Alcohol, Propane?

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by CaptainK

My boat already has a LPG burning stove already in place. And all it needs, is a good clean up. Hook everything back up. And she'll be ready to cook meals!!

This is *exactly* why we use alcohol. It's already here and working very well. A year of cooking on it, and no problems at all.

[CaptainK]

Well Sean.

I hope that you don't blow yourself up with one of those alcohol stoves.

Hear too many "bad" stories about them things!!

I have (two) extra stoves. Alcohol, I believe. I plan on cleaning them up. And sell them on ebay. Anybody want to buy any later on this year?

[ssullivan]

Captain K: The bad experiences people have with alcohol stoves are due to a lack of understanding in how to use them. Once you know how to use it, it becomes just like a propane stove.

[CaptainK]

Yeah Sean.

(After blowing a limb off!!)
After they start calling me stubby? Then I might have learned and have respect for them!!! :cubalibre

Maybe?

[Weyalan]

I have quite extensive experience of quite a variety of different stoves and fuels; both on board, and camping. From the humble Trangias to petrol Optimus stoves, Kerosene Primus stoves, MSR XGK (which will run on petrol, kerosene, aviation gas, toluene, pretty much anything), single burner metho boat stoves, metho primed kerosene boat stoves, gas stoves from single burner to 4 burner/grill/oven monsters.

All the different fuel types have advantages and disadvantages:- methylated spirits, for example, is bloody useless at altitudes of over about 15000' - not too much of a problem on a yacht, I'll grant, but...

Out of the whole lot of them, gas is my preferred method of cooking - it is, to my mind, the cleanest, easiest and most convenient way of cooking. Is it the safest? No. But, I had my gas plumbing installation carried out by a certified plumber who issued a certificate for his work. I keep my cylinders in a ventilated locker outside the cabinn space. Is there still a small risk? Sure, but life is about taking reasonable steps to minimise the risks, then get on and live...

[GordMay]

The March/April 2006 issue of ”Good Old Boat” magazine (Issue 47) has an interesting article (not yet available on-line):

“Galley Stoves 101" ~ by Don Launer

Launer writes of the fuel choices for galley stoves: liquefied peroleum gas (LPG), alcohol (pressurized and non-pressurized), compressed natural gas (CNG), kerossene, electricity, and diesel. Available fuel choices for cruising sailboats.

http://www.goodoldboat.com/

[CnCSailor]

A very interesting and "many times argued" issue for boaters...I'll add my $.02 worth...

All types of fuel carried on board a moving vessel must be stored carefully whether it be diesel, gasoline, alcohol, LPG, kerosene, propane, or whatever...common sense dictates a reasonable and thoughtful amount of caution with all of these.

As a user of a pressure alcohol stoves for a number of years I will add the following comments from experience. I have a stainless Hillerange (stove and oven) on my C&C which we weekend and vacation on - it has a new steel pressure tank with quality hoses and hardware. I buy the alcohol in a steel jug and secure it in a small locker where it can't move about. Until I found the source of a slow leak (a valve in the stove), I too had to pump up the tank each day. This is a perhaps once per weekend thing without the leak now...

My wife is a tea drinker so we use it regularly when aboard...I have baked bread succesfully and find the heat produced by the elements quite satisfactory but perhaps not as good as propane. It boils water very nicely and burner control from almost no flame to blast furnace is excellent. The preheat proceedure, however, is a pain and one misunderstood by many who have had "trouble" with an alcohol stove and think they're dangerous. This, in my opinion, is the major downfall of alcohol stoves...and why I can't completely disagree with the assessment of them as dangerous. I'll bet that almost all of the serious fires caused by pressure alcohol stoves are as a direct result of the user, not the equipment. If you are not trained in the use of this type of stove and lack the patience necessary to use it properly, I guarentee you'll have problems.

Anyone who cares to read or learn the procedure to properly preheat and use an alcohol stove can do it safely, every time! The "problems" we have encountered have been when my wife (bless her, of course) uses the thing but doesn't remember to be patient...it's not that it takes that much, but some patience is required...too much liquid alcohol in the burners before it's hot enough to vaporize and you get a flare-up...providing you've turned off the supply to the element, it's not particularly dangerous - it burns itself out and off you go with your cooking - it looks more dangerous than it is in most instances - one should not have combustibles around or over your stove in any case....I, myself have never had a problem in using a pressure alcohol stove but I understand the process and do it the same EVERY time...

My next boat will likely have propane and I'll likely be as happy with that as with alcohol...it presents different challenges from a safety perspective but is certainly much easier for most people to use - no question. That alone probably makes it a safer cooking source. I would never allow anyone to use my current stove without strict instruction and much hovering and reassurance...it's too easy to have a problem...most people can, however, safely use a propane stove with little instruction providing the basic systems (solenoid, sniffers, vented box, etc.) have been put in place.

There is nothing inherently dangerous about a pressure alcohol stove IMO, but it takes an understanding of the process to use one safely. I can't speak to supply and cost as I've only been using alcohol (stove alcohol anyway) in Canada and the US where it's in pretty good supply...

Happy and safe sailing to everyone...

[hellosailor]

One other point about alcohol as a fuel, is that it gives off a great deal of water vapor when burned. In a closed boat in the winter, this will produce a great deal of condensation. And for bakers, it is an extreme for the "gas vs electric" debate, the extra water vapor may keep your baked goods extra moist too.

It is a relatively cold flame, although it seems Sean's stove has compensated for that. Winter campers have been known to die from alcohol, butane, and propane stoves that simply couldn't generate enough heat to melt snow into water. The denser fuels (gasoline, kerosene) don't have that problem. But unless you're boating in the polar regions...that shouldn't be an issue.<G>

How can alcohol be sold at $10-12 per gallon for yachties, when the fuel companies swear that 190-proof ethanol is cheaper than $3.00/gallon gasoline?? Hmmmm.....

[GordMay]

Some Alcohol Stove Manuals:

HILLERANGE:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl/irwinsailboats/stove.html

KENYON:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl/cruisingkeywest/kenyon.html

PRINCESS:
http://www.catalina27.org/Clips/PRIC...L%20STOVES.pdf


Taunton Stove Company (TASCO) claim that many of their parts are adaptable to SeaWard, Shipmate, Kenyon, and HillerRange stoves.
Goto: TASCO