I dont think a light bulb will help at this point, as there is already a bunch of ice present.. a 100w light bulb can keep a small space from going too much below freezing, but that's just ambient air, and i doubt it will help with melting the kind of ice you are dealing with. The link to that home depot electric/oil heater is what I was thinking, i use one in my basement apt and it keeps it nice and toasty (in previous years, before i built the apt, it would only be a few degrees warmer than outside down there) although there IS a warning on it to keep objects away from the top and sides, and a 'caution hot' sticker on it.. :cold:
So.. maybe not a good idea to put right in the engine bay.. but maybe i missed it, is the boat covered at all? (stick framed tarp structure/mooring cover/camper top?) Here's my thought and theory, if you absolutely can not move the boat into a warm place, get a good quality tarp, preferably black, maybe silver on the one side like mine, and wrap it over the boat, mainly covering the rear deck/cockpit area. It will heat up some with the sun, and trap a bit of heat.. Open the cabin hatch, door, and engine cover, maybe a small oscillating fan down in the cabin, and stick an oil/electric heater somewhere by the back deck or captains seat of the boat. Set on med it should not melt anything or start a fire, Ive touched the top of mine a few times and its warm, but not an instant burning the skin kinda thing.
Defiantly get that plug OUT of the transom one way or another, maybe use a heat gun in a localized area (if you can get to it) at the rear of the bilge to get through the ice and down to the inside of the drain on the transom..
Here is a redneck thought I just had... driveway salt? :lol: it will make a mess to clean in the spring, but it might help eat away the ice a bit and break it up...
