7.00 Am Wednesday

On board this morning - raining and blowing a six to seven. It is always a gamble coming up here with a less than perfect weather forecast but in my experience the wind is sometimes lighter than forecast. Not today though it seems.

 

As well as mostly eating potatoes I shall also mostly be reading books.

 

I thought that, as the boat had been left for almost two weeks, I needed to come up and check her over. She had not taken on much water at all and I think she could be left alone for three weeks without sinking. I have now installed an auto bilge pump so that makes me feel more secure about leaving her unnatended.

 

The boat is moving around on the mooring and the wind is howling in the rigging, the rain bashing on the windows. Every now and again the sun peaks out from behind the clouds and bathes everything in glorious sunshine.... but only for a minute or two before normal service is resumed.

I am planning to stay here until Sunday - Monday has a force 10 in the forecast. But if this keeps up it will be a short stay

D

This is about Dylan Winter's Blog, Sailing around Britain.

37 Responses to “7.00 Am Wednesday”

  1. 31 August, 2016 at 8:32 amIan says:

    On the weather… I refer to my comment on the previous post!

  2. 31 August, 2016 at 12:59 pmPaul Rogers says:

    I have been reading your blog for a while and have formed the impression that you are a pretty hardy guy. But with the weather you have been having, isn’t it time to install a diesel cabin heater?

  3. 31 August, 2016 at 1:41 pmdylan winter says:

    I am pretty hardy – being a celt makes me cold tolerant I think. The damp is much more of a challenge

    I agree about the heater….. I think that they are almost essential up here to fight the moisture. I shall see what transpires this coming winter. The electrics on here are a mess so I will have a go at them this winter. Then see about a diesel heater – which will cost around £1500 to fit.

    However, paypal has been subject to a bit of a hammering recently.

    Havng said that today is pretty mild – 15 degrees C – the wind is coming off the hills in a series of little gusts and squalls – each lasting around a minute of so before settling back to the steady five or six as a background wind.

    Occaasinally the sun breaks through and everything is bathed in glorious light.

    I am hoping that this evening I should get out for a few hours – the wind has been easing off in the evening.

    D

  4. 31 August, 2016 at 6:27 pmOwen says:

    Dylan, i fitted a refurbished Webasto myself (no particular skills) and it was all done and dusted for 800 quid along with a refurbished warranty.

    The electrics install is only one wire and a thermostat, a feed from the fuel tank and some big holes for the venting.

  5. 31 August, 2016 at 8:56 pmdylan winter says:

    aha – but I would make a bollix of the job

  6. 1 September, 2016 at 6:26 amTed B. (Charging Rhino) says:

    You need to cultivate a new “Super Dave” on you relocate to your Winter harbor. [pun?]

    When I was young, my mother had a VW Westfalia camper with an independent gas-fired forced-air heater, it was wonderful for driving-off the damp and the chill.

  7. 1 September, 2016 at 8:22 amdylan winter says:

    Super daves are as rare as hens teeth – £800 is a new car and the polo is getting bit graunchie. I shall see what transpires. The gas ones have been suggested to me – but the boat is currently gasless so if I brought it on that would mean the pipes, the draining lockers etc etc. Currently sitting here with the Origo going. It warms the inside of the boat but not sure it dries anything – the windows are running with moisture.

  8. 1 September, 2016 at 10:48 amRick Peterson says:

    Have you considered using a tilley lamp as a heater? Should be drier heat than an origo and doubles as an emergency anchor light. Also perhaps time to consider installing a CO alarm?

  9. 1 September, 2016 at 12:42 pmMark says:

    As far as I recall, one of the reaction products of burning meths is water vapour. You could be aggravating the dampness problem.

  10. 1 September, 2016 at 2:22 pmJonK says:

    You can often get an eberspacher D2 second hand off ebay for about £300 with almost everything you’ll need. I fitted one to the VW and was so impressed with the transformation of our winter camping that I bought a second one for the Centaur. It’s in the loft, as yet unfitted.
    There will be a couple of extras you’ll need, most likely an exhaust through-hull.
    The biggest problem I can foresee is Battery. They sip diesel, but guzzle battery and need a good voltage to start. Unless you’ve got ample solar charging or are running the engine a fair bit you’ll find that they can run a couple of 100Ahr batteries flat in a couple of nights/days.

    Also that depends on who you’re trying to keep warm. If its a normal man, maybe you can extend that to 4 days, a part-Celt, perhaps 6 days. Throw a woman into the equation and 2 days max is my experience.

    When I get my head round where to site the eberspacher in the Centaur, I’ll write it up and send you a link!
    Jon
    http://www.sailing-free.co.uk

  11. 1 September, 2016 at 2:36 pmDave Barker says:

    I think you’re right, Mark. Don’t know if a tilley would be any drier, maybe you’d get more heat for less fuel?

