The Little Cod Wood Stove Review | Paragon’s Favourite Stuff Ep. 10

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Have you ever imagined having a wood burning stove on your sailboat? Every winter for the past 10 years we’ve heated our boat with the Little Cod stove! Join Drake aboard sailing vessel Paragon as he goes over all of the great (and not so great) things about having a wood stove on a boat. Plus check out what’s coming next!
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Navigator Stove Works Little Cod - www.marinestove...
Salamander Stoves The Hobbit SE - salamanderstov...
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See the whole North Atlantic Adventure series with the links below!
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#WoodStove #Sailing #BoatHeating

[@drakeParagon]

The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/drakeparagon0322

[@jmgrif]

After living with a wood burning stove as our only heat in a log home, I would advise when cleaning ash while the stove is burning to be careful with the ash! It can have glowing pieces of wood still active and can immediately come to life with the new found source of oxygen. Love you new found stove!.

[@wayphun72]

WOW...thanks for dropping the incredible piece of experience on us!!! Perhaps one day some of us will be as fortunate as you to have a wood stove, and can some how figure out the science of embers...god what a big brain you must have to put all that together, AMAZING!

[@user-hx4lc1yw7q]

Hey Drake, Andrew @ Navigator here. Great review. Glad your Cod has served you so well. When we went to EPA certify Cod for emissions we found that putting a gasket on the door effectively starved the fire of oxygen and would make it run less cleanly. Hence we were informed by our testing lab to steer clear of gasketting. Now onto the often misdiagnosed causes of"backdrafting". Firstly, obtain some incense sticks which will allow visualization of air flow dynamics down below. What you are looking for with this method are openings to outside which under windy conditions can actually be sources of negative pressure in the cabin which work against the chimney updraft. Air flow over the hull and deck of the boat can suck air out of the boat in a more powerful way than the power of the warm chimney updraft. Chimney caps get the blame when the issues at work are much more complex than the easy to imagine "wind blowing down chimney". One can make sense by seeing if the handy smoking stick smoke is being pulled out of any opening. One can also go over to the (non operating)stove and see if there is air blowing out of what are normally air injection points to stove. Dorade vents and portlights can really induce tons of negative pressure. So figuring out what is contributing the cause of neg. pressure is key. So when the wind whips up you will know what combination of hatches and ports open or closed eliminates flow to outside. Best to map your flow first rather than buy a bunch of different smoke heads hoping to quell the supposed "downdrafting". Let's please look at the air flow dynamics down below and start helping folks "see"what's going on. A/nsw

[@lowbrowscruffy]

I installed a "Cubic mini" in my boat. Made in Quebec. Cost about $400. Superb! I use an insulated 2 foot section of pipe (from a propane furnace ) above deck. Increases the draft and eliminated creosote. I have 7 woodstoves, this one is my fav! I am a vegetable farmer and cut up waxed boxes to start-up, no kindling required. Have one of those fans that run off heat differential. Neatly silent, and increased the heat output and dispersal...

[@blueskyredkite]

The bung for the chimney: Put a big metal washer (2"+ ... up to just shy of the bung diameter) on the underside, and use a halyard to pull it out with that steel cable when required. Must be safer than a knife.

[@drakeParagon]

I think that might damage the bung if I tried to pull it out that way, but I'll give it a try and let you know. Thanks. :) - Drake

[@ginaiovine2947]

@@drakeParagon why not just use an expansion plug that way you can screw it in to expand it and unscrew it and comes right out

[@drakeParagon]

Thank for the tip! I found a 4" expansion plug that looks like it will work great. Will probably order it.

[@ginaiovine2947]

@@drakeParagon we use them all the time and they work great. Definitely go with the stainless

[@drakeParagon]

@@ginaiovine2947 thank you! :)

[@AndyUK-Corrival]

The new stove looks like a great upgrade Drake. I am about to install a charcoal stove on my Rival which I think will work well in the small space I have. It has a flue that is only 50mm dia so very little and this will reduce any down draft. I tested it at home and it burns really hot and cleanly once going and when full of charcoal it should burn for about 12hrs. It isn’t really designed to be restocked with charcoal when it is running as that means taking the top off and letting loads of smoke into the cabin. It doesn’t leave much in the way of ash so disposal is easy. I look forward to seeing how you get on with the new stove. Cheers as always. Andy UK

[@pmnfernando]

maybe, as a backup for your cowl, you could get a welding blanket, customize its size and hang it around the stove like a shower curtain. it will contain the sparks and mess

[@Nerd3927]

That Salamander Hobbit is a very fine upgrade. Nothing beats a coal fire. Before 2012 I used a coal stove and loved it. The radiant heat is indeed like being out in the sun in spring. Now I live onboard I have electric heaters, A Dickinson NewPort diesel heater, and a Chinese Eberspaecher D4 rip off. Repairing the D4 is an always returning saga, but I am pretty good at it by now. And all parts are dirt cheap.

