After doing a lot of research I what kind of heater we needed on the Far Reach I decided on the Refleks Model 66MK. It has a superb reputation for reliability and heat output. The cast iron top and 90 degree elbow is supposed to increase the amount of heat that it radiates. I had it made to operate off of kerosene since I don't plan to carry any diesel fuel. Propane heater are convient and put out a lot of heat but they use way to much fuel.
I initially thought I would get a larger model but it wouldn't fit in the space I had and then I received an email from Beth Leonard who suggested the model 66 would be a very good size for our boat. That piece of advice solved a lot of problems.
I ordered it with an elbow so I could determine how big the space would need to be to accommodate it. The elbow was about 4" long and as you can see in the top photo it stuck out much too far. All it did was make the footprint bigger. I needed to cut it off but I don't have a miter box. I looked at Lowes but the miter boxes they had were too expensive or cheap plastic. So, I built my own from some scrap 3/4" ply. I made it just wide enough to hold the pipe. I used drywall screws as fasteners and a jigsaw to make the narrow kerf so my hacksaw would not drift around while I mad the cut. Once I determined where the elbow needed to be cut I wrapped some tape around it and marked it. I inserted some doorshim wedges to keep the pipe firmly in place while I made the cut. I clamped the miter box to my out-feed table at the end of my table saw. I used a hacksaw blade I only use for cutting SS. I am very pleased with the cut--it came out nice and straight. I cleaned up the edges with a half-round file. Then I inserted it on the Refleks flue to check for fit. Perfect. I will set it aside for now and once the cleat installation is complete I'll use the Refleks to determine the footprint necessary to rough in a custom built space just forward of the starboard settee.
Refleks Heater Model 66MK with an excessively long elbow.
Elbow trimmed to within 1/2" of sea rail.
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As part of the insulation project I also needed to make a decision where the hole for the kerosene heater flue would need to be cut in the cabin top. I could not do that with out having the two 45 degree elbows that will ultimately determine how far I could off-set the vertical part of the flue pipe. So, I ordered the two elbows from Hamilton Marine in Maine. To prepare for the arrival of the 45 degree pipes I needed install a temporary shelf for the heater. I began by installing 1"X1" mohogany cleats on the bulkheads that will hold the platform that the Refleks heater sits on. I made a template out of doorskin ply and hot glue and cut a temporary piece of 1/2" ply for the shelf. The actual shelf will be Black Walnut, same as the cabin sole. I used a thin batten to trace a gentle curve for the inboard edge to see if liked the diagram I drew last year. Satisfied with the curve I made the cut with a jig saw and installed the temporary shelf. There will eventually be A. Mahogany vertical v-groove staving as the face panel below the shelf that will be removable allowing me to access the heater fuel overflow tank installed below the heater as recommended by Refleks.