    Dylan, forgive me for re-visiting a concern about Westerly Centaurs taking on water but it seems to me that if water is entering the boat where the keel is bolted to the hull then that is something that ought to be attended to. I would have thought that there must be some movement, albeit very tiny, between the keel and the hull for this to happen. If so, it can only get worse and how do you make the judgement as to when something should be done?
    The problem is that the keel is hanging on to a fibreglass structure with little or no floors to spread the load across the hull so the fibreglass is constantly subjected to wringing strains and eventually starts to weaken and break . Given the known history of keels falling off Centaurs, the potential strains of sailing in rough seas around the East coast of Scotland plus the odd drying-out at anchor or on a mooring, this does worry me. Of course, if it’s just rainwater then please disregard this comment!

  12. 1 September, 2016 at 3:53 pmdylan winter says:

    worry not Dave

    old boats leak. This has three sources of ingress – stb keel – about a quart a week. Some through the stern drive – tiny amount, a bit of rainwater through the hatchway and a puddle that appears around the toilet through hulls. All in all about a gallon week.

    yup, the keel might fll off – but it will tell me before it does that by weeping more overr the weeks – it is a progressive thing. The mast might also fall down, the prop might spin off the drive shaft, the fan belt might break….. there, see what you have done….. got me worrying about all that can happen as opposed to celebrating everything that does work perfectly. Sail now…. fix later.

  13. 1 September, 2016 at 3:55 pmdylan winter says:

    It warms the place up – but does create moisture, got to have an air flow. It is heat… but not dry heat.

  14. 1 September, 2016 at 4:53 pmRick Peterson says:

    A quick look on wikipedia says that methanol combustion creates twice as much water as CO2 but kerosene(paraffin) produces them in roughly equal amounts. Charcoal would be best fuel from this point of view but then the risks of incomplete combustion (leading to CO) are higher hence the need for caution.

  15. 1 September, 2016 at 5:01 pmRick Peterson says:

    and you get twice the heat per Kg of fuel with paraffin

  16. 1 September, 2016 at 7:05 pmMark says:

    True but it stinks the place up. I used a Tilley lamp when I lived onboard, it gave a lot of light and a great deal of heat and worked well once you got used to its idiosyncrasies, but I was always stank of paraffin. I had to put the fresh laundry in sealed polythene bags to stop all my clean clothes from smelling of the stuff.

  17. 1 September, 2016 at 7:12 pmStephen P says:

    Just a thought and please discount it if you think its rubbish. How a bout a small suitcase generator to run your fan heater say around 1kw also recharge battery.
    Not exactly peace and quiet and the great out doors, but
    No condensation.
    You probably have a spare can of petrol onboard.
    Recharge battery.
    Usfull in other activities or at home when the lights go out.
    Just for example clarke-1kw-inverter-generator from machine mart £240.
    Thanks for KTL you are so inspiring.
    You can be sure of one thing the weather will change.

  18. 1 September, 2016 at 7:36 pmdylan winter says:

    it is horribly anti-social – but it would work

  19. 1 September, 2016 at 7:37 pmdylan winter says:

    I agree – it does smell pretty bad – and it really moves around – it sort of spreads and is terrible for cameras

  20. 1 September, 2016 at 7:38 pmdylan winter says:

    that is interesting – less moisture from paraffin

  21. 1 September, 2016 at 8:39 pmRick Peterson says:

    Can’t vouch for the suitability (or cost) of this stuff i.e.
    odour less paraffin

    http://www.caldo.co.uk/paraffin_extra.aspx

  22. 1 September, 2016 at 10:20 pmAndrew Wilkinson says:

    Our Meaco Dehumidifier consume’s 650w on its maximum setting and gives out some heat too. Running one when you can get on shore power to get everything bone dry might help. You might be able to borrow one to try.

  23. 1 September, 2016 at 11:19 pmJJ says:

    Hi Dylan,
    I have seen small charcoal burning devises like a mini wood burner, all in shiny SS, with small diameter chimney fitted to two different sailing boats – a Comfort 30 and a Baycruiser 26 at a boat show. No idea of the cost, but they would produce dry heat and consume zero leccy.
    Also, I’ve often wondered whether it would be possible to hook up a matrix heater from a scrapped car, to the closed freshwater cooling circuit on a diesel inboard so that when the inboard is running it blows out loads of hot air and leccy to drive the fan. It could potentially cost very little to do. I think you said new engine in the boat when you bought it so I am assuming it has freshwater cooling.
    I remember a very cold trip to the Channel Islands in Feb once, and as soon as we moored in the marina it was on full blast with the fan heater hooked up to the 240 volts mains – couldn’t have survived the nights withou it.
    Hope it stops raining on you.
    JJ

  24. 2 September, 2016 at 12:54 amNormanB says:

    Try a Reflex stove like Madz uses on Obelix.
    Simple installation, no electrics and sips the same fuel your iron sail uses.