[@Cptnbond]

The Salamander stove looks like a beast. It will for sure keep you warm. I'm looking forward to installation and review once it's up and running. Cheers.

[@markmahan6768]

The Hobbit stove looks great! I'll be watching for your review video of it.

[@pfox9094]

Regarding your comments about downdraft, ceramic rope seal are available in a various diameters as these are service items for many stoves. They can be fixed with a high temperature adhesive (best sourced from the supplier of the ceramic rope).

[@drakeParagon]

Thanks, We tried this, but I the Little Cod isn't designed to have a rope seals. With the way the door and air flow controls open and close, I don't think we could add rope seals. In any case, we're installing our Hobbit stove now, and the Little Cod is for sale. - Drake

[@davidpollock406]

Hi Drake - interesting topic. I have had an Espar heater on my boat for years. The trick I found was every few months to let it burn kerosene for 20 minutes. The kerosene burns hotter than with diesel and it real cleans it out. My dealer provided the hose and connector when I purchased it. The other issue I have is from what I have read burning diesel is cleaner than using a defra wood stove. Thanks for the video’s!

[@davidpollock406]

I should have stated cleaner for the overall environment.

[@oceansquatch1481]

Wonderful episode. I’ve been on the fence between gravity fed diesel and solid fuel but you won me over. Thanks again for all your informative videos Drake!

[@mgalyean]

Gravity fed diesel is a lot simpler than the heater Drake demonstrated, but less efficient. I have a love/hate rel'n with my Taylor. My best friend when it is freezing out and the flue is clean and its drawing fine

[@gregfawcett5152]

You might want to look into a Dickinson (Newport) Diesel Heater or Reflex diesel heater...I have a Dickinson and love it.

[@andrewb2111]

Love your channel Drake and Monique. If I can offer a tidbit of advice, it would be to increase your chimney length. When dealing with two pressure systems (the heat from the stove causing rise in the chimney, and the wind causing downdraft), the longer the pipe the longer the space for the wind to dissipate before it reaches the firebox. It also adds a bit of safety by getting any sparks away from the deck surface and the smoke is emitted above head level. Since you're only using the stove at anchor, a temporary brace could be used to support the extra pipe up top. I did this in my off grid cabin and now when the wind blows, I actually get more updraft. Best of luck and look forward to every episode you publish.

[@drakeParagon]

Thanks Andrew. That sounds great. I never really thought about additional flue length reducing the downdraft. We'll see what we can do with a redesign. Thanks again! - Drake

[@andrewb2111]

@@drakeParagon Best of luck my friends. I'd try a couple sections of cheap 3' single wall pipe before spending the money on the double or triple wall (if you use insulated pipe). If It works as it should, you may then want to cap it with a spark arresting chimney cap. You'd hate to be liable for torching a mega yacht in those marinas lol.

[@christopherpeterson1400]

I have had an old very old, potbelly stove in my old boat. It came to me very used , but it had a homemade brass sheetmetal tray in the bottom to catch and hold ash. It also contains ash from any downdraft wind , and is easily removed each morning to dump out ash, tray stays in stove while burning .. presto stove clean, and ready for next fire

[@drakeParagon]

That sounds lovely...I love those old potbelly stoves. The little cod puts out a lot of heat, but not being able to clean out the ash while keeping the fire going became a real issue once we were in colder climes. When we were in Iceland we pretty much kept the fire going 24/7 and it was a real pain to have to let it go out so we could clean out all the ash that had built up. Very much looking forward to having an ash pan! -Monique

[@pilatesonthewater9963]

So useful! Thanks guys! We used to love our wood burning stove on our Narrowboat. We now live in Uk on our Victory 40. We would love to install a minnie multi fuel stove, so thank you so much for your tips, which we have also experienced, and totally agree with! X

[@drakeParagon]

You had a narrow boat?!? How lovely! I've had a bit of a crush on narrow boats and even thought of trying to rent one for a jaunt through the canals for a week or two. They look so cozy and I love the idea of tying up to the sides of the canal at night. Yes, we're really hoping that this Hobbit works out. Our big question now is how to secure it in case the worst happens (a knockdown) and there have been some seriously furrowed brows and mad scribbling on paper over the last several days. I think we're figured thing out though and will be sure to include that in the next Hobbit video. Btw, I looked at a Victory 40 on yacht world...beautiful boat! I'm a bit jealous of that pilot house! -Monique

[@pilatesonthewater9963]

@@drakeParagon thanks! Well we love your cockpit too, and the inside of your boat is incredibly cosy. In fact, we originally started watching your videos because you have just our kind of boat! Look fw to the next episode. If you find yourself in Cornwall, come visit! 😃❤️

[@philipgregory5392]

I liked a Newport Bulkhead Mount Diesel Heater that I had in the forward sleeping cabin on my 40 foot ketch in Puget Sound. It also had a huge diesel cooking stove. The stove had so much iron it was a wonderful radiant hear source. The cabin heater was only necessary in the coldest weather

[@martynycum583]

You can glue your own ASBESTOS SEALS on the doors. I did that on my own wood stove. It made it Air tight. I controlled how much air that entered the stove. Thus, I controlled how fast my wood burned and how hot the stove got. Plus, I didn't burn near as much wood as I once did. Any wood stove supply store can help you get what you need. I got the high temp glue and seal from Tractor Supply Inc.

