It's getting to that time of year when the leaves are changing and the nights in Chicago are becoming longer than the days. That brings with the inevitable coolness of the season. Now people are starting to get interested in how we're doing with the weather. It hasn't been cold yet, in fact we haven't seen the mercury dip below the magic 32 mark yet, but we've been close.
Cygnet isn't insulated. There is plenty of fiberglass, but it is all hard, not the fluffy kind in the walls of your home that keep you cozy on a December evening. This kind actually transfers the temperature well, and can mean a night without a heater on can leave us cold. We've been experimenting with different systems and so far have found a pretty good way to keep things comfy in the fall.
The space heater. We have a big radiator style space heater that sits near the middle of the boat that keeps it pretty comfy when the temperature outside is above 55. If it's sunny outside the boat is too hot inside, even with the covers on the front windows. When the temperature reaches below 55 it's time to employ the built in heaters.
We have A/C units that operate like heat pumps in the cool weather and they work well. We aren't sure how cold it can get outside before they stop working, that we will have to see. For now we have our new, and very expensive, thermostats in the front and rear bedrooms. These turn the pumps on and off to keep the temperature comfortable. They work well, but are a bit louder than we would like. You get used to them, it's like sleeping in a room with a window A/C in the summer.
So far we have had no problems and the winter doesn't scare us. We've got some new neighbors and they are all getting their boats prepped for the cold, something we will need to do very soon. Unfortunately with Colette gone for 2 weeks in L.A. and Kevin working a lot of hours and travelling there hasn't been much time. We have pressing matters to attend to first that haven't gotten the attention they needed. More about that in the next blog.
So water we thinking about our boat now that the cooler weather is here? It's not so bad, let's see how January works out.
Cygnet isn't insulated. There is plenty of fiberglass, but it is all hard, not the fluffy kind in the walls of your home that keep you cozy on a December evening. This kind actually transfers the temperature well, and can mean a night without a heater on can leave us cold. We've been experimenting with different systems and so far have found a pretty good way to keep things comfy in the fall.
Hot and Silent
The space heater. We have a big radiator style space heater that sits near the middle of the boat that keeps it pretty comfy when the temperature outside is above 55. If it's sunny outside the boat is too hot inside, even with the covers on the front windows. When the temperature reaches below 55 it's time to employ the built in heaters.
Patch that hole!
We have A/C units that operate like heat pumps in the cool weather and they work well. We aren't sure how cold it can get outside before they stop working, that we will have to see. For now we have our new, and very expensive, thermostats in the front and rear bedrooms. These turn the pumps on and off to keep the temperature comfortable. They work well, but are a bit louder than we would like. You get used to them, it's like sleeping in a room with a window A/C in the summer.
So far we have had no problems and the winter doesn't scare us. We've got some new neighbors and they are all getting their boats prepped for the cold, something we will need to do very soon. Unfortunately with Colette gone for 2 weeks in L.A. and Kevin working a lot of hours and travelling there hasn't been much time. We have pressing matters to attend to first that haven't gotten the attention they needed. More about that in the next blog.
So water we thinking about our boat now that the cooler weather is here? It's not so bad, let's see how January works out.
Hi Kevin, Do you still use the radiator style space heaters throughout the winters?
ReplyDeleteYes, we still have that unit in the picture. It usually sits on top of our wine rack counter where the lower helm used to be. I't mostly on low or medium and creates a good amount of warmth silently. We've switched to using Lasko ceramic heaters with a blower for the rest. The fan helps to push the heat into the corners and keeps air moving around the boat. Plus the ceramic element gives a nice bit of radiant heat when you get closer to it.
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