Pacific NW liveaboard info

[deadpoet]

I am moving out to Portland from the East Coast and am very seriously considering looking for a boat and living aboard.

I know that some of you have--Loren, I'm pretty sure, has mentioned it--and I had a couple of questions. If you think you should mention something I haven't asked, please do.

Mainly I'm curious/worried about the inner environment of the boat. In a colder, wetter climate, I know that it behooves you to cook less pasta, take fewer and shorter and colder showers onboard, run a dehumidifier, and such things to avoid condensation on the inside. I know about buying Damp-rid and keeping clothes out of contact with the hull and little stuff like that.

But can you keep a boat warm in this climate without breaking the bank or burning it down? I like the idea of a small wood stove, but I have the impression they're impractical and that what you need is a diesel one that's on a thermostat. But how expensive is that? And does it really work? And does it stink? And once you've got a hole punched through the deck, does it rot and turn the balsa coring to "black slime," as someone mentioned in the Maintenance section?

Also, if anyone in the Portland area has any hot tips on marinas, I'm open to ideas. I looked at the . . . McCuddy's? at Jantzen Beach or thereabouts last month when I was out. I plan to look at their marina over near Sauvie Island. I know that's a long way from the river, but that doesn't bother me that much. I've got a dog and it sounds like Sauvie Island is a better place for her to run.

Anyway, your input welcome here.

Thanks,

John

 

[Loren Beach]

Live Aboard notes

In the Portland area, on the water, extreme temps are rare, high or low.
Lots of cloudy days in the winter and rain or showers is normal. If you like the humidity in the SE part of the USA, this will mostly seem like a dry non-issue. Hard freezes, with temps in the low 20's for a week, are maybe a once a winter occurrence. Every 20 years the sides of the river freeze over when we get a major cold snap, but there's no harm except to boaters that failed to winterize their engines.

Living aboard does challenge you to move the damp air out from your own respiration, however... wherever you live.

With several friends living aboard for many years, my observations are second hand... but if I were setting up by boat for residence I would budget for a forced-air heating system (diesel or kero). This keeps bringing in the dryer air from outside and further warming it which lowers the relative humidity further.

Point sources of heat, like stoves or bulkhead heaters work OK, but you do need several fans (like those nice little Hella models) to move the air around and keep the hot air from puddling up by the headliner while your feet are freezing.

That marina on the Sauvie Island side of Multnomah channel has a whole row of live aboards, and you might like the neighborhood a lot. Your dog might like it too... but note that local regs (and consideration for the neighbors) will probably require a leash and you gotta pick up whatever comes out of the stern of that dog...


This advice worth about what you pay, or five cents with the Federal Bailout surcharge.

Cheers,
Loren

 

[deadpoet]

More on heating

Loren,

Thanks for your prompt reply. One thing I forgot to ask was whether a small, electric, fan-type heater would do the trick. I know it's going to be more expensive to run, but I thought maybe if I could get away with one small or medium-sized one for a small space like a boat, it might balance out in the long run.

I could, of course, be horribly wrong.

John

 

[Loren Beach]

Loren,

Thanks for your prompt reply. One thing I forgot to ask was whether a small, electric, fan-type heater would do the trick. I know it's going to be more expensive to run, but I thought maybe if I could get away with one small or medium-sized one for a small space like a boat, it might balance out in the long run.
John

We use a switchable 700/1500 watt 110 volt fan-driven heater at dockside, where we have shore power available. We have a fairly high volume interior, and the low (700 watt) setting seems to be adequate down to about 48 or 50 degrees. It does take a while to bring up the interior temp if starting from ambient temp, though.
It is really just a matter of BTU's, however you supply the $$ to convert the energy, IMHO. :nerd:

For full time living, I could imagine that all-electric heat could be a lot more expensive than a diesel furnace. I am not sure how the BTW's-per-day computes out for a propane unit like the Dickinson bulkhead heater, desirable as they are for occasional vacations aboard in the spring or fall.

Perhaps some other NW boat residents can supply some in-use data.

Regards,
Loren

 

[Mike.Gritten]

We live aboard our E35 mkII in Vancouver, BC, Canada - just a few degrees north of your proposed situation. We have an Espar forced air diesel furnace on Papillon that gets a lot of use in the fall and spring when we are away from the dock, but limited use while we are at the dock. We use 3 small 110v electric heaters and a household dehumidifier during the rainy winter months. We have a small, fan operated heater available from West Marine et al that we replace every year and two small oil filled heaters (400W I think) that take care of the bulk of the heating duties. When we get that same week that Loren spoke of with temps below freezing, we supplement with our Espar. It works very well and keeps the boat cozy and dry through an otherwise cool, wet winter. We have installed 1/4" foil backed bubble wrap insulation in all of the lockers which helps to keep the condensation down. We had a full cockpit enclosure installed 2 years ago that I would strongly recommend to anyone considering living aboard. We use it like the "front porch", to hang wet foulies and keep boots available but out of the cabin. It's a great place to entertain as well!

 

[Bill Sanborn]

More on Heating

How big is the boat? Makes a huge difference.

Electric heat is cheaper here in the Northwest. I looked at several elec. bills and the most I have ever paid is $32.00 a month.

I have lived on my E29 for several years here in Seattle. I use two "Worst Marine" 700/1500 watt electric heaters which are more than sufficient for the worst weather we have had here. Portland may be colder since it is further inland than Seattle and lies at the mouth of the Columbia River gorge which acts like a funnel for the colder eastern air.

Most of the time only one heater is necessary, however I have found that running 2 heaters on a low setting works better than one on high. A small fan to circulate the air is also a big help.

An electric blanket is wonderful for keeping the damp out of your bed!!! If you have a large enough inverter it also works at anchor. A warm dry bed on a cold wet night is one of the greater pleasures in life. Right up there with pizza and beer. BTW Portland has several great micro brewries, my favorite is Bridgeport.