The words most dreaded by mariners, if you believe the old books, are ‘fire at sea’. There are, however, moments when a person does think longingly about heating, particularly this side of the equinox.
One of these moments came recently, sitting in my ketch Dahlia off the west coast of Scotland, anchor down. The great Trevor Robertson, having no space for fuel, prepared to spend a winter in Antarctica by taking plenty of candles. These could on special occasions raise the temperature in his steel cutter Iron Bark a whole degree above freezing. At the softer end of the spectrum are various diesel heaters like the Eberspächer and its cheaper and perhaps nastier clones. The candle method is a bit too Spartan for Dahlia, and I do not like the smell of diesel. We therefore pondered a bit.
Some of the better-equipped classic boats I have sailed rejoiced in a genuine coal fire. While this is very proper, in the back of the mind there lurks the thought that a fit of absentmindedness and a decent broach could splatter red-hot embers all over the rare Persian rugs on the cabin sole.
Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Practical Boat Owner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Practical Boat Owner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar
Spain's maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, has reported that a 15m (49ft) yacht sank in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar following interaction with a pod of orca.
No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash
A kill cord and lifejacket are useless unless worn-that's the warning from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), following its investigation into a powerboat crash that killed a 32-year-old woman and five-year-old girl on 2 October 2022.
Multihull sail work
Brush up on multihull sailing skills before heading off on charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to spinnaker handling, tacking and gybing
Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them
Jake Kavanagh talks to Sea Start marine engineer Nick Eales about how to avoid the five major causes of an engine breakdown at sea
Sail the Atlantic with strangers
Would you sail across the Atlantic with someone you've just met? Ali Wood meets the cruising crews who've done just that
IZIBoat: simple sailing
Rupert Holmes sails an innovative catamaran design intended to widen participation in sailing among those with little time to get on the water in more conventional craft
30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT
From tall ships to small dinghies, you needn't own a boat to sail. Ali Wood looks at the options, and how skippers can also find crew
Boats for restoring under £20,000
Duncan Kent picks the best sub-35ft sail and power boats to look for when aiming to undertake a restoration on a budget
Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500
For low cost traditionally-styled GRP trailer-sailers, consider the Foreland and the Otter available at bargain basement prices
Playing with coloured sails
Maintaining an hourglass-shaped balloon and ratcheting up the log numbers