Do I need a bilge heater for moored boat?

[wrasse]

I'm keeping my 40ft express with twin inboard diesels slipped in Lake Union over the winter.

Is there a need for a bilge heater to make sure engine blocks do not crack should we have another cold winter? Or am I ok without one?

I would like to continue to use the boat in the winter, planning on keeping a small quartz heater on a timer for the cabin to heat during the evenings. Boat has full camper canvas.

Inputs appreciated!

[Apperloo]

I put in a couple of Wolverine pads last fall. Keeps the bildge warm, dry and it does seem to smoke a bit less on startup. Left it plugged most of the year other then june till sept
(i moor in saltwater tho)
http://www.wolverineheater.com/faq.shtml

[SomeSailor]

I keep a Golden Rod in the bilge and small heater on lowest setting in the cabin. I drain water heater, potable tanks and heat exchanger as it gets closer to a freeze. I like to use the boat over winter too and keep thinghs commissioned whenever possible. Moored boats aren't as prone to freeze damage as us guys on the hard are.

[kwb]

If you are in the water, and can get down to boat on forecast of unusual cold spell (day highs don't get above freezing) then you don't really need to but you will risk bursting parts of the freshwater system, and the raw water side of the cooling system - strainers esp. Small heater is cheap insurance v. a broken strainer that might just sink the boat.

[wrasse]

Wolverine pads seem to be a nice idea! Convection from the engine blocks will prob be enough to heat up the bilge. Did you install yourself? Hardwired?

[Apperloo]

Currently I still have them hooked into an extention cord, but intend to permently mount a gfi plug in the bildge hooked into one of my unused breakers.
Easy to install. Used a rotary/flapping style sanding pad on a highspeed drill to cleanup an area under the pan, stuck it on, sealed the edges with the high heat sillicone supplied and plugged them in.
Being in fresh water as you are I might worry about the intakes, but i think it would need to get pretty cold to freeze.
I do use mactac shelf liners over the air intakes. Cheap, and easy to remove and replace if you want to go out for a winter cruise

[SomeSailor]

That's another one of my sewing projects is I want to make fitted intake covers for my engine vents. Keeping that warm air in is very important.

[Go Aweigh2452]

I cover my engine bay vents with painters tape and use to cover over them with my boat cover. But now that I have the camper back I will have to think of another way to cover the vents and the back of the boat...

The painters tape allows me to remove w/o leaving goo and I can use the boat for an occasional cruise during the winter...

[SomeSailor]

I'm gonna sew up some quilted Sunbrella and install some snaps to cover them over the winter. You see that a lot on the bigger boats, but it would help keep the warm air in / cold air out.

[debbie]

I was wondering about this too - we filled up the fuel tanks about 3/4 full (and probably won't use much over the next few months), ditto the water, and there is a radiant heater on the boat.

My question is - is it really ok to leave those on w/o supervision? I used to be a firefighter and it creeps me out to leave something on when no-one is attending it. When we were looking at boats there were quite a few that had heaters running and I wondered about it.

My plan is to pay attention to the weather and if it sounds bad then go down and spend the night boatsitting. I also bought a collapsible snow shovel and snow broom just in case.

[Tedster]

DO NOT USE ANY PORTABLE HEATERS EVER IN A BOAT YOU ARE NOT IN!!! Now that being said, get a de-humidifier (or two if you have a big boat) at the marine store and a lighting rod type engine heater, one for each engine and you are good if you are moored in the water. This is good for 99% of all conditions we have here in the Puget Sound area.

[Go Aweigh2452]

The Admiral and I were both volunteer firefighters for several years and understand the fear of leaving stuff on when we are gone. Heck we shut down the dishwater when we leave the house...

I use a hot plate type heater available from West Marine. Plug it in and it gets warm... No moving parts... No fans to freeze up and burn up...

For the bilge, I run a Xtreme Heater which has the thermostat built in

Another option,

You can purchase a heat sensitive plug that goes on when the temps reach about 35* and go off around 45*...

http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/con-therm-outlet.jpg
You can probably find them at a local animal store like Del's... They run about $20... They can handle up to 1800 watts and run off a 15 amp outlet...

http://www.charleysgreenhouse.com/3150-Heating-Thermostatic-Outlet.htm

[tolly28]

I keep an electric heater and an air dryer in the cabin. I have two clamp-on lights in the bilge. I have one of those weather stations with the wireless remote sensor in the bilge- that way I get high and low temps for both cabin and bilge. Even in very cold weather, the bilge hasn't gotten near freezing.

I understand the fear with electric heaters. However, I am a professional firefighter and have fought many boat fires. I'll attest that bad shorepower connections have often been the culprit, in my experience...