Brrrr

I first posted the following story on October 29, 2017. And now here I am in January of 2020, still debating the same question...

~~~~

Ok, so I have been in denial all of October but now it's becoming obvious that if I want to be comfortable this winter living on board, I need to decide on how to keep warm. It's still warm during the day (I have been swimming last week), but the early mornings are a bit chilly.
There is no electricity available in the fishing port where Eidos is moored, so using an electric heater is out of question. Of course, I could move to a marina and pay for moorage plus extra for electricity but in that case and for a similar price, I might as well rent a house.

I would love to have a cosy wood fireplace and it has been my first choice, but after talking to my son, have realized that: 1. It's expensive; 2. I'd have to feed it every 20 minutes; 3. I'd have to empty the ashes all the time; and 4. It takes a long time to produce heat.
Most importantly, I don't have a lot of room on board for the heater. It needs to be located near the floor so that it can have a minimum four-foot chimney for the correct draft. The only place I can think of is below the bell and next to the fire extinguisher but I think the heater is too big to fit there.

Right now, I'm using the gas cooking stove first thing in the morning and in the evening which gives out some heat as long as it's on. I am also experimenting with a clay flower pot that I put on top of one of the elements to see how that works to keep the heat on longer.

There is a butane heater available at a chandlers in town, but it would take up space on the floor, it needs ventilation and takes small bottles of gas, which is a headache and an expense.

Or this one.

Someone online recommended a Tilley oil lamp as putting out quite a bit of heat (as well as light). I have three small oil lamps already, that need a bit of maintenance, so that's my next step. And extra light is nice in the evenings. They tend to smell somewhat and also need ventilation, but might work in the fall.

Someone else recommended getting a warm sleeping bag and wearing more clothes. I'm already doing that (hat, scarf, sweater, tights), but perhaps getting a wool blanket for the settee might be a good idea. And a hot water bottle.

I think I'll start there. A wool blanket and a hot water bottle. It's not snowing yet!

~~~~

In 2017, I ended up feeling too lonely to stay in the fishing harbour, so together with a lack of heat and increased stormy conditions, the decision to go traveling became much more simple. I spent four months traveling to Athens, Rhodes, Ikaria, and Crete and spent the money that a heater would cost me (and more) on flights, ferries, taxis, and accommodation. Luckily, Eidos survived the winter and I returned to spring and good weather. 

The following October, I hauled out Eidos in Aktio Boat Yard and went traveling, this time to Ibiza. Unfortunately, I broke my leg on the final day of a Yoga retreat and so returned to Eidos and stayed aboard the rest of the winter. 

This past fall in November 2019, I decided to try living on board in Lefkas Marina. So far, I've enjoyed it even though it's been quite rainy and chilly. There is a good ex-pat and liveaboard community here so my social life has been much improved from previous years. However, I could reduce my expenses if I had an independent heater on board. And so, I am back where I started, wondering whether to install a Dickinson solid fuel heater. 

It would probably pay for itself in three years by me not having to pay for electric heat in winter. 

so, why haven't I done this earlier? 

• I've been hoping to sail to where it's warm all the time.
• I'll have to drill a hole in the deck and cut up some furniture inside in order to fit it in.
• I tried it already with a homemade heater and filled my boat with smoke while trying to light it.
• It will cost me about $1500 to buy and install it.
• I just bought a keyboard for $300 and didn't blink when making the purchase but it seems that my comfort zone ends there. 
• I also need a sun awning for the summer which will cost about 500 Euros and a sprayhood for about 800 Euros.
• How much longer do I plan to live onboard? Is it worth it to install a heater if I will move on land soon? I will never recoup the money when selling Eidos.
• If I had all the money in the world (this is my go-to method of making a decision), I would do it all: stove, awning, sprayhood, keyboard, holidays in the sun, the boat where it's warm.

My long term plans don't include traveling in winter anymore. I prefer living on my boat and move it, rather than in a hotel room with only the things I can fit in a carry on suitcase. And so, having an independent heater is practical in case I find a lovely harbour for next winter but without electricity. Or if the electricity is so expensive that I will have to live in a semi frigid boat to save money. 

At the moment, there is no one who can install it for me. Bob, the carpenter who does a lot of work on board, is busy until August! He could drill a hole for the chimney, but I would need to do everything else. But it looks like winter is nearing the end, the electric heater is very reliable and the electricity is not that expensive (about 2 Euros/day), so perhaps I'll wait (again) until next fall before reassessing the situation.