And even if a boat does not have heating or climate control installed, there are now many products that can be retrofitted without spending vast amounts of money, as well as many standalone units.

Air cooling

HFL Marine International, a major manufacturer of marine air conditioning units, has set up its own factory in Germany specifically to manufacture air conditioning products. "Our systems are basically air coolers, " explains UK Sales Manager, Nick Green. These operate either as coolers or, with a reverse cycle unit, as a heater, by converting the latent heat contained in the sweater into warm air.

"We believe this is a far more efficient form of climate control for boats used in the Med, " says Green. "Most heaters just blow warm air at you. When this air combines with moisture from clothes or the air it creates a fug.

This method keeps everything warm and dry and avoids mould developing."

HFL's latest products include the Coolmaxx Compact Self contained units, the Climma chilled water range, the Ocean Cool DC units and the Coolmaxx Portable unit. It also has several niche products including AC or DC Ocean Breeze air conditioners powered by either 12 volt or 24 volt. The DC-powered unit is selfcontained so is very easy to install in places such as lockers or under bunks, is low maintenance and has a wide range of speed control.

Eberspacher, a brand leader in the heating and ventilation market, produces both air (Airtronic) or water (Hydronic) heaters. Heat output from the Airtronic heaters is regulated with a rheostat switch and cabin temperature sensor, which, says Eberspacher is more accurate than the previous thermostatic system. This saves fuel and cuts power consumption. Outlets vary from one on the Airtronic D2 to the three outlet D5L 'C'. A specially packaged DIY kit is also provided.

Diesel fuelled systems in demand

In the UK the most popular heating systems are those fuelled by diesel. "Diesel fired heating systems are dominant in the market, " says Adrian Goodland at Krueger. "Everybody aspires to these from the running and safety point of view."

A recent addition to the UK market is the Wallas stand-alone diesel cabin heater, from Kuranda. "It is silent in operation, uses a very small amount of electrical power, is totally automatic and can be thermostatically controlled.

There is also the option of turning it on and off with a mobile phone, " explains Brett Mclellan.

"And because the outer casing stays cools, it can be used quite safely when children are present."

Also available from Kuranda is the Kabola diesel fuelled combi boiler, which does not need a calorifier. "It is the only marine combi available on the market, " says Mclellan. "It works like a domestic hot water boiler where you just turn the tap on and out comes the hot water." The combi boiler's dimensions make it ideal for installation in small spaces, such as on board yachts.

Heating and air conditioning combined

Vetus Den Ouden has introduced a new climate control system that offers both heating and air conditioning combined in one compact on board system. The unit has closed coolant circuits similar to those used in home central heating systems and each cabin or space to be heated is thermostatically controlled. Also, the heating function is diesel fuelled which means it can be run without the need for shore supply or starting the generator set.

Ardic's 032-DL stainless steel hot air boat heater, which is currently available from AquaMarine, is designed with quietness in mind. About the size of a shoebox it is diesel powered, consuming about 0.36 litres an hour when run flat out. The system is based on a patented technique from Volvo Flygmotor and has low discharge.

Webasto is producing a new range of air conditioning systems that will be available from April.

They include self-contained, 2kW to 4.6kW units, suitable for DIY fitment, split systems between 2 and 6.9kW, and 3.4 to13.7kW chilled water units.

Webasto turns it on - remotely On a slightly different note, Webasto has also developed a new telephone-activating marine heating control that works with all its existing and new heating installations. Just one telephone call will activate the heaters for up to two hours before they automatically switch off. This enables the user to preheat the boat prior to arrival, or warm it up mid-winter helping to keep the boat aired.

Although liquid propane/ butane gas (LPG), and paraffin fuelled heaters are less popular than gas there is still a market for them, particularly on inland watercraft. Paraffin used to be popular back in the 1980s, but is in much less demand these days.

The main users are those who have inherited boats with paraffin heating systems already on board.

