When overnight temps dip into the 40’s (Farenheit) or a norther comes thru with winds over 20 knots, pouring rain and a daytime high around 60, it can get a little chilly on the boat. Okay, a lot chilly.
Let me say right at the outset that this post isn’t for people who are wintering over in cold places, such as the Chesapeake or further north. No, we’re in south Florida where it’s usually warm during the daylight hours and only cools down after sunset.
Yesterday, I woke up to a boat that was 41 degrees on the inside. YIKES!
Time for some serious action.
We needed a heater. For safety reasons, we weren’t going to let it run all night (read about a boat fire from a heater) – but to warm up the boat in the evening and again when we first wake up, yep. While Dave and I aren’t exactly luxury cruisers, we do believe in having a decent lifestyle. And that means not freezing.
I first figured I’d pick up a cheap electric heater for use in the boat yard and whenever we were at a marina. But that would leave us “out in the cold” when we were at anchor.
We learned that several people here in the boat yard use small propane heaters that run off the 1-pound camping/grill canisters. A-ha! Thanksgiving morning, one even gave us two propane canisters as an incentive to go buy a heater!
We got the Mr. Heater Little Buddy and it has made a huge difference in our quality of life. Yes, we still take other measures to stay warm but having the boat in the mid-60’s during the evening instead of the mid-50’s is so much more pleasant. And 61 in the morning after running the heater for a half hour and making a pot of coffee means that I can type without my fingers going numb.
The Mr. Heater Little Buddy runs off a single propane canister (you can also rig it to run off your main propane tank – for us, that’s not practical) and at least around here, is the heater that most boaters are using.
- A one-pound canister will last 5-1/4 hours – for us, that’s two to three days of use.
- There’s no thermostat – it’s on or off.
- It has two important safety mechanisms – it turns itself off if tipped over or if it senses low oxygen.
- It looks top heavy but isn’t at all.
- Convenient handle on the back for moving it when it’s lit.
- Easy to use.
Admittedly, you probably couldn’t use it in a rolly anchorage (particularly in a monohull) where it might tip over, but otherwise it’s great.
No, it doesn’t turn the boat into a sauna . . . but it makes it comfortable to sit and read. And if I’m warm when I go to bed – and the sheets aren’t freezing – my body heat warms up the bed and I’m comfortable to fall asleep. Without the heater, when I was cold when I went to bed and the sheets were also cold, it took forever to warm up enough to fall asleep.
Wish we’d known about this before we came down and went through not one, but two cold snaps! From talking to friends here, a heater is almost a necessity not just in Florida, but the Bahamas as well. And I know there were a few days we wished we had one in La Paz in the Sea of Cortez.
The Little Buddy can be hard to find, particularly if you are trying to find one in the middle of a cold snap. Around here, home improvement stores only carried the larger models that are too large to be practical on most boats. Walmart and Target only carry electric heaters in the stores. Ace Hardware and Tractor Supply (the two other local stores we tried) don’t carry propane heaters. We happened on one (the last one) at Northern Tool & Equipment, where we’d gone to get a Honda generator on a Black Friday sale – if they hadn’t had one, I already had one in my Amazon cart and was prepared to pay for overnight shipping to get it ASAP!
Best price I’ve found is on Amazon:
Walmart offers the consistent best price on the one-pound propane bottles that we’ve found (others may beat them at times with sales). Mr. Heater also offers a refill adapter so that you can refill the small bottle from your primary tank.
I’m serious, get a heater BEFORE you need it.
Here’s your “Quick Start” to everything you need to know when living on a boat:
And check out our other courses and products
Bob Connolly says
The larger model has the same safety features and really toasts the boat up nicely! Seen here in MN last month when overnight temps were 34F!
Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor says
This looks like a brilliant solution for when the temps drop! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Maryanne Grady says
We have a little buddy on our boat in Morro Bay!
Shane Bartus says
We just started using a Mr. heater (18k BTU) to extend out season on the Chesapeake and love it. We keep a port cracked though in addition to dorads and don’t sleep with it on. Also wouldn’t recommend it for anyone with a gas engine.
Susan McCoy says
Have any of you noticed if it adds moisture to the boat?
Michael Shrum says
We use a Coleman SportCat (5,000 BTU) aboard our ‘Lily Pad’. It lacks the safety features of the little buddy, but we take care. We use the wide base the fits the 1# canisters, it is secured to the grating on the cabin sole when in use.
We are often on the Delta in Nor Cal. In the morning is sweet to look across at the shore covered in frost, coffee in hand, and not be shivering.
Love your web site
Rosie Gammelgaard says
Michael Shrum,
If you ever see this note – I’d love to discuss your Caroline. Could you drop me a line at rosiegammelgaard — at — gee-mail *dot* com?
Thanks!
Diane Cook says
We found this a lifesaver during our 2nd weekend anchoring during Christmas in San Diego. The first time the cabin was a chilly 51′! I bring it into the head, cabin, galley & cockpit! Since I couldn’t microwave my rice bags, I used good ole fashioned water bottles filled with hot water to place inside our bed to warm the sheets & toes!!! $15 at CVS. Also a lifesaver!
Jim Shell says
Please use carbon monoxide monitors when using these heaters in an enclosed space.
Tom says
Another $20 gets the larger model with two settings and auto ignition. I love it and it’s well worth it’s footprint in storage. http://amzn.to/1JKA4m7
Deb Kurtz says
We just bought our little buddy to use next summer for those cool nights in the Spring on Lake Ontario. We plan to cruise to the Bahamas in the Fall and are hoping to use it during our trip south. I appreciate the article and everyone’s feedback. We bought ours at Walmart but noticed that not all Walmart stores had them on their shelves. I guess we lucked out.
