I have recently brought a Parker 31 and would like to fit a heater.

There’s a high chance, I will fit a eberspacher D4 (as I had one given to me)

My question is, has anyone fitted one to there boat? Where did you mount it in the boat? Where did you run the ducting? What heater/size did you fit, and was it big enough to beat the boat sufficiently?

Ben, I fitted a Webasto airtop 2000 STC to my 275 over the winter and it is the best thing we ever did. The heat is more than sufficient for my boat and I imagine that it would heat a 31 no problem. I know that the boat's are not the same but I put the heater in the cockpit locker, we'll forward and ran the ducting through the bulkhead, behind the galley and through the port side under seat locker to two outlets, one in the saloon and one in the forepeak. Happy to advise further if it would help. Carefully insulating the ducting seems to be the secret to success.

Phill

Hi Ben

Congratulations on buying your Parker 31,

which one did you buy and where are you based ?

I too fitted a d4 on my 275 about 3 years ago, I made provisions for two more outlets one in the forecabin and one in the head

i use 10cm ducting , the bigger the better and insulated it with exhaust pipe webbing

it works very well and heats the boat up very quickly, in fact probably to hot !!

I fitted the unit in the cockpit locker along with a remote fuel tank, i didnt fancy drilling a hole in the main diesel tank also several people have said it runs better on road diesel apposed to red

I am based in Gosport, if you are lacal and would like to come and have a look

Cheers

Peter Lowry

Commodore

Sophia 275 #53

Peter Lowry

Thanks for your reply’s Phill & Peter.

I thought the cockpit locker would be favourable, but I thought I’d check to see if any one had any other ideas.

I have fitted a few heaters in “gin palaces” but there’s always plenty of room in the ones Iv done.

Lagging/insulation is the key.

The heaters do run cleaner on road diesel or kerosene. I haven’t even thought about fuel tanks yet!

I brought Hunka Munka, No10, from Falmouth.

I’m sure a lot of you saw it for sale.

It was for sale for a while online and on a broker site.

She had been neglected, leaking windows, bad electrics, split hydraulic hose, plus all the normal stuff.

She does have a new engine fitted and new spray hood.

I had it transported by road to pinmill in Suffolk, where I will work on it over the winter and launch it early next season (that’s my plan.....)

I have "Paragon" #25 moored at Manningtree. I installed an eberspacher in the cockpit locker - it works well but running the ducting through to the cabin was a pain as either the fuel tank and cooler compartment get in the way or ducting around the engine and sterngear is tight. You'd be welcome to come and have a look at my installation at some stage. You might come up with a better solution which I could copy!

Vernon

I replaced my troublesome Webasto with a 3.5 kW Planar (a model never marketed in the UK) in 2016. It lives in the locker on the transom (we never use it sailing). The fuel pump is under the emergency keel pump. The fuel is road diesel from the main tank. The hot air bifurcates with a smaller diameter pipe going via the transom to the rear cabin. The larger diameter pipe traverses the lower part of the galley assembly and bifurcates and exits under the port bunk. The main 'artery' exits in the heads open drying locker. The galley slave loves warm towels!

---