[@drakeParagon]

Thanks! 😀 But with the way the air vents work on the Little Cod stove even if we did our best at trying to seal it, I think it would still have the downdraft problem blowing smoke into the cabin.

[@logskidder5655]

Having dealt with a few old wood (and coal) stoves including Navigators, we found that thin glass webbing can be used to seal the doors and some damper openings. But now that you have moved on to the Hobbit, the seals should no longer be a problem. You will be surprised at how much heat you can get with coal. Just make sure that you get the clean burning stuff, or the smell and slag (something you do not get with wood) can drive you nuts.

[@gregfawcett5152]

I have a Webasto forced air diesel heater=same as an Espar forced air diesel heater. My Webasto ran for 2000 hours and then died (83 days) always in the winter. The only choice was to have an authorized Webasto dealer take the unit out and rebuild it for $ 2000.00...so it cost a buck an hour to run plus the cost of the diesel plus the inconvenience of having to wait until the unit could be rebuilt usually done about springtime... so had to freeze until rebuilt. After a couple of winters doing this I put in a Dickinson (Newport) diesel heater. The Dickinson works great so far (2nd winter with it) and no problems puts out a ton of heat, no problems and you can watch the fire burn, no smell and virtually no soot. Best...SV Aquila...Seattle.

[@jtera008]

Dangerous wind information was new to me, thank you. I wonder if one could "marinetize" Finnish "Porin Matti"-fireplace. Propably way superior to any of these because of the mass (yes that is important) yet the footprint is quite small. These have been build like 100's of thousands at this point and old ones one can find one for like 100 eur (or free) but restauration might be required (new 2500-3000 eur). Lid is air tight for better burning and eliminating CO-hazard. Burning gas circulates to heat the mass, designed to use minimal amount of wood, can be used as a stove or add additional stoneplate for added heat capasity. it's pretty much all there, what's not to like. Measured to to heat homes in Finland in the winter. Depending on the size of the oven casity ranges somewhere between 20m3 - 100m3 of air (1 m3 ~ 35 ft3, i think). By old specs (1940's models) from producers webpages: the foot is always 500mm x 300 mm and height between 800mm - 1680mm, weight 170-355kg. Models seem to have changed little (but they have changed over the years, mind you). 170 kg propably is not too much for 32ft:ish boat, just to find the place is tricky. I personally would feel uncomfortable placing this too close to the engine, although spot right under stairs might be the best fit. Maybe for bigger boats or well maybe with proper isolation.

[@johnfroeber3191]

Wood with mojo ! Glad your back :)

[@cawfeedawg]

Drake this was a well put together and very informative video -Thanks guys!

[@redshifttrucking4537]

Love the new stove... coal burns a hell of a lot hotter than wood, so experiment at first.... I remember from childhood, a small shovel of coal dust would get an almost dead fire from an overnight burn going like rocket fuel.... also a smoldering wood fire can be re-stoked and given a kick in the pants by inserting a piece of coal in the center. You might also experiment with chunk charcoal, which will burn very cleanly, provide more BTUs than wood, is lighter than wood, and can be made yourself in about 24 hrs. Having grown up in a rambling farm house with three large wood stoves going 24 hrs a day as the only heat, they have a special place in my heart. I look forward to your new, cleaner burning modern designed wood stove review.

[@Escapetosea]

Really love to see your hobbit installed. Curious about the 4” pipe and how you make that work. I want to put one in the place where my gimbal propane 4 burner is now. Great videos Drake.

[@kenttsui6024]

Perhaps a damper on your stove pipe can help prevent strong back draft from putting your fire in the stove?

[@cindyreid6404]

Super informative, enjoyed it. I'm interested to know how the new stove works for you. I'm considering a wood stove for here in Florida simply because of the high humidity and winter nights with a wood burner would be lovely. Thank you.

[@pierreblanchard3340]

I would put an eye bolt through the center of the bung and use a pry bar and a block of wood to lift it out. The block of wood for preventing damage to your deck surface and also to give some height for the pry bar.

[@ronaldrose8222]

Hey Drake Great video In place of the rubber bung I would suggest you use a plumbing fitting we use to test plumbing lines called a gripper.

[@drakeParagon]

Thanks for the tip

[@johnpray9049]

Nice video Drake, looking forward to hearing how you like your new stove. In the beginning of the video you talked about trying to insulate your first boat. Did you insulate your current boat and if so what are your recommendations? Maybe a topic for another video:)

[@jeffcarlton5023]

Could you please do short review of your new stove? We’re buying soon and would love your thoughts after 8 months. Thanks Jeff

[@TheLampini]

We have lived with a Salamander Hobbit as our only form of heat in our 57 foot narrowboat in the UK for the last 6 years. We were pretty toasty, and only employed a supplementary heater in the bedroom when it got down to minus 15c! We have spray foam insulation behind the wood and are porthole only so that helps. Hobbits like to be run hot, they’re well built, very efficient and there’s remarkably little ash - this winter has been so damp I’d rather run it hot and open a porthole to keep the humidity down..