Lara Davis says
We have had a Little Buddy for over a year now and LOVE it. It’s kept us warm on chilly mornings when camping, on a cross-country road trip last winter, on our sailboat and in our cabin in Alaska when the power goes out. I do agree with the poster about using a carbon monoxide detector or not using it for prolonged periods of time in enclosed spaces. Me and the hubs agree that our Little Buddy was totally worth the money!!
Dave Paoletta says
While doing some looking around for pros and cons of this heater I happened onto this “Practical Sailor” article. Based on this I’m looking for other alternatives. Please use caution operating any propane device inside your boat as they are not recommended for such use by manufacturers.
http://www.practical-sailor.com/issues/31_7/chandlery/5098-1.html
Deb Kurtz says
We just purchased the 4000 BTU buddy Heater and it does just as others say. It take the chill out of the air. Also, we find it takes moisture out of the boat. Cooking on the stove adds moisture, but the Heat Buddy takes it away. We turn it on for 15-20 minutes then turn it off. We use it in the morning to warm up the cabin and during the day on those cold damp days. We are presently in the Cheasapeak and last night and this morning were cold. Our Little Buddy heater was just what we needed.
Ron Dionne says
We used those small canisters of propane to pack into our bush cabin in Alaska for cooking on a small portable burner. They were easy to pack in and very easy to use. Brings back memories of long ago !! Thanx for the share. I’ll be looking for one for our boat. Great that there is an oxygen depletion sensor.
Zachary Schweter says
What would you suggest for places further north when not near power… I can’t stand the way kerosene /diesel smells…
The Boat Galley says
See John Brett’s comment about his wood stove . . .
Emily Pakarinen says
We live aboard in Oregon…small wood stove is the way to go, it even smells good. Tried other methods none of them compare to wood heat.
Zachary Schweter says
What are the cost effective stoves? Seems small carries a hefty price tag..
Emily Pakarinen says
We put a very small parlour stove in our 29′ sailboat. Cost $75…3 years ago. Check out Craig’s list in your area. We love it.
Zachary Schweter says
Parlour stove?? Ok will look into..
Emily Pakarinen says
Cast iron. It holds the heat. Any small wood stove will work. Just fire proof the area your putting it in. Ours is also small enough to take apart and store in a hold during warmer months.
Emily Pakarinen says
Also very easy to make a small wood stove. Check out YouTube videos, but it wouldn’t be made out of cast iron so once fires out you would loose heat rapidly.
Bryren Sexton says
I have two friends who burned up their boats with these!..be careful with them!..pets were the cause in both cases..
The Boat Galley says
You can’t leave them unattended!
John Brett says
Propane heat doesn’t work for boats, a small wood stove is the way to go.
The Boat Galley says
That’s probably true in cold climates, but for occasional “chilly” weather, these are great.
Brenda Harbottle says
Actually, our propane cozy cabin heater in our boat does a great job up here in Seattle, WA during Winter. We love it.
John Brett says
I used a Mr. Buddy heater for a year in Portland and fraught mold constantly then I bought a boat with a Neptune wood cook stove and no more mold.
Gregory Thompson says
Wood stove on a boat?
Gregory Thompson says
John Brett says
Tim says
These Little Buddy heaters are great! I’m using one now to heat my van for camping in -20 C and it’s more than enough. They don’t produce enough carbon monoxide to be a concern in an enclosed space.
Eric Ludin says
We bought little buddy when you first published this article and have LOVED it! We used it many times when anchored out in the cold and it definitely makes our cabin nice and toasty. Thanks for the recommendation.
Kirk Williams says
Just a caucious note: These put out a ton of moisture. Best to use a diesel heater. But in a pinch they can work. Just beside to vent your boat.
Larry says
Wood or coal stove…..
Check out a “Tiny Tot”.
When the cat’s water bowl would freeze solid on the cockpit sole, we were toasty below on our Mason.
Keith Kolb says
I have used little buddy heaters and still have them and they work well outside as a radiant heat source but they also put off a ton of moisture because one of there byproducts of combustion is water. I found that after the thrill is gone and the propane bottle runs out in the middle of the night it starts getting damn cold and then the moisture kicks in and makes it worse.
I had been seeing these Chinese diesel fueled forced air heaters getting good reviews (check out videos on YouTube)
In the past the 2 main makers of these heaters out of Europe like Webasto and Eberspacher that ruled the market and wanted outrageous prices. I had one of these and had a failure of a glow plug and trying to get parts became another circus.
I been hearing the Chinese knock off been working well and decided to buy a couple 2k that I paid just a little over $200 for the pair of VEVOR heaters.
VEVOR sell them where you can mount the heater remotely or have a portable setup that can be moved and vent hose onto the area you want heated. they hardly consume any electric (12 volt) and hardly any diesel that most boats have.
I have a Sprinter van that I mounted a 2k (they rate these thing by (k rating) heat rating kind of a conversion of BTUs) they also come in 5 and 8k. and I had to take a trip to St Louis where it was below freezing at night and humid. Turned on this Chinese diesel heater and was happy as a clam.
Thank you Carolyn for doing The Boat Galley and look forward to your articles, someday I hope to get a Gemini and cruise like you, I live in Colorado so we have a MacGregor 26X
Keith In Colorado Springs