Stoves

[hooligan6a]

I did not go to Europe so I did not have a problem with fittings. Could only get butane in Panama, it worked fine. Been sailing over 40 years only saw two boats go up in flames with propane. Many more than that with alcohol.

[MichaelC]

So some of you say propane is hard to find in out of the way places, but kero is available, some say the reverse. Ditto alcohol. Maybe I'll stick with the wood burning stove. No, Conrad, diesel is not an option for me, as you well know. No motor. And my backpacking stove uses white gas. Not an option. WTD?

[SabreKai]

I'm thinking of putting my gas stove top of the coach roof, under the dodger. Its a convenient height for me to cook at, and that way no gas can get into the boat. I have a coleman camping stove currently so I will give it a try before I do anything permanent. Normally I use a two burner hot plate at dockside, since I have a power hookup. I suppose it could be used via an inverter but that would require running the engine and a larger battery bank.

Sabre

[DeepFrz]

Butane and propane are basically the same thing except for the temp at which they liquefy. Don't use butane in Canada unless you like cold dinners. I always chuckle at the smokers up here going through their antics to get their butane lighters to light in the winter time.

[capt_douglas]

I had an OEM Galley Maid alcohol stove (3 burner w oven) on my Endeavour. It was a pressurized system and worked flawlessly for me for more than 8 years and was 14 years old when I move aboard. It was simplicity to get it working. Finding alcohol wasn't hard but it had two problems - it burns with a clear flame and doesn't produce nearly the amount of heat compared to propane or paraffin.

Finding stove alcohol has become harder and harder, which is rather depressing. The system works but newer systems have relegated it to the used marine stores or museums. And even the cheapest booze never worked well, but it did smell better.

[YourOldNemesis]

I think that strictly speaking, butane and propane have different calorific values per unit volume and so really require different jets, although you can 'make do'. There are all sorts of shennanegans with bottle swaps, adaptors and pressure regulators as you move around the world.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by YourOldNemesis

There are all sorts of shennanegans with bottle swaps, adaptors and pressure regulators as you move around the world.

Well, not really, unless you call the expendure of $4 for a valve and $7 for the regulator put on in seconds shennanegans.

Mind you some guy I spoke to has a built in regulator and battery solonoide safety switch.

So, of course shennanegans for clowns who have that sort of crap on board!

As for the different types of gasses we found them interchangeable.

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by capt_douglas

Finding stove alcohol has become harder and harder, which is rather depressing. The system works but newer systems have relegated it to the used marine stores or museums. And even the cheapest booze never worked well, but it did smell better.

rubbing alcohol is denatured alcohol... and readily available in pharmacies the world around...

[Hiracer]

Originally Posted by dpex

Personally, I don't like gas. Not only is it hard to obtain in unusual places, it's also darned dangerous unless you're prepared to turn it on and off at source. And that could mean going outside on a cold winter's night. Yuk. I hate the cold. :--))

Maybe you should just take up shuffle board and TV. You could always watch sailing on the tube in the comfort of your living room.

Personally, I like gas because it's so easy. I turn off the valve at the tank after every meal, which is a lot like getting up during a commercial to get a beer.

In fact, some nights the beer is stored outside because it's so cold and I bring one in after turning off the tank.

[roverhi]

I've used kerosene since my first boat. It's 'safe' and puts out heat equal to or better than propane. Fuel is/was available everywhere we went. That wasn't a great problem, however, as the 4 gallon stove tank and a gerry jug or two lasted us more than a year of everyday use. We burned Paint Thinner/Mineral Spirits in our Kerosene stoves and it has worked flawlessly. Don't try #1 diesel, it will gunk up the burners.

Big problem these days is finding spare burners if you don't have a stash. From what I hear there are no new complete burner assemblies currently available. All the internal parts are still in stock just not the burner assembly, itself. Don't know whether this is temporary or the passing of an era. The proliferation of boom gas apparently has seriously reduced the demand for Kero stoves.

I found pressure alcohol stoves to be virtually useless. To begin with, can't stand the smell. It is also has such a poor BTU content that it doesn't produce much heat. Forget a quick cup of coffee and don't even think about Lobster, btdt.

Propane does go boom, killed a sailor in Mexico last year for one instance. If you are religious about turning off the fuel supply at the bottles, it's reasonably safe.
Solenoid shut offs have been known to fail, however, so don't that a substitute for manually closing the tank valve. It's a good fuel but doesn't last all that long if my house is any example. It certainly isn't convenient to get a refill in most places. Taking my current location as an example, you'd have to schlep the bottles more than a mile from the marina to get them refilled. Paint thinner is available at both chandleries just a few feet from the docks, however.

[osirissail]

Propane is difficult to obtain in anyplace other than the North/South American hemisphere - but - as MarkJ stated - Butane is available just about everywhere else in the world.
- - And it is equivalent and interchangeable without having to modify your propane stove. CampGaz in Europe is butane and works okay in propane stoves. However you do need to get a different bottle system or at least a transfer hose system to refill your propane tanks from CampGaz bottles. West Marine and other chandleries all sell the hoses.
- - For heating the interior of your boat - propane/butane is not the best choice as you cannot carry enough of it to last any length of time. This is where diesel cabin heaters like the NewPort and others come into play. They put out some significant BTU's/calories and use the fuel in your diesel tank.

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by YourOldNemesis

I think that strictly speaking, butane and propane have different calorific values per unit volume and so really require different jets, although you can 'make do'.

The first time we used a US BBQ with butane we ended up with charcoal for dinner

We learned fast and you can indeed turn down the flame low enough as long as wind isn't a problem.



-Sven

[hooligan6a]

Let me settle this. Propane can be found "EVERYWHERE", and it is cheap. I had to substitute with butane one time in over 30 countries. Propane is safe unless you are stupid, If you are, you should not be on a boat. Alcohol and kerosene are hard to find and very expensive. They all will go "BOOM" Funny the one time I used butane I thought it didn't burn as hot as the propane. Will someone tell me a country where you could not get propane? I would like to know, so I will not go there.

[KEKKUL]

Originally Posted by hooligan6a

Let me settle this. Propane can be found "EVERYWHERE", and it is cheap. I had to substitute with butane one time in over 30 countries. Propane is safe unless you are stupid, If you are, you should not be on a boat. Alcohol and kerosene are hard to find and very expensive. They all will go "BOOM" Funny the one time I used butane I thought it didn't burn as hot as the propane. Will someoe tell me a country where you could not get propane? I would like to know, so I will not go there.

I use propene, just buy e new force ten propene stove, I replace a old alcool srtove (pressurized), at holiday home in the montains i have propene tank in the kitchen since 30 years ago, never problem, Everithing is danger if you don't kwow how handled, even a bicycle.

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by hooligan6a

Let me settle this. Propane can be found "EVERYWHERE", and it is cheap.

Thanks for clearing that up once and for all





-Sven