How Do You Cook Onboard?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Rez

I was onboard a sailboat which had a sudden alcohol stove induced fire. Three adults with fire extinguishers were barely able to stop it. .

When I was a kid I tried to burn our first boat when a metho stove went up. I squirted a full extinguisher of chemical powder and it did nothing. I was actually beginning to get worried untill Mum gently dropped a fire blanket over the lot.

That white powder took ages to clean Poor Mum LOLOL

[Rez]

MarkJ, I didn't know that's what fire blankets were for, I was wearing it to protect myself! LOL

[DaveyJones]

Yes, your right I mean Carbon Monoxide.

Also it is not heavier or lighter than air so I guess it does not matter as long as you can hear it while sleeping.

I guess on mine they installed it next to the LPG detector for convenience.

Due to a lot of campers dieing from it it's common to see detectors on all RV's.


I doubt if many people fall asleep and die while cooking, but some people probably use the stove to generate heat. There are lots of warnings on the documentation that comes with a propane stove.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by DaveyJones

I doubt if many people fall asleep and die while cooking, but some people probably use the stove to generate heat. There are lots of warnings on the documentation that comes with a propane stove.

You just can't fix stupid.

They may well kill themselves another way sooner rather than later.

That reminds me.

Does anyone recall reading about the truly massive amounts of money, time and effort used for all these "safety" ideals and how little the return is?
I can't remember where I read that math....hmmm.

[Rez]

Therapy,
We're all alive - that's pretty good math! LOL

[DaveyJones]

All of the boat fires I've seen so far were electrical.

I would rather abandon a boat with a battery fire before having a propane explosion though.

[hellosailor]

Therapy-
At the risk of a eugenics argument--and before the Great Nazi Horror, eugenics was a hot and active topic in the US as well--I draw the line between "safety warnings" and "mandatory safety".

It is one thing to highlight unobvious dangers, like sticking a "Wet Floor" sign up when you are mopping. But quite a different one to require everyone to wear spiked shoes, just in case they cross a slippery one during the day.

In the case of the young, the infirm, those who are too (whatever) to protect themselves, I can see the argument that society has to take care of those who can't care for themselves. The problem there, is the way that gets extended to Stupid.

Seat belts? Yeah, I should be able to buy them. Shouldn't be required to USE them, that's my choice. And if I don't use them--my insurance policy should be allowed to say "no belts? No payout for injuries!"

That's called freedom of choice, and we seem to forget that. Stupid is a choice, and "removed from the gene pool" is a great choice. Sometimes a little rough on the survivors, but good for the species. The alternative is, after all, eventually defining freedom to mean "What color rubber padding will you wear today?"

I think my favorite Darwin Awards are for the robber who stuck a live lobster down his pants, and the guy who used a cigarette lighter to see how much gas was in his tank. Even though both survived.

Cooking? Let's not forget, the Chinese use chopsticks because one of the great dynasties banned the civilian ownership of metal implements for a thousand years. No forks, no knives, only wooden spoons, to ensure that the peasants couldn't take up arms. And now, there's a movement in the UK to ban those unnecessary and dangerous pointed kitchen kives--which are being used in home arguments and stabbings.

Kitchen safety, anyone? Do you have your "Hot Food Preparation" permit?

[Rez]

I think you've got a meaningful point, Sailor. Leaving things like seat belts open-ended so stupids will end themselves is a sound plan. There must be lots of things like that.

With what's coming the next fifty years, I think the gene pool is going to end up very light on "stupid."

[Pblais]

I think the topic of cooking is broad enough without setting this thread drifing into safety issues too.

Just a little moderation to maintain course and get dinner cooked.

[DaveyJones]

One thing I have seen happen which is a good reason for using a pressure cooker is water splashing over the top of a pot and putting the fire out. If this happens there nothing to turn the gas off automatically. Best to keep a close eye on any gas fires.


It's also common to see regulators in use but not mounted properly. If the vent is not pointing down it does not work correctly.

Asphyxiation is one of the main problems with open flames in a confined space.

After looking around some it seems that solid fuel is blamed for most boat fires.

[Pblais]

After looking around some it seems that solid fuel is blamed for most boat fires.

Boat US says Electrical is the source of 80% of boat fires. It's the wiring not the appliances!

[Rez]

Paul,
A bit of additional information about electrical fires on boats.
Robert Adriance, of Boat U.S., has a book out called Seaworthy. It is available all over, including Amazon. It's sub-title is: "Essential Lessons from Boat U.S.'s 20 year case file of Things Gone Wrong.

Interesting book. "Based on Boat U.S. Marine Insurance claim files, the number one cause of boat fires - accounting for 44% of all fires - is faults in the DC wiring system. These include chafed wires, wires that weren't protected by fuses or circuit breakers, overloaded electrical panels, improper wire sizes, loose or improper connections, improper battery charging, unprotected batteries, and something called locked rotor condition (pumps burning when locked for reasons like debris when they do not have a fuse at the pump). More often than not, the fire is traced to a shoddy do-it-yourself-installation."

One of the most chilling comments in this book is that you have an average of 25-30 seconds to get a cabin fire out, before you can no longer be in the cabin to fight it because of smoke and heat.

[Pblais]

A bit of additional information about electrical fires on boats.

A little emphasis is never a bad idea when disgussing these types of issues. We don't need any CF members waking up toasted now do we.

[DaveyJones]

I have seen a lot of generators fail over the years on boats as well as land vehicles. Most put out an enormous amount of smoke. Most people don't run a generator 24/7 but it could still happen.

A couple of months ago one smoked on the back of a truck and fire was shooting out of it until the motor was shut down. A good reason to keep the area around your generator clean if you have one.

One time when one leg went open the surge protector which was a high end sacrificial type unit blew off the wall. An UPS that was inside caught fire but no computers or instruments were damaged.


Sorry for getting off topic again. Now I have some chili going on the propane stove in a medium sauce pan. No waves here in Kansas at the moment.


For you brave propane users I have just received my new propane tank which has the normal OPD valve as well as a float gauge. The float gauge has a magnetic end coming out of the top where the gauge hooks up telling you exactly how much is in the tank.

I also got a rs-228 wireless gauge and sending unit system where you can get a reading from inside. The sending unit is intrinsically safe for operation in hazardous areas and the batteries should last 1.5 to 2 years.

Keep your powder dry.. Oh I mean fair winds.

[badenoch]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned either the JetBoil or the newer MSR Reactor. Their compactibility, resistance to wind, and relatively contained cooking style would seem to be great attributes for quick and dirty backup cooking systems and all the times ordinary pots and pans would be flying all over. Their limited fuel capacity and need for white-gas fuel canisters would be a drawback for heavy, everyday use.

Has anyone used these onboard? Is there a design flaw that cripples them in the marine environment?