple of weeks, I love firing up the Webasto rather than relying on the couple of space heaters I run. On our R-27, it heats the cabin up quickly (much better than the space heaters/dehumidifiers that we run) if I run it on high (which is good for it). Then I turn it down, and things in the cabin stay super comfy and warm.

Gini
 
We left our R-31 moored in Seattle while taking a six week trip to Mexico, just as the cold snap was starting. I used the Xtreme bilge heater in the engine compartment, which is pricy but apparently “bomb proof,” an electric heater in the cabin set to low, and also left the Webasto set to low as a backup. The Webasto has so many safety features and automatic shut-down provisions that I figured it would present no more risk than leaving the electric heater active. I left the thermostat on low but the power/fan setting on normal to avoid the carbon build-up issue. I also put a compressor-style dehumidifier in the cabin, set on the captain’s seat and strapped in place in order to get enough slope for the drainage hose to drain into the galley sink. We’re still in Mexico so I can’t yet verify how all that has worked out.
 
Barry, I, too, have used an Xtreme heater for years, first with our SeaSport Explorer in the motor compartment bilge, and now with our R27-OB in the cockpit locker where the water tank is located. I also use an electric fan heater in the cabin for heat as well as air movement. You do have an advantage keeping your boat in the water compared to on a trailer like we do... you have insulation from the waterline down. We also use electronic thermometers that register low over night temps... this system works for us, as well as Snohomish PUD!

The Xtreme bilge heater is durable and effective... good luck!

Bob
The Doghouse 2
 
Bob:

My concern is even with having the boat in the water all year round is that with very low winter temps things can still experience freezing temps. The Volvo Penta D4 does have closed-system anti-freeze coolant but still will have some salt water residue inside, that is used to pass through the engine's heat exchanger. Then there's fresh water in some of the water lines and especially the lines leading out to the transom hot/cold shower head. I feel some prevention from freezing is prudent to have even with boat in the water.

I intend to have a full cockpit enclosure later in this year and hope/suspect that will offer some prevention from chilly winds blowing about in my marina during winter time.
 
Like Bob, of Doghouse 2, the bilge heater I have is the Xtreme brand. It is on the expensive side, but it's good, and it's what I'd buy again.

Barry, with the aft enclosure, you definitely get added protection from the cold. Although we've had our boat in a boathouse the last couple of years, it was out in the elements its first few winters, and still is during the 3 weeks of December that I'm in the Christmas Ships parade in Portland. The enclosure is always a bit warmer than the ambient outside air. And if there is any significant sun, the greenhouse effect really takes over and it can be warm enough for a t-shirt, even though the outside air is bitter cold.

Gini
 
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