Blown-air heating

We all love a warm boat, but some heater exhausts make a noise so intrusive that I’ve heard quieter vacuum cleaners. The trouble is, once you’re below with the hatch shut it won’t bother you at all, but others can be driven crazy when they pop out into the cockpit on a silent night to find their joy wrecked by the roar of nearby Webasto or Eberspächer.

If your exhaust is noisy, see if you can find a way of silencing it, or ditch it altogether. Solid fuel or drip-feed diesel heaters upset nobody. And check that your exhaust isn’t going to melt your neighbour’s fenders.