We have a MacGregor 25 and are thinking of designing a new galley for it, and when we do, will probably end up replacing the stove. When we got the boat, it came with a one burner “Mr. Stove” butane cartridge stove. I don’t really care for the amount of heat this produces or that it is one burner. We have a Coleman 2-burner Propane stove which uses the small propane canisters, and are considering this as an option. Another option, a gentleman at our local Flea market has a 2-burner Princess alcohol stove he’s selling for next to nothing ($10). Any input on the pros and cons of each stove would be appreciated. As would other options you may know of. Because we don't have a lot of room to make our galley, we're concerned not only with efficiency, but with space also. Thanks.
- Status
Go with the propane
I pulled out the alcohol stove and now use a propane similar to the one you have. what I like about it is that you can take it on the beach and cook there as well as on the boat. Alcohol is a lot of trouble and some say dangerous.
I pulled out the alcohol stove and now use a propane similar to the one you have. what I like about it is that you can take it on the beach and cook there as well as on the boat. Alcohol is a lot of trouble and some say dangerous.
Paul is right! Go with propane
Jackie.... I am just down the road from you. Paul is right... alcohol is a pain in the ass. Go with the propane! One word of caution.... propane is heavier than air... don't store it below. I bunjee cord my cylinders to the mast enclosed in PVC... very safe. Cook in the cockpit if possible. Good luck!! P.S. Where do you sail in Redding??
Jackie.... I am just down the road from you. Paul is right... alcohol is a pain in the ass. Go with the propane! One word of caution.... propane is heavier than air... don't store it below. I bunjee cord my cylinders to the mast enclosed in PVC... very safe. Cook in the cockpit if possible. Good luck!! P.S. Where do you sail in Redding??
Propane vs. Alchohol
Our previous sailboat had a two burner alcohol stove made by Origo and it worked pretty well. Our new boat has a propane stove which does seem to have a hotter flame than the alcohol. The biggest trouble with propane is it is heavier than air and if a leak develops it accumulates in the bottom of the boat, which is not good. If the cover on the alcohol stove is accidentally left uncovered, the alcohol will simply dissipate into and out of the boat. Sail On... Terry
Our previous sailboat had a two burner alcohol stove made by Origo and it worked pretty well. Our new boat has a propane stove which does seem to have a hotter flame than the alcohol. The biggest trouble with propane is it is heavier than air and if a leak develops it accumulates in the bottom of the boat, which is not good. If the cover on the alcohol stove is accidentally left uncovered, the alcohol will simply dissipate into and out of the boat. Sail On... Terry
Boom!
Propane will give you more efficient heat. Essentially, it holds more BTU's per unit of volume than alcohol does. This means that water will boil sooner (and you'll heat up the cabin less) with propane. HOWEVER... using the camping-type stove you describe totally removes the safety features like a solenoid and valve shut-offs that are USCG required in plumbed-in propane stoves. A gas leak too small for you to notice could fill the bottom of the boat with gas, and when you light the stove, your boat may end up bigger than 25' long --- in pieces. Non-pressurized alcohol avoids this problem, though it takes longer to cook with. One trip I was on, the pressurized stove broke the second day out. For almost three weeks, the cook had to get up 2 hours before breakfast so we could have hot coffee from non-pressurized alcohol burners. My boat has a plumbed propane stove and oven.
Propane will give you more efficient heat. Essentially, it holds more BTU's per unit of volume than alcohol does. This means that water will boil sooner (and you'll heat up the cabin less) with propane. HOWEVER... using the camping-type stove you describe totally removes the safety features like a solenoid and valve shut-offs that are USCG required in plumbed-in propane stoves. A gas leak too small for you to notice could fill the bottom of the boat with gas, and when you light the stove, your boat may end up bigger than 25' long --- in pieces. Non-pressurized alcohol avoids this problem, though it takes longer to cook with. One trip I was on, the pressurized stove broke the second day out. For almost three weeks, the cook had to get up 2 hours before breakfast so we could have hot coffee from non-pressurized alcohol burners. My boat has a plumbed propane stove and oven.
Propane is goo, but...
Propane is great, but when I was just starting to liveaboard, I read a book that I bought from liveaboard magazine's website called "The Warm, Dry Boat". It was very helpful to me. One of the things that the author said was that for every pound of propane you burn you produce 3 pounds of water, so you have to make sure that you have our galley properly ventilated to ensuure that you don't sog up you boat. I replaced my princess stove that the boat came with when I bought it with a propane stove. I am happy with it. Then again, my only requirement was to be able to make coffee underway ;o) Just my two cents.
Propane is great, but when I was just starting to liveaboard, I read a book that I bought from liveaboard magazine's website called "The Warm, Dry Boat". It was very helpful to me. One of the things that the author said was that for every pound of propane you burn you produce 3 pounds of water, so you have to make sure that you have our galley properly ventilated to ensuure that you don't sog up you boat. I replaced my princess stove that the boat came with when I bought it with a propane stove. I am happy with it. Then again, my only requirement was to be able to make coffee underway ;o) Just my two cents.
Propane is good, but must be monitored!
