Stove

[BJ]

Hi,

I'am starting to design the inside of my cabin. I've decided to do the starboard side according to plan. but I don't have a clue what type of stove that is or how it works. Can anyone clue me in. I'am assuming the weekender has the same stove set up as the vacationer.

[Jim Stumpf]

I opted to leave the stove out of my galley layout. I did install the sink and used the rest of the cabinet for storage. I started to use the stove area for a built in ice box but finaly decided to keep it simple. Having camped many years in a pop up trailer I find it best to cook out doors rather than in your bedroom. I keep my old coleman white gas on board and think that a hot meal on shore is probably your best bet, we love to pack sandwiches and snacks for day sails and nibble while underway or anchor for lunch.

Jim

Vacationer Rudunyet

[Charlie Jones]

perhapsI'm just an old curmudgeon, but I'm in total agreement with Jim. Our 21 foot sloop has no built in galley at all.

On a boat the size of the Vacationer, I don't think there is any point or value in installing a stove in a fixed location. Same goes for the sink. Here's my reasoning.

On any boat that doesn't have stand up head room, you are most likely gonna want to do your cooking out in the cockpit , or even ashore if possible. It gets HOT inside small boats in the summer and cooking inside just adds to the heat. Plus you have more room out in the cockpit, and on those really nice places where you are on a lovely beach, you just might want to take it ashore, at least to make coffee or a quick soup, while you're ashore playing. Plus, I think it's pretty silly to dedicate a space to something that you don't use all that much.

On the sink, I feel exactly the same way - we use plastic dishpans. We can do up dishes inside if the weather is nasty, but usually we're out in the cockpit, with a sun shower hung from the boom for rinse water. That dish pan gets used for several other things too, such as washing freshly caught fish, showing kids a hermit crab, etc. In addition, you don't need a through hull for a dish pan. Through hulls on a boat that small are kinda silly. My sloop has zero holes through the hull now- It used to have three- I glassed 'em all over.

On the Weekender, the cabin is small enough already that you're definitely NOT gonna want things built in- stow 'em under the seats and pull 'em out when you need them. In fact, stow the stove, a pot and some dishes INSIDE the dishpan

On a small boat, the simpler you can keep things, the happier you'll end up. .

[BJ]

Thank you for your input. I understand simpler being better, My wife and I are big on camping and we have done a lot of it. I think I'll go with a small cooler and a fresh water hose but no built in sink. Maybe a hole to drop a plastic basin into. Did any of you put the porta potty in as they suggest. I'am thinking maybe it would be better to keep that portable as well.

[Capn Trey]

I have been using a one burner propane stove in my boat and it has come in quite handy.

Cap'n Trey

[Bob Taylor]

I've cooked once on my Vacationer, in the cockpit. A camping stove is easy to use on a seat and stow darn near anywhere. We use a plastic contaner with a lid to stow dish towels and soap for washing galley stuff and it also follows the stove to a hiding place when not needed. The open cabin will accomodate a queen size air matress without the galley on the plans. I think I put some pics on Terry's website that show how I rigged for stowage, might give you some ideas.

[Zeroice]

I have found that a $15 single burner propane camp stove works ok but a lower butane may be more stable on the water.

[ken connors]

i heard somewhere that an alcohol stove is the safest for a boat, anybody know why thay is :?:

btw, im with Bob Taylor. a wide open cabin, air mattress and a cooler. i copied his cabin design so exactly he could probably sue me. :roll: im sure ill only cook in the cockpit or on the beach.

[capt jake]

i heard somewhere that an alcohol stove is the safest for a boat, anybody know why thay is

Propane has a density greater than 1, thus it will settle into the low spots on a boat (BAD!).

GAsoline is on the same par as Propane (thus the need for blowers on some power boats).

My assumption on the alcohol is that it disperses quickly and if memory serves me, is nearly the same density as air, enablijng it to leave the area rather than be stuck there.

I think Propane would be fine out in the cockpit, but I wouldn't use it in the cabin!!

[Charlie Jones]

Again- call me an old curmudgeon, but I've ALWAYS used a kerosene stove aboard. Years ago, kerosene was THE fuel on board and alcohol was looked upon as something to warm things up with.

Don't know just how alcohol got so popular cause EVERY cruiser I ever knew used either kero or propane. I suppose when my existing kero stoves give up the ghost (although I have found a source of parts in England) I'll be forced to use Propane.