[@campcookhenry]

Looks like the stoves I’ve seen on narrow boats, oh there’s 2000 miles of canals in England and Wales may be a fun break from the sea

[@Iam-mad]

Isn´t it awfully difficult to get wood in places like Iceland or Greenland, I think Scotland is also not really covered in forests? Maybe sheep dung can burn as well.. ok, joke aside, the Webasto or Eberspächer are Diesel heatings, that work more then 3 years. But I think the hot blown air is not really healthy. I personally would go for the Refleks diesel stove, most of Europe´s northern yachts (eg. the Dutch) use them, it sips diesel and warms well, and is reliable when You know the small tricks. (the dutch use tiles instead the metal sheet insulation) But Your hobbit is definetely cute though! We here in Austria use wood in our homes as well, with ceramic tiles-built stoves. Stay cosy warm!

[@drakeParagon]

So, remarkably enough, Iceland was a place where we basically got free wood to heat the boat for the entire winter. We were introduced to a local carpenter who had a ton of excess, untreated wood scraps that he would have to pay to have hauled away. When he heard that we had a wood stove on board he offered all the wood to us. He set up an industrial size trash can in his shop and would throw all the bits and bobs in the can throughout the day. Then we'd pop in a couple of times a week with our cart to have a coffee, a chat, and grab the wood. It was a lovely way to get wood to heat the boat AND meet a new friend. In Scotland we've used peat which has the best smell! I love coming home to the boat and smelling the peat smoke from a distance. Plus we just love the look and feel of having the fire going in the salon...it's so cozy. Now I could be wrong here, but I've heard that the diesel heaters create a certain amount of moisture and can cause condensation. I'm not sure where I heard this, but I wonder if that's true. Btw, I looked up the ceramic tile built stove and WOW! Those are so beautiful! It's almost like looking at a work of art, and I imagine they must be very warm as well. The hobbit is not quite so fancy, but I think she'll keep us warm. You stay warm and cosy as well! -Monique

[@vraymond108]

We have a wood stove on Arktika but have never used. You have inspired us to try it although it will never provide the ambiance the Little Cod does. Nevertheless heat is heat and would be welcome if all else fails or on the super cold conditions. Glad to see you back in Stornoway.

[@drakeParagon]

Victor, good to see you. Oh, I love your little wood stove on Arktika...it's adorable. Though that pilot house does stay quite warm from heat below. We had sometime thought about adding a tiny stove like that in the aft cabin. Not so much for when we sleep (because we like it cold), but more for when we are working back there during the winter. When we spent the winter in Iceland, it was so cold back there that we just shut if off and slept in the salon all winter. Super cozy with the Little Cod, but I wondered what it would be like to have something like you have in your pilot house. I hope you are both doing well and very much look forward to our paths crossing again one day. Cheers! -Monique

[@guillaumedutoit5376]

i think my spelling is may be wrong But that is coal but a lower qwality coal

[@whitecap308]

Way to go. Great stuff. You guys are the best. Keep on crack'en.

[@drakeParagon]

Thanks! Will do! :)

[@TheZtoleman]

I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN BUYING THE LITTLE COD IF ITS STILL AVAILABLE!

[@garyfairbrother5532]

Based on your 10 years of experience can you tell us what volume of wood in (terms of number of nights) you have used on longer passages? Have you ever resorted to magazines or table legs in an emergency? Lol. Great review and I enjoyed the memories of boat camping on the northern reaches of the Mississippi River in late, late autumn on my little boat.

[@Deceptor]

"when we finally arrived to our destination, we only had one half mast and the crew had to sit on the floor" :D

[@jeremyjohnson7930]

Drake , enjoying your episodes. I am fitting a hobbit range onto my Oyster 46. I know you were replacing your stove with a hobbit and was wondering whether you kept the through deck flue fittings the same ? i like your current arrangement partincuarly as when not in use it is flush with the deck . I have been trying to source "the deck fitting " but unlucky so far . Can you steer me in the right direction? appreciated regards Jeremy .

[@drakeParagon]

Hi Jeremy, Thank you. We did keep the same deck iron fitting and I think it works great. It's sold by Navigator Stove Works on this page: www.marinestove.com/Accessories.htm We absolutely love the Hobbit stove! But I was worried that the bolts holding the legs to the base might break in extremely rough weather. So I drilled 3 holes in the bottom of the stove and used M8 bolts and large washers to throughbolt it to the platform underneath. Now I know for sure that no matter what happens, that stove isn't going anywhere. :) - Drake

[@W4ABN]

If I had the space, I'd consider the Sardine heater. Maybe if I got a different/bigger boat I'd get a Little Cod. Look like great little stoves.

