Galley Upgrade

Tim R. · Feb 9, 2009

Alcohol stove are very safe if operated properly. Alcohol fires can be extinguised with water. Your stove only holds 1 1/4 quarts of fuel but you can safely carry a gallon of fuel in a separate container. It is a very low tech cooking solution with few problems. Some folks are intimidated by the initial heating of the orafice and tend to shy away from alcohol thinking propane is safer. In my book it is not. Propane explodes, alcohol does not.

Electric cooking is very impractical on a boat, especially one of your size(no offense, it wouldn't be practical on anything but a larger boat with a generator)

Propane is a gas that is heavier than air and will settle in the bilges presenting an explosion hazard.

CNG is a good option because it is lighter than air. If it leaks it disipates into the atmosphere(assuming you are on a well vented boat). Ufortunately it can be difficult to find especially outside the US.

A good propane grill that runs off of coleman cans is great for cooking on the rail. The cans are small enough to be stored in an area that is vented below. You can build a locker out of PVC pipe for storing thecans in the cockpit.

Ed Schenck · Feb 9, 2009

Have to agree with Tim. If I fill the two canisters on my Origo I am good for a long time. I carry a two gallon outboard can under the sink for refills. Everyone claims how much faster propane cooks. But on a seven week cruise I never once felt like I was waiting for heat. The kettle was whistling in less than five minutes and made six cups of French Press coffee. The only limiting thing is no oven and only two burners. Again like Tim suggests we would use the grill outside if we needed another surface.

But yours, I think, is pressurized while mine is not. I am not sure how that affects heat output if at all.

soulesailor · Feb 9, 2009

Ed Schenck said:
But yours, I think, is pressurized while mine is not. I am not sure how that affects heat output if at all.

Having cooked with both pressurized and non-pressurized alcohol stoves I can say I never noticed any difference with heat or cooking times. Non-pressurized cooks just as fast and is WAY, WAY SAFER! Pressurized alcohol stoves are prone to flare up when lighting and are incredibly dangerous and really there is no reason not to convert to non-pressurized if cooking with alcohol.

By the way, alcohol is also heavier than air and will sink into the bilge just like propane...it just isn't as volatile and isn't likely to ignite while down there.

Joe11688 · Feb 9, 2009

xgruiz said:
Im remodeling the galley on my boat, it's a 1969 Coronado 25. The original configuration comes with an alcohol burning stove, which honestly i don't know anything about since i never used it. I am thinking about changing it for a propane system, how ever i am very concerned about safety, also concerned about eficiency. The alcohol stove can hold 1 1/4 quart of alcohol, but i have no idea how long will be able to cook with it. I also considered the possibility of an electric stove, but that will required to upgrade the electrical system. Power inverters works good, but i never used them for power a stove. So here it is, there is my dilenma. thanks for reading my post, any comments, sugestions or ideas are greatly appreciated.

Xavier Garcia
Solomon's Island, MD

I have an Origo two burner boat stove that I use a lot. I also have a single burner Origo at home. I like them both because they are non pressurized stoves and they are safe. I've never had one of these stoves catch on fire, but I've had a pressurized alcohol stove catch on fire. All you need is a damp cloth to smother the flames on and alcohol stove. Alcohol is a bit pricey in boat stores, but it can be purchased a lot cheaper in hardware and department stores. With my Origo stove, stove-top oven, and stove-top grill, I can cook or bake just about anything on my boat that I can at home. Any stove can be dangerous while it's going. You need to be aware of any flamable objects that can get blown on to the stove by a breeze coming through an open hatch. Outside of this, I think that they are pretty safe.

windward54 · Feb 9, 2009

I've used all four systems. I guess it really boils (sorry about the pun!) down to how you are going to use the system. I liked CNG, but it was hard to fine. I didn't notice that much of a cooking difference between CNG and propane. Only problem is propane has the problem that it is heavier than air. Funny thing is CNG out of the tank is also heavier then air. As gasses expand out of a tank, the temperature drops and the gas gets heavier. Charles's Law at work. However, you need a major leak to have that happen, so for the most part it is safer.

I liked my pressurized alcohol system, once I learned how to light it. I didn't notice any difference in heating between pressure and non-preassure. I liked being able to pour the fuel in the tank and not worry about spills. The only galley fire I've had was a small alcohol spill that I did not see, while refilling an Origo cannister. After that, I never filled a cannister and tried to use the stove immediately. I always gave a little time to have any excess alcohol evaporate. One really good thing though about either alcohol system is that the equipment takes up little space. My pressurized system was on a 27', the cannister system was on a 34'. I didn't take either out because they both heated up what I was cooking just fine and I didn't have to give up locker space for tanks.

higgs · Feb 9, 2009

If you are doing extended trips and want an oven, then propane is the way to go.

