Gearing up for winter

Every year at the marina, the buzz begins to get louder as October 15th slides on by. Everyone wants to know how you are heating your boat for the year.

Its a big deal...not only for the warmth, but for the fact that at our marina, October 15th is when we start getting charged for electricity, so space heaters are not always the best option.

For us, we always have to factor into the equation that we have a pup and kitty to keep warm, even if we're not on the boat.

While aboard the Fitz, we heated the boat with a nice little woodstove. While we loved it, it was hard to keep a consistent heat and the stove wanted to be fed every half hour or so. That meant waking up to a very cold boat. Needless to say, the bed was full of warm bodies during the winter on the fitz, because there is nothing like warmth to keep a cat and dog happy!

Last year, Justin installed a Dickinson propane heater, and we love it. The flame makes for very cozy evenings, but we have noticed that when it gets to be very cold, the fireplace alone can't keep us too warm. We also had an oil filled heater and a regular space heater. Oh, and a mattress heater too.

This year, we're taking a bit of a different route. The oil heater broke, as did the space heater. We decided we'd replace those with two small space heaters, because really those are what help out the most especially when we're gone and don't want to leave the propane running.

To add a bit more comfort to the boat this year, we bought a rug heater which is a 2' x 7' strip. We bought some rugs to lay over it, and so far it is VERY nice to have a nice warm floor to walk on. The dog and cat have already discovered the heat and have been laying on it when its chilly.

The last heat source has been our new oven. What better way to get warm than to get warm with smells of cookies or stew lingering in the air! It's been a nice excuse to do more baking.

Now that October 15th has come and gone, another thing is abuzz at the marina - they are moving the boats in for the winter. We have a very nice winter spot, but once we're there, we can't go out sailing. We've been tempted to keep our outside slip for the winter, but I know I'll be very happy when I need to take Willie for an evening stroll and I can get to the grass in 20 steps or less.

And here is how Willie keeps warm, thanks to my mom!!