[@drakeParagon]

I think the Sardine would be perfect for Rhapsody. :) - Drake

[@wizardmix]

Love it! I'm sold, do they make those stoves for the home?

[@drakeParagon]

Yes! :) The hobbit stoves are actually designed to be used in homes and small spaces on land. I don't think they were ever thinking about them being used in sailboats when they were designing them. The Little Cod stove on the other hand was designed to be used in boats, but could also certainly be used in a house. - Drake

[@marlakaine]

Hi Drake, we are looking at installing a solid fuel stove on our W32. Based on your experience with the chimney in this video, we're looking to buy a directional chimney cowl. Haven't found your exact one, but another of similar function. Question is, are you still happy with this cowl or would you go back to the H style or round dickinson if you had to do it over again? Thank you!

[@drakeParagon]

Hi, We used that rotating chimney for 3 whole winters with no problems.. We haven't had a chance to use it this winter yet because we've been away from the boat. But I did notice that it has completely seized up and isn't turning at all. I'm not sure if I'll be able to clean it up and get it working again. Maybe? If not then I think I would probably get another of the same design because it really works great no matter how windy it gets outside. We had an H style for a few years before the directional. It worked most of the time, but then had problems in big gusts where the wind would go down the chimney and blow smoke into the cabin. I've not used the round dickinson chimney you mentioned so I don't know if it would work better or worse..

[@marlakaine]

@@drakeParagon Thank you so very much for your time and for getting back to me so quickly. Deeply appreciated!!

[@generoll4027]

can you use charcoal in it?

[@lagerheadadventureco]

Great video, Drake. We have really enjoyed all your videos! Waiting for the Svalbard videos. We just bought a Little Cod for our boat and it's the same color! What are you selling yours for? Also, where did you purchase the new cap?

[@drakeParagon]

Yay! I bet you'll love the Little Cod. We bought our rotating chimney cowl from Amazon in the UK for only £35. www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08DQTCMMM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 I promise the Svalbard videos will be epic! But first we'll tell the story of wonderful voyages in Scotland and Ireland coming up next. Thanks for watching :) - Drake

[@curbstomp3126]

I used a espar bunk heater in my semi. I haven't had a issue. Installed in 2016.

[@drakeParagon]

I suspect that if you used your Espar for 15 hours a day for 7 days a week for 6 months straight then it would eventually break down and have to be serviced by a professional.

[@curbstomp3126]

@@drakeParagon 10-12hr 5 days a week. Whenever temp is under 55 I run it

[@drakeParagon]

huh.. That's interesting. I'm kind of curious. What model Espar is it? When you are running your Espar forced air diesel heater in a semi trailer truck for 12 hours a day, is your semi's engine also running for much of or all of that time? Both using diesel? I'm just wondering... why isn't your semi's cabin heating isn't coming from waste heat from your engine instead?

[@curbstomp3126]

@@drakeParagon That unit might do your bedroom it would never have a chance doing your whole boat.

[@drakeParagon]

@@curbstomp3126 The Espar D5?

[@armslength2618]

Having heated my not-so-small cabin with wood and coal for the past two winters, I can say hands-down that coal is a superior, predictable fuel that requires far less handling (and cost). I have so much split wood seasoning now that it might weigh almost as much as your boat displacement, but still prefer to pick up the coal from the mine and shovel it from the bin once a day. There was a good reason that the Titanic and all other vessels of the line used coal, not wood. Sure, I still use seasoned wood to start the coal burning but the coal lasts far longer, has much more heat content, and is much cheaper to buy and handle. And that's when done by hand. If using an automated furnace version of a manual coal stove, the advantages are still greater. If I changed over to a natural gas furnace for the stationary building, the price would be three times higher when all transmission and administration costs are calculated. Propane would be ten times higher. Electricity for heating would be twenty times higher. But king coal is a wonderful mobile heating fuel for a boat. Finally, after the coal has started to burn and had chased off its volatiles, there is very little odor anymore as it becomes a nearly pure carbon burn.

[@emmanueltcb5133]

that's nice but also very polluting. alternatives exist to electrical resistance heating, such as a heat pump, which has a 300% efficiency or more (1 kWh electricity to drive the pump that extracts 3 kWh of heat from the air or ground) . it's used extensively in Finland and Norway, also during winters.

[@johnpray9049]

I used coal in one of my houses and it does have a long burn time. One thing I like about wood compared to coal is it produces less ash. I wonder where you would empty your coal ash when you are on a boat?

[@armslength2618]

@@johnpray9049 Where would you empty your wood ash? The thing about coal ash is it's dense and has the consistency of cement. So dropped in a closed airless container it goes down like a bag of cement and stays there. And compared to the winds blowing thousands of tons of powder sand off the Sahara desert into the Atlantic per second over centuries, the amount is incalculably tiny. Alternately, storage in lidded metal cans in a garbage or coal locker for bagged shore disposal is also an option. 10% of the weight of coal results in ash, so you can easily have rotating stowage space for it as coal is used up. Note this is also just for heating purposes, not ship steam propulsion, so the weights and volumes are very small.