For overnighters and even two week cruises where you won't need an oven I cannot recommend the Origo strongly enough. Unlike pressurized alcohol all you do is light and cook. Use denatured alcohol froma hardware store.

CNG is also dangerous and, according to the last issue of Seaworthy, is lighter than air. Check out that publication for a photo of a boat whose stern was blown open by a CNG explosion Unfortunately, Boat US does not have that photo on line.

Stu Jackson · Feb 9, 2009

It's a 25 foot boat

so an oven is impractical.

Your choices:

1. Learn to use your existing stove - they worked great for many, many folks for many, many years.

2. Replace it with an Origo as shown in the photos. They're usually a drop in replacement. Great things, those Origos. We did just that on our Catlaina 25 in 1987.

3. Forget about CNG - the tank is heavier than your boat!

4. Propane: small cannisters would work with a small stove; a central system is overkill for your boat.

5. Small butane cooking stoves are also an option; you can get a gimballed single burner, too.

Your boat, your choice. We really don't know how you like to cook or what you cook. A single is fine if all you do is coffee. Double are nice for dinners.

Ross · Feb 9, 2009

When I rebuilt my boat I considered well the life style that I enjoy and fine dining is has on my list so I installed a 3 burner propane stove with oven and broiler. I know others who are quite satisfied with a simpler alcohol stove with no oven. One of my friends lived aboard for five years on a 27 and she is a fine cook. When she moved ashore she bought a four burner gas range with oven and broiler. She admits to being limited in what and how she could cook on her boat. As others have said ,"your boat,your choice." Propane is not so dangerous as to be rejected only for that reason.

Benny · Feb 9, 2009

If you have a non-pressurized Origo stove and don't want to waste fuel make sure you insert the gasket on top of the canister after use to prevent evaporation. If left uncovered your 1 1/4 quart canister will not last long. One good thing about alchol is that you can put out an alcohol fire with water. One bad thing is that the alcohol flame is invisible. I think any stove to be practical needs to have at least two burners unless you become adept at one skillet dishes. If you would like to go with propane you may use the 1 lb bottles and avoid a costly large tank and controls installation. The secret to safety and the use of 1 lb bottles is to connect when you are ready to use the stove, disconnect it when you are done and keep watch of the stove while in use. Lastly do not store the bottle inside the cabin. Put them in the anchor locker or in a pouch hanging from the stern pulpit. We use a butane single burner on a 22' boat and works quite well on a limited menu.

Ross · Feb 9, 2009

Don't depend on water to extinguish an alcohol fire. This discussion came up on the trailer sailors forum and I was determined to find out for certain. First i soaked a cotton ball with alcohol and ignited it and attacked it with a spray bottle and blew the fire out. Next i flooded an aluminum foil pie pan and ignited that and the water spray was not effective. I was outside so I simply dumped it but had it been inside a wet towel would have been needed to smother the flames.

sailingdog · Feb 10, 2009

Of the fuels used on a small sailboat, the only one that is not heavier than air is CNG, which is primarily methane (CH4).

An unpressurized Origo is a fine stove to use, provided you remember to do a few things when using it.

First, never refill the fuel canisters without letting them cool down completely. Second, be very cautious about cleaning up any fuel spills thouroughly. Third, do not assume that you will be able to see the flames or that water will extinguish an alcohol fire properly.

Alcohol burns fairly well, even when diluted rather heavily with water. It on'y requires about 40% alcohol by volume for the liquid to be a decent fuel—look at rum, vodka, or whiskey if you have any doubts.

Do not store the small 1 lb. butane or propane tanks below decks. If they leak, they are a very serious explosion hazard, particularly butane, which requires about half as much gas by volume to become explosive. A good storage locker for 1 lb. Propane tanks can be made using 4" PVC pipe and attached to the stern rail or life lines.

A fire blanket is a good item to have aboard, especially if you have an alcohol stove.

BobM · Feb 11, 2009

A recent link discussed stove top ovens. They are inexpensive and seem a great alternative to the PITA of adding an oven to a small boat. I only have a two burner alcohol stove and plan to get one myself. Regarding the pressurzied alcohol stove, I follow the instructions to pre-heat and it has not been a problem. It does seem a bit slow to get the percolator going, but percolators tend to be slow in general and NOBODY can make coffee fast enough for me in the morning.

Galley Upgrade

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