For customers who do require a paraffin heater, Wallas produces the Classic range, available through Kuranda Marine. The 1800 has exceptionally low power consumption making it ideal for sailboats, while the 2400 and 3200 are suitable for larger sail and motorboats.

LPG too, represents only a small percentage of the overall heating market. Goodland believes the number of people who use LPG is diminishing, mainly because of the perceived safety risk. He finds this surprising since many people are quite happy to use LPG for cooking. He points out another deterrent is that gas installations now have to be inspected by a CORGI registered inspector.

"The difficulty is finding a CORGI registered inspector who is willing to come to your boat when he is needed, " he adds.

Small heater proves popular Last year Propex Heating UK, formerly an associate of Mikuni Heating produced a small propane/butane gas hot air unit called Heatsource. While only about 10 per cent of the company's market is in boats, this 1.6 kW heater has proved very popular with small boat owners.

"It is relatively inexpensive to run in terms of diesel fuelled and other gas heaters, " says Director David Elliot. The company will soon be launching two larger air heaters - a 2.4 kW and 4.5kW - which are in the final stages of development.

A free-standing or wallmounted catalytic heater is also available from Plastimo. The catalytic element allows the gas to burn without flame at a relatively low temperature, thus removing any possibility of an accidental fire.

Underfloor heating

One form of heating that is currently receiving a lot of interest from boat builders and boat owners is under floor heating. This is a relatively new concept and as yet the technology has not really been tried and tested in the marine industry.

However, installation, which for obvious reasons is best done at point of build, is neither easy nor cheap, says Mclellan.

"It will only operate with certain types of boilers and there has to be an intermediate flow and thermostatic control system.

It's not simply a boiler and a few pipes fitted under the floor."

The reason more people are considering it as an option is because there is no noise from blown air or matrix heaters and it frees up space where radiators would normally be fitted. It's also an efficient form of heating because the warmth comes from the lowest point of the boat. It seems likely more boats will be fitted with this in the future.

Vents and hatches Vents and hatches also play an important part in keeping boats dry and comfortable. A number of new additions to the GEBO range, available from IMP, include a new round hatch with a double friction hinge that gives it extra strength and allows the lid to be held firmly open in any position, and the D-shaped Delta hatch with heavy duty hinges and handles that secure it an any position from full to 180º.

GEBO has also developed the Rainshield, which allows fresh air in and keeps rain out of the open portlight, and an air suction ventilator. The air suction unit, which requires no power source, simply extracts air from the engine compartment, and replaces it with fresh air from outside the craft.

Another option for keeping water out is Plastimo's Cool'n dry dorade box. This patented design provides constant ventilation even in very bad weather.

Although some dispute its benefits solar ventilation is another option. Plastimo produces solar vents that are equally suitable for through deck, or through hatch installation. And the Intersolar Group offers a self-contained ventilation unit - the Solarvent 36 - for circulating air that requires no wiring or batteries. Instead it is powered by a crystalline solar panel with the option of manual or automatic operation.

The Nicro Vent range, supplied by AquaMarine, includes the 24hour solar powered Powervent 3000, Nicro's most powerful and full-featured vent, and the Day&Night 2000. Mounted directly to the deck, the Powervent 3000 has a full shutoff damper to prevent water intrusion in rough seas.

Looking to heating and ventilation fitments, last September Rule introduced two new compact in-line blowers, which make it easier to vent stale air from cabin spaces and other closed compartments. Compared with other models available on the market both the 3in with an output of 3.8 cubic metres per minute and the 4in version with a 6.58 c/m/m output produce greater airflows with less noise and amp draw.

'Push-to-fit' The problems of actually installing heating systems in the confined areas of a boat can be overcome with John Guest Speedfit's range of push-fit plumbing and heating fittings.

These can be used where historically there have been copper fitments, removing the need for soldering or welding.

"No tools are required, " explains UK Divisional sales manager, Sean McDonald. "You buy the fittings, the tube and a plastic pipe cutter and that's all you need. The fittings lend themselves to tight, awkward spaces and the pipe comes in coil format so it can be cabled ."<$>