Propane is safe enough, used carefully. Most of the folks I know who use it aboard trailerable boats use small bottles and store the bottles outside when not in use. The only time the bottle is inside the boat is when the stove is actually in use.

Personally I wouldn't give an alcohol stove space aboard one of my boats. The one claim to fame alcohol has always had is that it can be put out with water if there is a fire. What is overlooked is that it can also be SPREAD with the same water. I have been told that the Origo stoves work pretty well, but I have no personal experience with them.

Can't figure out just how the devil that picture got on this post, but that's my wife Laura steering our Prindle 18 at some speed on one of our old camp/cruising trips.

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[Barry Pyeatt]

I would whole heartedly back Charlie regarding the Alcohol stoves onboard a boat.

Propane with the tanks kept out of the cabin when not inuse is a much safer mode to operate in on a trailerable boat. If there is a leak or it is accidentially turned on without being lit, you can smell it easily. It is also quite visible when it is burning. Alcohol on the othes hand is often not visible when burning and is also often odorless or easily masked by other odors. Water thrown onto it does spread an alcohol fire more often than extinguishing it.

My personal experience is testimony to the dangers involved with them. Had a close friend burned badly on a small boat with an alcohol stove when I was cruising with him. He thought the stove was extinguished and sacked out. I was on my boat a few yards away and awoke to hear him screaming and his boat burning. Second and third degree burns and a long painful recovery.

He still goes camping in small boats but he only cooks ashore and keeps the propane tanks in open space when cruising.

[capt jake]

Very good points from both Barry and Charlie. I had forgotten about the invisible flame and neglected to mention, as Charlie said, about the spread with water.

Now Kerosene is an excellent way to go. Flash point is over 100 degrees F and is much safer. It may smell for a while if spilled, but much safer!!!!!

[Tim Diebert]

Got some pretty clever blokes around here.

[Zeroice]

www.campmor.com has a very small backpacking alchol stove that would probably work well. They are inexpensive so you could buy a couple and set them up on a table or counter space and have a regular dual burner setup.

[Tom Holder]

As long as we are building "retro" boats . . .

I've done some camp cooking (and power outage cooking) over beeswax burners. Mix a three to one ratio of beeswax and parrafin, pour it in a low-sided 6" round tin with 5 wicks in the wax. Burns hot, smells great and provides light - works good as a heater if it gets cold too. Takes some time but its a renewable resource and as ol' timey as anything.

[Zeroice]

Here is a link to that backpacking alchol burner I was talking about.

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=15973489&prmenbr=226

[Sailor3356]

I like most people have used Propane for my stove. The alcohol stove was too expensive for me. The problem was that the Propane is a heavy fuel and would have a tendency to stay in the boat. It was hard to put a bottle on it with out some excepting. And since I want to wake up the next morning, I wanted it out of the boat. I would have to run the bilge blower to get the gas out. Of course the bilge blower could cause it to explode so that was always in the back of my mind. A few years ago I noticed a Butane stove at Boat US. Butane is a lite gas and would float out of my cabin if an excepted. I bought one for about $65.00 and have been very pleased with it. The gas costs a little bit more but it is safer and heats just as well as my Propane did.

[Steve Downs]

Tom, when I was a Boy Scout leader we used to make what we called a "buddy burner" with an empty tuna can. Cut some strips of corregated cardboard the same height as the inside of the can. Roll them up to fill the unside of the can then pour melted wax over it. If you leave a piece of the cardboard sticking up on the edge it acts as a wick to help in lighting. Just add a piece of wax as it burns to keep it fueled and as an added bonus, it's waterproof when cold. It was fun too, and cheap. :wink:

[Tom Holder]

Yeah, I've made those too. Honking BIG flame though. How about sawdust and wax emergency candles? I can heat my house with those babies . . .

Don't think either would work well on the water though. Good to have in the man overboard kit though.

[Charlie Jones]

Man Steve- that goes back a LONG way . We made those when I was a scout FIFTY years ago!! Back then we could get real metal oil cans. We would take a 2 gallon oil can, cut some vents in the sides and a slot to put the tuna can in through on the lower side and use that for a stove- cooking on the bottom of the can. Of course- oil cans are all plastic now

I think I'll make a burner - just for the fun of it