Espar D8 Forced Air Diesel Heater (8KW)

by John January 1, 2005

After years of fighting with an unreliable diesel heater, we are very pleased with the Espar heater we installed in 2000. It is one of the bigger ones they make and keeps us toasty in all weather.

Keeping The Boat’s Interior Dry

by John January 1, 2005
Note Morgan's Cloud's beefy dorade, outlined in yellow

Question: Is keeping the interior of the boat dry in the midst of prolonged damp, chilly weather, and/or sea spray just a matter of dorade vents, hull insulation and your Espar heater? Do you have success keeping the interior dry or does it inevitably get damp?

Which Heating System?

by John January 1, 2005

Question: What do you use for heating on Morgan’s Cloud?

Is The Espar Heater Really That Hot?

by John January 1, 2008

Question: My experience with diesel heat is that it’s hard to light, hard to control, it smells and the deck is covered in soot. That was 25 years ago with the stainless steel pot belly stove in [a] Westsail. You rave about the Espar diesel heater. Is the Espar really that good and does it [...]

Which Heater Is More Efficient?

by John December 1, 2009

Question: Could you please address the fuel consumption of forced-air bus heaters vs. the Refleks?

An Analysis Of Boat Heating Systems

by John December 1, 2009
Phyllis melting snow on the Refleks heater on aluminum expedition sailboat Polaris in her winter home at Disko Bay, Greenland.

We have long heard the praises of the Danish Refleks diesel drip heater sung by the many expedition sailboat owners that have them, but since we simply don’t have a good place for one, or its chimney, on Morgan’s Cloud, we had never had the chance to use one before the month we spent on [...]

Port Bezels

by Phyllis February 1, 2010
The bezel is shown in its cold weather configuration with the Plexiglas cover installed. In warmer conditions we remove the Plexiglas so that the port can be opened. I (Phyllis) designed and built the curtains which attach with Velcro. They work well and are easy to remove for cleaning.

Question: Could you post detailed photos to your website of the wooden bezels you fitted to your ports to accept Plexiglas covers? Did you do the same for your hatches? We are losing the battle against condensation in Florida’s current cold snap. Thanks!

Cooking And Heating With Kerosene (Paraffin)

by John July 1, 2010
Kerosene (Propane) Stove (Cooker)

[While living on Polaris for a month, I wrote about the boat’s kerosene stove (cooker), which sparked a lively debate in the comments about the benefits and drawbacks of various cooking fuels on boats. Continuing that theme, we just got a note from our good friend and Norwegian Correspondent for the Norwegian Cruising Guide, Hans [...]