Chrysler Sailors Forum

Hi All,

What stoves are people using onboard these days? Are propane camp stoves that use the 16.4 oz disposable tanks OK? Could I install one "permanently" in the C-26? I'm planning to re-hab the galley, and I want to consider all options.

Thanks.

Not being a 26 owner, all I can think about a permanent camp stove on board is:



If your boat is insured, this my be an issue too. You may want to check. I thought about bringing one into the C20 when I had a gang on board, then went to Subways instead. OK, I'm a bit of a chicken. I sure would like one of those stern rail grills for Christmas though.

I'm still using the pressure alcohol stove. I haven't done it yet but I'm thinking of using a small squirt bottle for the warm-up shot - using the burner control makes it hard to meter out the right amount!

A propane gas stove has got to be safer than those alcohol stoves. My humble opinion only.

Not necessarily- alcohol won't collect as a gas in your bilge and blow you sky high, and it is easily extinguished using water!

What do you guys burn in the alcohol stove? Is there a special alcohol fuel or will colman fuel work?

38 special wrote:What do you guys burn in the alcohol stove? Is there a special alcohol fuel or will colman fuel work?

In my experience the Coleman fuel barely works. I use plain SLX denatured alcohol from the paint department at wherever..

As far as the portable propane with the little bottles, my concern is that once you pierce/connect those I'm not sure you can disconnect them without it going everywhere...the big cans you can turn off and/or take with you..gotta admit tho propane is tempting every time I fool with alky..

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0046R5RK ... 10-7611425

This is what we've been using in our 22 for 5 yrs. We dont use it but for my morning coffee and washing up... Puts out good heat and the canister comes out easily to store and put the whole thing away. I'seen them used in some cafeterias also to keep foods warm...

fwiw

38 special wrote:What do you guys burn in the alcohol stove? Is there a special alcohol fuel or will colman fuel work?

Buy the purest you can, ie 99%. I use medical grade that can be had in 4litre jugs at veterinary supply stores.

For those that care:

We use propane aboard Destiny.

Propane is a wonderful fuel and fairly easy to deal with however extreme care MUST be taken if used. As mentioned Propane is like water. IF it leaks it will flow to the lowest point and gather in your boat. One spark and its all over.

There are very specific safety procedures you must take into consideration. One is outside stowage of the propane. I'm not talking in the standard lazerettes on our boats. Not in the cockpit either. The bottles must be stowed outside your hull or in a sealed box that is vented at its lowest point to the outside of your hull. Think water. If it leaks it must flow away from the inside of your boat. Not only that but you must consider a remote electric shut off valve. Yes, a valve at the tank along with the regular mechanical valve. Something that can shut off the tank in a hurry and right at the tank. This valve must be tested to maintain pressure I beleive for 20 minutes.

I'm no expert here. Just pointing out that if you decide to use propane it takes a lot of effort to be safe. A propane burner hanging off a sternpit would be great however I do not think I'd use a camping propane stove aboard inside the hull anywhere unless the bottle was mounted outside and proper safety measures are taken.


Just please think long and hard before you use a propane bottle inside your boat.

Scott

Not that I'm a huge advocate of WM, but here was an interesting article on the subject of stove selection, hope it helps:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... DuQ9cFlTCd

It also contained an informative link to safe propane installations:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... DuRx8FlTCc

I took my step brother to the hospital a little while back after he tried lighting the pilot light in his water heater. He looked like a raccoon and every bit of facial hair he had was gone. Fortunately his reaction was quick and he blinked before the flash. Propane safety has been a recent subject in the family. Please forgive if I sounded preachy.

Well I now own a propane camper stove, but it ain't for the boat...last time one of these little 'gypsy rains named hurricanes' (nod to Rodney Crowell) came thru I had no fresh coffee for days. That ain't happening again...

Bruce (or his step brother) makes good points !

I plan on going with the Magma party size gas grill on the stern pushpit rail.

Can't remember where I saw it, but someone had added a propane locker off the transom of their boat. That way it was a new add to the boat, already had the one existing wall sealed (transom), and it vented directly downward to the water via a short pipe. All the other usual procedures sealing bulkheads the feed line passed thru etc...

I use a Forespar swinging galley stove. I bought it for my Pamlico Sound sailing trip last year and it worked great. I do not leave the propane cylinder in place while not in use and I store them outside the cabin in the lazarette. Sorry the picture is so big. As you can see, we were heeling pretty good out in the Neuse. You can see more pictures on my sailing blog "Blues Image Have Trailer Will Travel". The coffee pot came with the stove, and I need to order a cook pot with it. Making soup in the coffee pot requires a lot of cleaning...

You can see my new galley with sink and (SCORE!) $40.00 galley pump. I have a 6 gallon water bladder on the cockpit sole right under the bridge deck. I connect the galley to the tank with quick connect garden hose fittings attached to a camper water hose. The galley will slide under the cockpit per the original by folding the pump down into it.

bearley wrote:Hi All,

What stoves are people using onboard these days? Are propane camp stoves that use the 16.4 oz disposable tanks OK? Could I install one "permanently" in the C-26? I'm planning to re-hab the galley, and I want to consider all options.

Thanks.

I bought one of the cheaper ones for the storm ( $40, name rhymes with Blue Rhino ) and had a very rude experience..the camper one I bought had the bottle on a sort of swivel fitting so the bottle can sit at any angle.

The valve was screwed into an insert that was press fit into the burner inlet tube with only a single tack of solder applied thru a hole on the burner tube..How do I know this ??

Well, after the first use to cook breakfast (outside of course) I came back to find my small bottle empty..scratched my head, went to unscrew the bottle to change it, and the bottle, valve, and pressed insert all came away in my hand.

That would explain the empty bottle, likely all my propane was all over the neighborhood..at least it isn't sitting in the bottom of my boat awaiting ignition.

IMHO the quality on the camper types likely isn't up to use on or near a boat..

I use the original Kenyon alchohol in the galley and I have a propane camp stove and use it in the cockpit as cooking inside on hot days I don't do it. I also have a force 10 grill also Propane.

gregcrawford wrote:I use a Forespar swinging galley stove. I bought it for my Pamlico Sound sailing trip last year...[/img]

Okay this is the stove for me. I looked online at it and I think this is on my wish list.

Maker...
http://www.forespar.com/products/boat-g ... lley.shtml

Vendor with the best price I can find...
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... ?pid=14122

Thanks
Alan

Alan,

We used those small cannisters on horse packing trips. Eventually we had several nearly empty ones laying around, we only packed full ones on the trips.

We found a connector somewhere, like a sportsman supply, that allowed us to refill the partials from a larger propane tank. More economical, easy to do, no waste of the small cannisters... Just do it outside!!

Wow! refilling is a great idea!

We use the Forspar gimbaled heater in the cockpit. The refill adapter for the one pound canister is a great hint. Found one online. This will eliminate disposing of the empties.

Thanks!

When refilling those canisters, place them in the freezer for a while before fill. Lessons learned the hard way.

Copacetic's stove has gotten very cranky, so I'm thinking about just overhauling it. When it works, it works very well, but lately the valves are getting leaky and the pump isn't working well.

We also have a Magma Kettle 2 propane grill on the pushpit, and it converts to a one burner stove. The problem with that is, it's no good for rainy days, and you can't do the conversion until it cools.

BTW, the small propane canisters unscrew and are leak free. They have a built in valve. We use the short, squat 1 lb kind found in the camping department and they last pretty well.