[@brianmiley2109]

Sounds like you were unlucky with the Espar. Knock on wood ours has been wonderful. Its a D4 and heats our 36 foot sailboat very well. We are full time liveaboards in Boston now finishing up our 4th winter. I have never had to pull it apart to service or clean the screen. The secret seems to be good fuel, running kerosene every so often to burn off the carbon, and if it has been running on low for hours, crank it up for a few minutes before turning off to clean it out. I don't know for sure but I estimate its run for something like 8000 hours. If it stops working tomorrow I would buy another one.

[@drakeParagon]

8000 hours without a breakdown sounds fantastic. I wonder if the Espar forced air heaters have been improved a lot since the D3 that I used at Constitution marina in Boston 28 years ago. I do remember that it kept my Hunter 30 wonderfully warm when it was working. I have a few other live aboard friends who were also really frustrated when their Espars failed, but that was also 20+ years ago. If they really have become that reliable then I might consider getting one for times when I don't want to make a wood or coal fire. 🤔 - Drake

[@brianmiley2109]

Yeah, I would guess that the controls and electronics have improved significantly over the years. Espar actually released a new version with a brushless motor in the past couple years that supposedly has a much longer service life. I think running on low a lot will clog up the screen and chamber pretty quickly, so sizing the heater for the boat and use conditions is important. Ours only runs on low when its in the 40s or above, and when it gets down to single digits it runs on high continuously, but keeps the boat in the mid-high 60s. In the fall and spring when its running on low a lot I run Kerosene for a couple hours every so often to clean it out. Some of my neighbors have the cheap knockoff diesel heaters, and most have had problems with those. I do love the idea of a woodstove, but unfortunately it would not work for our boat/ situation. The diesel heater is great, just a push of a button and within minutes you have nice hot air filling the boat.

[@drakeParagon]

I remember how nice it was to come home and just flip that switch to turn on the heater and then have a wonderfully heated cabin in a very short time. With the wood stove, there's more prep, and it takes a lot more time to make fire. Lots of pro and cons. :) But I do love having a wood fire onboard, and don't regret getting the wood stove at all. I can't wait to see what the new multi fuel stove is like.

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

My God man I want one. I'm tired of having no heat !

[@drakeParagon]

I would absolutely recommend a stove to keep warm. Seriously one of our favourite additions to the boat. Warm, cozy, and we've even used it to boil water and such. Plus there are so many options out there depending on what size space you have. -Monique

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

@@drakeParagon ♥️

[@jsvno]

Dickinson Dieselovn or something like that can keep u warm without looking for wood in the middle of the ocean.

[@drakeParagon]

We would have just as difficult a time finding diesel in the middle of the ocean as we would wood. But we don't use the wood burning stove when we are at sea. When we are underway we use our propulsion engine's waste heat for hydronic fan heating. However always having an ample supply of wood, peat or coal for when we are not underway works just fine for us. :) And I can also image some scenarios where getting diesel would be more of a hassle, and much more of an expense than getting wood, peat or coal. - Drake

[@AJ-lh1si]

I have that same stove but it doesn't have the retaining bar for the sliding vent in front like yours. You must have made that yourself. How did you drill it without chipping the enamel? Thanks for the great review.

[@drakeParagon]

Hi AJ, Thanks. Ours did come with that retaining bar from Navigator Stove Works. We bought it 2011. - Drake

[@knotwerken]

Looks like my Morso Squirrel ... y'all will love it...the glass is still gonna crud up :(

[@drakeParagon]

Oh no, does the glass still get all sooty even with the air wash? Boo! Ah well, I'm sure it will still be nice. You know, we actually did look at the Squirrel and it was a serious contender for a while. I like the orientation of the door on the front. It's remarkably hard to find stove that open from the right as opposed to the left. It seems to be super sturdy and very well built. One thing we were concerned about was how we would bolt the feet to the base and the fact that it is so heavy. We're already jumping up a fair amount with the Hobbit which is 50kg (up from the 25kg of the Little Cod). 70 kg seemed like a REALLY big jump. Plus, the price was almost double from the Hobbit. Mmmm, I do like the look of the Squirrel though. It's a beautiful stove. -Monique

[@knotwerken]

@@drakeParagon Yeah I get it ... Great pruduct but for a sailboat??? . Its well sealed... I have mine in the basement of a house in the blueridge mnt .... I love it ... y'all will love yours... cheers! its the same or better technology. ...mines a 2005 model.

[@PyeGuySailing]

why not get some 1 inch woodstove gasket rope and seal it around the edge on the outside or the door using JB weld extreme heat. Whole thing would cost about just over $100 American? Of course if that Cowl works then I guess it pointless lol. I was thinking of getting a grizzly cub mini wood stove but I love the way yours looks.

