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10:56 pm
Friday,20 July, 2012
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Hi everyone,
I would like to know any tips or suggestions of products people have used to help keep their narrowboat cool. Not a normal question as normally everyone is asking how to keep them warm.
We have a 27″ nb that seems to heat up like a car and we have dogs so is far from ideal as it can reach some high temps. I am a CC so do not have access to 240v on hook ups and only use 12v. I do make sure I close my wooden blinds and have as many windows open as possible that Thieves can’t fit through.
So far we have imported 12v/battery fans from the USA as there seems to be no larger fans on the market here in the UK; only tiny ones.
I have had a browse through google and haven’t really found any ideas, other than tints (black or solar), have found a company that does solar blinds – which state they can give up to 92% heat rejection, the only other thing I can find is silver tarpaulin. I know there is caravan air conditioning but I am sure this would require a large amount of energy, but would be interested if anyone does have one on their boat.
Has everyone used any of the above with noticeable difference or has any other suggestions? Please post links and any reviews regarding the item.
Many thanks
Chloe
6:17 am
Friday,19 February, 2010
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clothesrack04 said
We have a 27″ nb that seems to heat up like a car and we have dogs so is far from ideal as it can reach some high temps.
Hi Chloe and welcome to the forum. A twenty seven inch narrowboat? Surely it’s easy to keep it cool. Just pop it in the fridge!
I don’t think you need to worry about the excessive heat from now on, just the normal English summer temperature hovering around the twenty degree mark. The forecast for the next week or so is the usual twenty degrees, sunshine and showers. However, I agree that the last couple of weeks have been a bit warm for our two spaniels.
Air conditioning just isn’t practical on a boat. You don’t have enough power. Maybe you could make it work if you have a powerful generator but the power requirement is too great for most narrowboat configurations. Our dogs haven’t suffered particularly badly. Here’s what we’ve done…
- Made sure that the curtains are always closed on the sunny side of the boat
- Whenever possible we’ve left open front and back and side doors and hatches, even overnight if no rain has been forecast
- Made sure that both of their coats were cut as short as possible
- Moored the boat in the shade if we’ve been out and about
- Encouraged the dogs to lie in the shade whenever we’re off the boat
- Made sure that the cratch cover was rolled up both sides so that the dogs could lie on the front deck and benefit from the through breeze
- Made sure that the dogs had a plentiful supply of cold drinking water
- We hose them down with fresh water from the tap a couple of times a day to cool them down. We don’t encourage them to swim in the canal. The water’s too dirty.
Both dogs have been fine. I think they’ve enjoyed the hot weather because Sally and I have spent so much time walking them through the shady woods in the evenings.
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1:49 pm
Friday,20 July, 2012
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Ops 27″ narrowboat now that would be small for two people and three dogs. 27 foot, ha ha, its the heat getting to me!
thank you Paul for your suggestions, we are already doing this already, but sometimes it is not always possible to take the dogs with us so have to leave them on the boat, so leaving doors and large windows open isn’t an option.
Thats why I hoping find people that have had their windows tinted may be able to help, not keen on the idea but if it would reduce heat to a noticable level it could be an option
3:25 pm
Wednesday,5 December, 2012
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we are already doing this already, but sometimes it is not always possible to take the dogs with us so have to leave them on the boat,
Hi Chloe,
Please don’t leave the dogs in the boat with the windows closed. My boat reached over 33.5C the other day and that was with the external doors closed, the sun side curtains shut and all the hopper windows open, oh and the pigeon hatch wide open and all the internal doors open.
One of the troubles is the roof of a boat, it just soaks up the sun. Just a thought, maybe a reflective tarp covering the roof would do some good.
4:38 pm
Thursday,12 January, 2012
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Consider the colour of your roof and sides. Our dark blue sides are too hot to touch at times but the cream roof is always cool.
Regards
Pete
Living retirement in the slow lane.
20 years hiring, 6 years of shared ownership and a Continuous Cruiser since 2007 but still learning!
5:06 pm
Tuesday,18 September, 2012
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GM said
we are already doing this already, but sometimes it is not always possible to take the dogs with us so have to leave them on the boat,Hi Chloe,
Please don’t leave the dogs in the boat with the windows closed. My boat reached over 33.5C the other day and that was with the external doors closed, the sun side curtains shut and all the hopper windows open, oh and the pigeon hatch wide open and all the internal doors open.
One of the troubles is the roof of a boat, it just soaks up the sun. Just a thought, maybe a reflective tarp covering the roof would do some good.
I agree – very dangerous to leave dogs on a closed boat. My internal temp got to 35 with all windows open (only small top ones), back hatch, front doors and side hatch.
As for roof – cover it with solar panels
Retired; Somerset/Dorset border when not out and about on Lucy Lowther
Days without name and hours without number
http://thelovelylisanarrowboat.blogspot.co.uk
5:47 pm
Friday,20 July, 2012
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Sorry should have said that we are very careful if not over careful when leaving the dogs and treat it like it is a car. I have an alarm to warn me of the temperatures in the boat that alert me on my phone. I work with dogs and have broken many dogs out of parked cars, so I know the dangers very well, but thank you for pointing that out, I would hate for anyone else to think it is acceptable.
I’m just surprised that there aren’t more ways of keeping a boat cool And that people deal with their boat being above 30c.
10:49 pm
Wednesday,28 March, 2012
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Hi Chloe,
I just stumbled on your thread and I have an idea which may or may not have some value.
The evaporation of water soaks up heat and can reduce the temperature of a surface for example the roof of your boat. How about pumping water over the boat through a perforated hose like you might use for watering a garden. There’s plenty of water in the canal and 12v pumps are readily available – you just need to consider the drain on your batteries but if you have a bank of solar panels this may not be too much of an issue. Now that the weather has changed a bit you may not need to worry so much but it might be worth considering for next year.
Hope this may be of some help.
Best regards, Norman
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