When winter starts to really bite, many boaties dramatically reduce their boating time. Even on those occasional days when there are clear skies, single-digit temperatures put most people off getting out on the water. Which is a pity, because there are stunning days to be had for folk hardy enough to dress appropriately and head out into the wild blue yonder.
Except it is not always necessary to be immune to the cold or add layers until you look like the Michelin Man. At home we would turn on the heater or fire up the wood-burner or gas fire, and soon enough we’d be toasty warm. Why can’t we do the same on our boat?
Well, it turns out we can, with some careful planning and the right product to install.
Unless you have a large launch with a genset, a domestic-type electric fan heater is seldom the best option. It turns out that converting electricity directly into heat is not very efficient, and a standard 2000-watt mains-powered heater would be drawing somewhere
