I'm in Petersburg and my 27 Express Cruiser stays in the water all year. I go hunting in December and January and occasionally use the Forest Service Cabins all year, so I do use the boat regularly if not often. I have a 500 watt oil pan heater and a 1500 watt circulating type engine block heater. The water tank sits next to the engine in my boat so keeping the engine warm slows down the engine corrosion and keeps the water tank from freezing. I expect the fact that that water in the harbor stays above 35 degrees all year helps as well. We, like you I expect, rarely get ice in the harber and then it's only the skim of fresh water on top near the shore that freezes. Where my boat is tied up there's too much tidal current for it to freeze. In general, above 30 degrees or so the oil pan heater is enough. Below that the engine block heater does the job. For the cabin, I've used a 1500 watt oil filled radiator type electric heater, set on medium. By using timers and monitoring the weather I kept the boat dry and warm enough to keep from it freezing without breaking the bank, although that depends upon the size of your account. This year I've switched to a smaller 700 watt electric heater for the cabin to cut down costs, as I really don't have to keep the boat warm enough for comfort, just warm enough to stay dry and keep the mold under control. My job lets me check the boat every day and on my days off it's only a 7 minute drive, so I have the luxury of keeping a close eye on it. Our harbor staff is also really good. We have a 24/7 staff with a minimum of three foot rounds by every stall every day. The 1500 watt heater would keep the boat warm enough to live on even in cold weather, and our weather isn't much different from yours. Lots of guys here get by just fine with a 300 watt heat lamp in the engine compartment, but I wanted extra heat to help keep the corrosion down and the upholstery free from mold. Also, I think those oil filled radiators are safer than a heat lamp.
John --- On Mon, 10/26/09, Rob B <[email protected]> wrote: From: Rob B <[email protected]> Subject: [UnifliteWorld] Over winter on my 1969 36' Express Cruiser, In Juneau AK. To: "UnifliteWorld" <[email protected]> Date: Monday, October 26, 2009, 7:44 AM Hello everyone. I have moved aboard and am going to winter on my boat. In Juneau it gets down in the 20's with an occasional 0. My main cabin will be heated to around 65-70 around the clock and the hot water heater near the engine, with the addition of a heat light, will, I think, keep it warm enough. I am planning to put a valve in to drain my lines to my head and wet bar but I was wondering about the pump and water tank under the main cabin. Any thoughts? Thank you. Rob B --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "UnifliteWorld" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/unifliteworld?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
