On heavy snow days was wondering if I could just plug in the small heater to melt some snow off the cover/tarp. How well would it work?
Or is this just a bad idea in case there was gas fumes?

I would think an electric like a vornado on low would be the ticket for what you are trying to do.

Leave the fan on high, and the element on low and turn the t-stat all the way down. Yank cord when its not snowing.

I wouldnt use a gas unit in a million years.


UD

Had a friend who did it. He had a problem with water in the boat. A lot of the snow that melted found it's way into the boat, and he had issues with condensation as well. What he found was, that it was better to leave the snow on, and let it melt in the spring, I'm not saying it can't work, but there are a few issues to address, if doing this.

We did this on a 57' Dawn Cruiser left bubbling in the water in Erie P.A. one year. Well all we had left was a hull, burned to the waterline. Those electric heaters even set houses on fire. FYI

Took the words right out of my mouth.

Why not just have the boat wrapped? The snow will just slide off.

If your make shift cover is collasped by snow you will have a trashed interior come spring. Not to mention the shrink wrap provides a water tight seal, with a bucket of stay dri in the cuddy you will eliminate all moisture issues.

I have a friend that purchased a 388 slingshot that was left un wrapped for one winter. The cuddy still smells of mold, all wood backs of the cockpit areas have rotted. The headliner fell due to the high moisture. And the white floor of the cockpit turned yellow under the 8 months of sun and cold.

For $10 a foot have it wrapped and save your boat

Xtreme Bilge heaters are the ones that are made for your bilge.

X2

this is coming from me as a firefighter not a boater, electric blankets are made to keep you warm not burn down your house but it happens, often.... i wouldnt do it

like said above wrap it or put it inside, its not worth it believe me, I always laugh at the guy trying to control his tarp in 20mph winds and 25 degrees outside, I was there once with my dads boat because he was to cheap to wrap,,, LESSON LEARNED!!

always store on gravel or pavement, had the ground heave that same year and knock the boat off the blocks, when we noticed it the front of the boat had a 5/6ft drift around it, 3 days of digging to drag it out to save the old girl, front dollys went about 1 foot into ground when it fell off the blocks, nose of the boat filled up with water and was frozen, almost a major catastraphy

Again,
LESSON LEARNED

Dad tarped for a few years up until that he learned