I run a propane oven and two burner stove, plus a Force 10 heater on a Cal T/2 and have found the system to work well. There is some moisture build-up when using the heater, but little when using the stove or burners. There is a vent directly above the oven/stove so moisture is eliminated when ventilation is good such as forward hatch and companionway are open. When closed, I run an electric fan that supplies air to the floor area of the cabin so as to not cause CO problems. To make things safe, there are three automatic off gas sensors, one in the keel bildge, one in the engine compartment and one at floor level in the cabin (just to the right of the stove). An additional sensor in the Force 10 is factory set to shut down the propane system at 12 degrees heel so not available under sail. The propane stove and oven is gimbled. Sensors are checked at the beginning and middle of season for reliability. A CO sensor is also in the cabin for safety. 11 pound propane tank(s) are stored on the aft transome in stainless bumper holders so as to keep the fuel outboard. Connections are checked every season for leaks by using soapy water on each connection to detect leaks (so far: none). If moving, the front hatch is always opened and the boat is ventilated to remove any lingering propane before using any of the units. If at rest, the incoming air fan is run for 5 minutes to exhaust any lingering fuel. Whenever a unit is used, at the end of use, the propane sensor valve is shut off and the remaining fuel is used up by allowing the unit to use up the fuel and go out because of no supplied fuel. This may seem to be a lot of little things put together for safety, but an expert in marine units explained to me that propane fuel lines are actually pressure porous and when the pressure decreases, the lines will leak the remaining fuel in the line to make it safe. Since my lines run below the floor, propane would collect in the keel bildge or engine compartment after each use so it is better to be safe than sorry. The insurance company also likes the set up and requires it for coverage. I am still waiting for the cup of coffe from an alcohol two burner from a few years ago. Alcohol is very hard to see burning, where the propane has a blue flame with yellowish top. A detection smell is also added to propane and any smell of propane means find the problem and correct it before lighting a match. Since yours is portable, use the unit in a well ventilated area and there should be few problems.
I run a propane oven and two burner stove, plus a Force 10 heater on a Cal T/2 and have found the system to work well. There is some moisture build-up when using the heater, but little when using the stove or burners. There is a vent directly above the oven/stove so moisture is eliminated when ventilation is good such as forward hatch and companionway are open. When closed, I run an electric fan that supplies air to the floor area of the cabin so as to not cause CO problems. To make things safe, there are three automatic off gas sensors, one in the keel bildge, one in the engine compartment and one at floor level in the cabin (just to the right of the stove). An additional sensor in the Force 10 is factory set to shut down the propane system at 12 degrees heel so not available under sail. The propane stove and oven is gimbled. Sensors are checked at the beginning and middle of season for reliability. A CO sensor is also in the cabin for safety. 11 pound propane tank(s) are stored on the aft transome in stainless bumper holders so as to keep the fuel outboard. Connections are checked every season for leaks by using soapy water on each connection to detect leaks (so far: none). If moving, the front hatch is always opened and the boat is ventilated to remove any lingering propane before using any of the units. If at rest, the incoming air fan is run for 5 minutes to exhaust any lingering fuel. Whenever a unit is used, at the end of use, the propane sensor valve is shut off and the remaining fuel is used up by allowing the unit to use up the fuel and go out because of no supplied fuel. This may seem to be a lot of little things put together for safety, but an expert in marine units explained to me that propane fuel lines are actually pressure porous and when the pressure decreases, the lines will leak the remaining fuel in the line to make it safe. Since my lines run below the floor, propane would collect in the keel bildge or engine compartment after each use so it is better to be safe than sorry. The insurance company also likes the set up and requires it for coverage. I am still waiting for the cup of coffe from an alcohol two burner from a few years ago. Alcohol is very hard to see burning, where the propane has a blue flame with yellowish top. A detection smell is also added to propane and any smell of propane means find the problem and correct it before lighting a match. Since yours is portable, use the unit in a well ventilated area and there should be few problems.
I'd just say
If the alcohol stove is the old pressurized (pump up) one STAY AWAY. They where a pain in the b#tt and could be hard to light and flare-up enough to catch towels or drapes on fire.
If the alcohol stove is the old pressurized (pump up) one STAY AWAY. They where a pain in the b#tt and could be hard to light and flare-up enough to catch towels or drapes on fire.
Make mine alcohol
I have an Origo alcohol stove/oven and see no reason to switch. I can boil water for coffee in a few minutes. I can heat up the oven to 350F in less than 10 min. This is a no pressure type. I never have to worry about my boat becoming a bomb - or where to store propane tanks. Frankly, I'm not sure what the hassel is with alcohol? It does take longer to heat than propane. But if I was in a big hurry, I would have a go fast boat and have time to purchase coffee and pizza at the next marina.
I have an Origo alcohol stove/oven and see no reason to switch. I can boil water for coffee in a few minutes. I can heat up the oven to 350F in less than 10 min. This is a no pressure type. I never have to worry about my boat becoming a bomb - or where to store propane tanks. Frankly, I'm not sure what the hassel is with alcohol? It does take longer to heat than propane. But if I was in a big hurry, I would have a go fast boat and have time to purchase coffee and pizza at the next marina.
Re: where do you sail in Redding?
So far we've only sailed on Whiskeytown Lake. It's surprising how small the lake has become after sailing it this summer!
So far we've only sailed on Whiskeytown Lake. It's surprising how small the lake has become after sailing it this summer!
Gimbal for Origo Alcohol Stove
To me, you can't beat a non-pressurised alcohol stove on a small boat. I had the Origo 2 burner on my O'Day 240. Loved it! Cooked many-a-meal on board with it. Now, on my O'Day 222 I have the Origo single burner. Works Great! I made a gimbal for the 2-burner. (See Photo via link.) Stove pops-up for use; swings out of the way to create more counter space. BTW these stoves seem to come up often on eBay. That's where I got the single burner. Saved mucho dolares. $$$
To me, you can't beat a non-pressurised alcohol stove on a small boat. I had the Origo 2 burner on my O'Day 240. Loved it! Cooked many-a-meal on board with it. Now, on my O'Day 222 I have the Origo single burner. Works Great! I made a gimbal for the 2-burner. (See Photo via link.) Stove pops-up for use; swings out of the way to create more counter space. BTW these stoves seem to come up often on eBay. That's where I got the single burner. Saved mucho dolares. $$$
- Status