[@drakeParagon]

We did look into that a while back. But in the end we didn't think it would work. With the way the door and the airflow control slider close, I don't think you could get adequate compression distributed evenly on the seal to prevent the smoke from getting out. I think the glass window in the Little Cod is the nicest of any wood burning stove of that size that I've ever seen. - Drake

[@Nerd3927]

0:01 How is Strombus doing btw?

[@drakeParagon]

Strombus is doing great! Geoff's even sailed her in some schooner races in Massachusetts. I often dream of the day that we return to Gloucester and Geoff takes us out for a sail. I miss my hometown. - Drake

[@jsvno]

The Diesel heater is much better, where can u find dry wood in the middle of the ocean? Loading a lot of wood for the crossing is out of the way for me...

[@drakeParagon]

We would have just as difficult a time finding diesel in the middle of the ocean as we would wood. But we don't use the wood burning stove when we are at sea. When we are underway we use our propulsion engine's waste heat for hydronic fan heating. However always having an ample supply of wood, peat or coal for when we are not underway works just fine for us. :) And I can also image some scenarios where getting diesel would be more of a hassle, and much more of an expense than getting wood, peat or coal. - Drake

[@daviddelosangeles5226]

Locals burn coconut shell, husks in pacific Iles, also make coconut charcoal.😊

[@SheilaConvery]

Places like Greenland - what did you do for wood? Or perhaps you went when it would be comfortable enough not to have a fire going. Also curious if you have ever considered a diesel stove a la Refleks for your next stove?

[@drakeParagon]

We didn't need to use our wood stove much in Greenland because it was warm enough during summer. So we never exhausted the supply of wood that we brought with us in Paragon's wood lockers. I have considered a diesel stove, and I think they'd probably be great. But in the end I chose the wood burning stove because I just love it. - Drake

[@SheilaConvery]

@@drakeParagon there's something restorative about sitting by a wood fire, that's for sure.

[@aquious953]

I'm putting the cubic grizzly in. I've also got a diesel hydronic heater to heat the air and water. I think it's good to have both for redundancy. Never know when you cant get wood or it's to windy.

[@drakeParagon]

I agree that redundancy is great. Aren't hydronic heaters fabulous? It's so nice to be able to have an endless hot shower from a hydronic heater wherever and whenever you want. We installed a hydronic heater back in 2011. It also shares a heat exchanger with our 85 hp propulsion engine, so when we're offshore during colder seasons, if we run the engine we can have a nice and toasty cabin as well, which is fantastic. I always thought that that hydronic heater was one of the best things that we ever got for the boat, until it failed after 5 years of use. I was able to fix it thanks to great tech support leading me to replacing a couple of parts, and it was only offline for 5 weeks during this time. It worked great for another couple of years until it failed again, at a very unopportune time while we were in Svalbard. I've spent countless very frustrating hours trying to fix it since then, with no success. Unfortunately, it's such a sophisticated and proprietary piece of kit that there are no professionals who are capable of fixing it where I am. Meanwhile, our new Hobbit cast iron multifuel stove has been fabulous during cold winters in marinas in Scotland. We burn wood, peat, or coal, and especially with the new flue that I showed in the video it has always worked great no matter the wind strength. I love the reliability of being able to burn whatever you want for heat without having to depend on electronics. Another form of redundancy. 11 years without any breakdowns. :) - Drake

[@mgalyean]

Does the windvane cowl prevent the downdrafts you spoke of? If not a downdraft preventer/damper for that chimney diameter should help. I've been looking at that windvane cowl design myself but with a 2.5" chimney pipe on a Taylor 079D I'd have to fab a hobbit version

[@drakeParagon]

The wind vane cowl that we showed seems to work the best at preventing gusts of wind from blowing down the flue better than the other cowl designs that we showed. The Little Cod flue has a damper in it. But very rarely we got hit with wind that neither the damper or the cowl could handle, which is why we got the Hobbit stove. I hadn't seen that Taylor 079D. Looks awesome. - Drake

[@OurSailingAdventures]

@@drakeParagon I'm curious what make/model is the spinning wind vane cowl you showed is, and where you sourced it? Thanks, Josh

[@roncanizares9966]

A very interesting and informative video. You were going to have a video on how to install installation on a boat. Did I miss it?

[@drakeParagon]

Install the Hobbit?

[@roncanizares9966]

@@drakeParagon No. Insulating the whole boat, which I believe you did a number of years ago. A video on that would be most helpful/informative for sailors thinking of sailing to colder climates.

[@drakeParagon]

Ahh, yes!! We are definitely planning on making a PFS episode about how we insulated our boat with Armaflex insulation. Thank you. - Drake

[@MrRules100]

So spring is around the corner, where will you be heading?

