Stove

[Sunset]

The Islander we bought has a pressurized alcohol stove. How dangerous are these?

[Bubba the Pirate]

I think the consensus is they are dangerous. I haven't used one but had a Cape Dory project that came with one. My research led my to decide against it.

Alcohol can burn invisibly. Pressure stoves are prone to flare ups when lighting.

YMMV. Do some googling and decide for your situation.

I was against propane for a lomg time; was going to use non-pressurized alcohol. Then I spent a couple months on a boat with an electric solenoid; switch in the galley, tanks in a  propane locker on deck. As long as we remembered to turn off the solenoid after cooking it seemed pretty safe. I'm considering it now.

[CharlieJ]

Don't know about alcohol, other than it's a very expensive fuel.  But I've used pressurized kerosene stoves in every boat I've cooked aboard, since the 70's, with no problems

[jotruk]

I have a old pressurized alcohol stove on my hunter. They are slow to heat things up but I enjoy cooking on this one. Makes some real good coffee

[Phantom Jim]

We purchased our boat in 2001 with a Hillerrange pressurized alcohol stove.  It was tough to light in the beginning but we soon came to like it.  Alcohol is not as hot as propane or kerosene, but is will cook effectively.  It is in its own when simmering things.  It can be dangerous because the flame can be hard to see and that is associated with being very dangerous.  We never experienced any problems but we were very fastidious about lighting it.  The alcohol is more expensive.  The best place to purchase the alcohol is Home Depot or Lowes.

It is a matter of knowing what you are working with and being careful, as all mariners should be.

[cap-couillon]

Had a pressurized alcohol stove onboard years ago and hated it.  Ran propane on the big boat but now have a non-pressurized Origo stove and could not be happier. Takes a few more to boil water than propane, but quiet and very safe (Can put it out with water). Denatured alcohol from the paint dept at the local big box store runs about $15 for a gallon and lasts me a month using for breakfast and dinner most days.

[Phantom Jim]

All systems will work, just know them and be safe.

[Sunset]

Just got a non pressurized Origo stove, if it works as good as it looks all will be good in this department. Going to install it Monday hoping it will fit the gimbal that's already there. Going to spend a winter week on the boat doing inside stuff and working on a new bottle of gin. :) I got a book on the great loop by captain John I want to read, should go with the gin pretty good. Kicking around how to get some tunes on the boat also. I like simple old fashion stereo deck with a cd player. But installing it bothers me. Nobody has drilled holes all over this boat, which is unusual for an 84. I don't want to be the first to break the tradition. Any ideas? I don't mind a few small holes to mount a couple box speakers, but not much more than that. 

[Phantom Jim]

We use Scotch brand double side mounting tape to mount items we want to try before permanently attaching to the boat.  Some items are still held with the tape several years later.  It  might be worth a try to mount your unit with this.

[ralay]

How about some portable Bluetooth speakers?  Woody got a little waterproof blue tooth speaker for pretty cheap.  One of us can queue up music on our phone (which is safely down below) and then take the speaker in the cockpit even when it's raining or splashy.  I also take it on my bike, in the dinghy, etc while my phone is safely in a drybag in my pocket.

[Cruiser2B]

Ill second the Bluetooth speaker. I have one that is water resistant, bought it at walmart...great sound and long battery life. Has come in real handy over the last few months rebuilding my home. I suspect this spring it will get plenty of use when I get back to the boat.

[CharlieJ]

 have an Ipod, and a small Bluetooth speaker I use on the boat. Also works  fine with music from my phone

Going top boat later, so I'll look at brand

[Sunset]

Cant really reply tonight, sampled the gin! Just for general info I still have a flip phone that I haven't totally learned.
Also have any of you got to the point where you just don't want to learn anything new?

[ralay]

Got any other gadgets aboard?  Or are you just not down with computers in general?  You can use lots of things besides smartphones.  You can probably even get car stereos with Bluetooth which would save you the trouble of running speaker wire, but wouldn't save you the trouble of cutting holes to mount the stereo and to run the 12V wires.

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

I got a book on the great loop by captain John I want to read, should go with the gin pretty good

Yea, I just ordered that book. Doing the loop is on my list of things I'd like to do.
I suspect gin will go with bout anything when you're hanging out on a boat.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Bob

[Phantom Jim]

I have a Homestrand/Kenyon pressurized alcohol two burner stove.  When the burners are lit the flame seems to be off of the burner grid.  It burns good with a hissing noise and does not blow out.  Should I adjust the air so the flame does not appear so far from the grid?  The grid should not be red either, should it?

[rorik]

My CD28 came with a two burner alcohol stove which I initially swapped out for propane. That ony lasted a few months because I was always on edge about leaks....and fire.
Ended up buying a single burner, gimbaled, pressurized kerosene stove. After 3 years of live aboard use, I couldn't be happier with it.

[CharlieJ]

 ;D
Except I use 100% mineral spirits, and have for years. Since 1979, all I've used is kero stoves aboard

[rorik]

I've got a pressurized kerosene single burner stove on Mathilda. Been using it for 3-4 years with only a couple of flare ups. The flare ups were MY fault for not paying attention: trying to relight the burner almost a minute after the preheating wick went out, over filling the tank...
On another note, I was in the Port Townsend Foundry last weekend and they have a completely bronze version of that SeaSwing stove in CharliesJ's post..no idea how much they want for it, but it is really pretty! Pete (owner/PT Foundry) said his 5qt pressure cooker fits in it perfectly.

[CharlieJ]

Oh I bet it is gorgeous- and pricey. I had to do some serious mods to the SeaCook to add that burner. B ut do note- it's a SeaCook, NOT a Seaswing. Big difference in the two. Pot holder is very different, as is the mounting.

Here's what the pot holder looks like on the SeaCook. And the second pic shows the stove with my 9 inch Wok in use :)