    See https://youtu.be/U_DeyphzhBs

  25. 2 September, 2016 at 7:16 amdylan winter says:

    I was wondering about another loop for the water cooling. But then it is knowing where and how to fit it. I fear that the onluy solution to this is to bite the bullet this winter and get a proper heater fitted. There is no spare bulkhead on which to fit the stove unless I kill the hanging locker

  26. 2 September, 2016 at 7:24 amdylan winter says:

    £800 – the prob would be where to put it on a small boat. The only place I can see is to either kill the hanging locker or the backrest on the dining area.

  27. 2 September, 2016 at 3:55 pmDave Barker says:

    Hmm. None of those other things will sink you though…….

    Tell you what, I’ll sit here in the sunshine in Portugal and do the worrying while you do the sailing in the rain in picturesque Scotland. Deal?

  28. 2 September, 2016 at 9:18 pmRichard Aston says:

    Another option.
    15 years ago I put an Eberspacher Hydronic diesel heater in my boat and connected it up to domestic radiators in the main saloon and each cabin. It also heats the calorifier. Absolutely brilliant system. No fans so quiet in the cabin and uses small amount of electricity. Very reliable. Dry heat. Dries towels. Provides hot water etc.Uses diesel from the engine tank. 15 minutes from switch on and the radiators are up to full heat. No idea what it would cost to profesionally install now but I did the plumbing and rads myself.

  29. 3 September, 2016 at 7:25 amdylan winter says:

    hat is what she needs…..of course.. in a 26 footer it would be abgard thing to find the place. I think that fittting an eber will remain a bit of a pipe dream. Iam having to learn to use the umbrella more to keep myself dry. When it rains I reduce sail, raise the spray hood, put on the tiller pilot and then stand in the companionway waiting for it to ease off.

  30. 3 September, 2016 at 7:27 amdylan winter says:

    sounds like an excellent idea..Do you have a favourite tipple and chair for your KTL worrying sessions. I rather like the idea of subbing out the worrying stuff to other people. Well done Dave… your future is bright.

  31. 3 September, 2016 at 1:04 pmRichard Aston says:

    That’s a pity as it would transform your level of comfort It did mine and made the missus feel more agreeable to the odd sailing trip. The heater takes up a space 18 inches high by 10 inches wide in my cockpit locker. With all the money from the severance from KTL Industries I feel sure you could find the dosh. It would make life so much more pleasant …………before the HR 37 arrives of course.

  32. 4 September, 2016 at 6:53 amEd Pearson says:

    Since you’re not living on the boat full time, you might consider a Dickinson solid fuel stove (or something similar). They’re about half the price of a diesel/kero stove, and put out plenty of heat for a small boat.You can even burn a small oil lamp inside of them when you want just a bit of warmth, but don’t need the heat of a full-blown fire (there’s an MOB with a Nor’Sea 27 who has a YouTube video demonstrating this).

  33. 4 September, 2016 at 6:36 pmDave Barker says:

    I have a very comfortable office chair and a good supply of Laphroaig, Jamesons, gin, (we pick our own lemons), brandy, Bacardi, Tia Maria, sundry beers and mixers etc. Enough for loads of worrying, don’t worry!
    Btw, 35deg.C and climbing here, we could do with some of your rain………….

  34. 4 September, 2016 at 8:44 pmdylan winter says:

    summer rain this year in scotland was 50 per cent more than the average for there

    learning to get along with it though

  35. 4 September, 2016 at 9:08 pmdylan winter says:

    Dave, have you tried getting the films onto you big telly

    this does a great job for £30

    https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/chromecast/?utm_source=chromecast.com

    those who have managed it say that it has transformed their viewing experience – not just of KTL – but of everything they see on the web

    D

  36. 4 September, 2016 at 9:11 pmdylan winter says:

    not sure where I would put it on the boat – I could sacrifice the hanging locker – but that opens out more problems

  37. 12 September, 2016 at 5:10 pmSimon Carter says:

    Hi,I sail in alberta,even when it snows.
    The boat came with a Cole solid fuel heater.
    It will take the boat (san juan 26) from -5 to 25°C in 15 minutes.
    The fact it’s vented makes all the difference.
    Came with the boat though….
    $400 dollars and another $150 for dampers etc.
    I swear by mine,and never at it.
    Just put it as low as possible .

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