[@drakeParagon]

Our plan is to sail Faroe, Shetland, Denmark, Germany, Poland. I'll talk about a little about it in the next PFS. :) - Drake

[@PyeGuySailing]

Wow the Hobbit is less than Half the price of the Little Cod, its comparable in price to the grizzly mini I was thinking of...the hobbit is now on my list

[@drakeParagon]

It is remarkably affordable even give what we paid for our Little Cod...12 years ago! Plus I really like how it's able to burn pretty much anything and it has an ash pan. All things on my list. Now we just need to figure out how to secure it and we'll be set! -Monique

[@guillaumedutoit5376]

instead of wood can you use Antrasite or coal for burning

[@drakeParagon]

Hi. The Little Cod stove can not be used to burn coal. We tried it, and it just doesn't work. But the Salamander Hobbit stove, which we show at the end of the video can burn coal no problem. I never heard of Antrasite? What's that? - Drake

[@armslength2618]

@@drakeParagon 'Anthracite' is the correct spelling. It is very hard, clean metamorphic coal mostly used for large-scale metal refining. It was typically produced and exported to asia in the millions of tons by train and then ship. It is still used for domestic purposes where available in bags or bulk because it burns for a very long time, gives off lots of heat, and produces fewer volatiles in the initial burn.

[@timothyhaycraft2807]

Greetings to my favorite couple taming the wild seas, Drake and Monique you're decidedly the most amazing larned & captivating high seas vagabonds I've ever had opportunity to meet and admire. Although we met some years back at Oriental Marina I certainly don't expect you to recall are you guys leave an indelible portrait not easily forgotten. I had I would like to request advice regarding a matter we texted about sometime back. I am ready to purchase the cool blue refrigerator compressor unit that you spoke so highly of them but if you could please advise me which is preferable in voltage 12-volt DC (or) 115-volt AC. Thank you again for the treasure probe of seafaring information that you share with your many admirers and wishing you a prosperous and safe Voyage in the future

[@drakeParagon]

Thank you Timothy, I really miss Oriental, and my good friends there. I often dream of the day we will return. Our Technautics CoolBlue compressor runs on 12 volts and we're really happy with it. I'm not aware of Technautics making a 115-volt AC version. - Drake

[@stevenr8606]

Seeing and listening, you never addressed a, or two, Thermal Heat Powered Stove Fan. Do you not need one?

[@drakeParagon]

We had one of those thermal powered fans sitting on top of our Little Cod for about a year before it broke. Mo and I are divided on this one. She thinks it made a big difference. I'm not so convinced that it really did. - Drake

[@tonyminsine7182]

How much wood does your little stove actually consume in 24 hours of regular usage?

[@drakeParagon]

Well... on a really cold winter's night here in the north of Scotland we'll burn through maybe 5 pieces of wood that are just big enough to fit in the stove, or 5 bricks of Irish peat. Maybe more. A lot depends on what type of wood you are burning, hold cold it is outside, and very importantly how insulated your boat is. We've gone to great lengths to insulate every part of our boat with 32mm thick Armaflex insulation, and it's made a huge difference with the boat's ability to retain cabin heat and prevent condensation from forming. - Drake

[@JedShura]

Does scrubbing the glass with ash scratch with window much (over time)?

[@drakeParagon]

Amazingly ashes on a wet paper towel don't seem to scratch the glass at all. - Drake

[@JedShura]

@@drakeParagon Thanks Drake. Good to know and thanks for the tips (I agree, it's wonderful to have a nice view of the fire right away!).

[@patrickbuntain3001]

Sell me your old little cod!!

[@drakeParagon]

Sorry, sold it to someone in the Western Isles.

[@dalebuckley6073]

Where are you now ?

[@drakeParagon]

Hey Dale, we're currently in a very protected harbour in the Western Isles of Scotland. A lot of rain and a lot of wind, but we're looking forward to some sunny days and pushing off soon. Hope you are well! Cheers - Monique

[@grantofat6438]

13:53 Just because something is hard to imagine doesn't mean that it will not happen. The people who made that thing probably know better than you.

[@johnfroeber3191]

It will never burn coal . A coal stove will burn wood , but a wood stove without a pot won’t burn coal . You’ll find out

[@drakeParagon]

We tried to burn coal in the Little Cod with no success. But we're hoping that we will be able to burn coal in the Hobbit,. On their website, Salamander Stoves states: The Hobbit SE is a small multi-fuel stove that is able to burn wood, coal or eco logs. - Drake

[@rickyturner8974]

? ???????

[@drakeParagon]

?

[@JonMadsen70]

:)

[@geagar3647]

You said you had that stove for 10 years but when Enna was with you that was not the stove that you had in the boat. I suggest looking back at your videos to see what you had then,

[@drakeParagon]

Hi there, we have been making fires in our Little Cod aboard Paragon for over 10 years now. So we definitely had it for the entire time that Éanna was sailing with us in the USA/Greenland/Iceland and had a lot of fires during that time. Here's a video of us in Greenland having a fire... kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKS6dH-dhrmAqq8 But I think you might be thinking about our Hurricane II Combi diesel hydronic boiler, which we use to heat water for showers, and also for cabin heating mostly when we are offshore when we can't make fires. - Drake

[@geagar3647]

@@drakeParagon I stand corrected, you are right and i was wrong, you did have that stove when you where in Newfoundland. The one i saw was when you sailed single handed 10 years ago you had the different stove back then.