Diesel vs Propane Stove & Oven

[Ride]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

The original stock stove is Butterfly brand, Indonesian made, mounted in a Sea Swing gimbal. Knockoff of the 1920s era Primus pump stove.

If it was a cheap knock-off of a more popular brand and did not have a one-way hull fitting then I am less concerned above selecting one of these units.

Thanks

[foggysail]

My experience with a stove top started with alcohol which was very slow and in some ways dangerous especially when you cannot see the flame. So I decided to move to kerosene and converted my burners to accept it. What a BPITA! Almost destroyed my old Hunter 30 sailboat.

Kerosene requires preheating just as alcohol but more so. And if not adequately preheated black smoke is almost guaranteed along with stink. Maybe technology has improved those fuels for stoves today.

Finally I converter the thing to propane along with adding an approved container for the cylinders. No way would I ever consider diesel or kerosene for a stove of any kind, for a heating system....sure.

[Ride]

Originally Posted by foggysail

Kerosene requires preheating just as alcohol but more so. And if not adequately preheated black smoke is almost guaranteed along with stink. Maybe technology has improved those fuels for stoves today.

Finally I converter the thing to propane along with adding an approved container for the cylinders. No way would I ever consider diesel or kerosene for a stove of any kind, for a heating system....sure.

These diesel stoves and ovens do not have a flame in the cabin. The flame is contained in the unit's combustion chamber and the exhausts is plumed out just as with diesel forced air heaters. The cook surface is a ceramic slate that transfers the heat from the combustion chamber to the pots. Similarly with the oven; no visible flame, separate combustion chamber, heat transferred by forced air (a convection oven).

I would not want to cook with an open diesel flame. The food would taste ... diesel.

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by foggysail

No way would I ever consider diesel or kerosene for a stove of any kind.

Very happy with my kerosene stove ... it does need priming, which is a skill that needs to be learned ... the first time I tried to light it, the people on the boat in the neighbouring slip came over fire-extinguisher in hand to see what I was up to ... but once used to it, it lights with a nice blue flame every time ... I've got nowhere safe to store a propane bottle (apart from the back rail, and I've got enough junk on the back rail as it is), but a jerry can of kerosene can safely go in a locker.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Ride

These diesel stoves and ovens do not have a flame in the cabin. The flame is contained in the unit's combustion chamber and the exhausts is plumed out just as with diesel forced air heaters. The cook surface is a ceramic slate that transfers the heat from the combustion chamber to the pots. Similarly with the oven; no visible flame, separate combustion chamber, heat transferred by forced air (a convection oven).

I would not want to cook with an open diesel flame. The food would taste ... diesel.

Doesn't. At least not with a properly running pressure stove. I would not want to grill directly over the flame, no, or bake in an oven with open diesel or kero flame, but skillet or pot on diesel/kero pump stove cooks just fine, and no taste or smell of anything that isn't food.

[wiekeith]

Originally Posted by Ride

Was this underway? Do you think a one-way deck lead through would have helped? My thoughts are to vent the exhaust with a one-way to reduce the chance of this. Although, I would practice the blowout restart sequence a few times prior to departure to be comfortable doing it.

No, not whilst underway, whilst tied to the dock.

It's only happened when the stove has reached temperature so the combustion fan it effectively in tick-over mode (and the reset sequence only takes seconds).

A one-way lead-through would IMHO prevent this from happening, but you would need to check this with the manufacturers - I have found them to be very helpful. In any case, I mentioned this to give you my warts-and-all opinion, but as it's happened so infrequently, and under extreme conditions, it's no biggy from my point of view.

[wiekeith]

Originally Posted by Ride

These diesel stoves and ovens do not have a flame in the cabin. The flame is contained in the unit's combustion chamber and the exhausts is plumed out just as with diesel forced air heaters. The cook surface is a ceramic slate that transfers the heat from the combustion chamber to the pots. Similarly with the oven; no visible flame, separate combustion chamber, heat transferred by forced air (a convection oven).

Yes, I agree, this is correct for the Wallas stove (which your post refers to) - the combustion pots are the same as the ones used in their forced-air heaters. I suspect this is not the case for some other makes of diesel stove, hence some of the valid negative comments, which don't really apply to stoves that use this form of heat exchange.

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Very happy with my kerosene stove ... it does need priming, which is a skill that needs to be learned ... the first time I tried to light it, the people on the boat in the neighbouring slip came over fire-extinguisher in hand to see what I was up to ... but once used to it, it lights with a nice blue flame every time ... I've got nowhere safe to store a propane bottle (apart from the back rail, and I've got enough junk on the back rail as it is), but a jerry can of kerosene can safely go in a locker.

If your happy, that is what matters. I believe one should not require special training to light a stove burner that risks setting fire to the enclosure. Propane satisfied my needs. I installed my approved propane storage container into one of the boat's outside lockers with a fume drain hose from the container to an exterior vent. It also had a fuel safety shutoff solenoid. No big deal.

[hpeer]

I get that some folks are very sensitive to the smell of kero and diesel. We aren’t.

Two boats, two kero stoves, two heaters, and a kero cook too in our hunting cabin. No smell of kero in the food. Cooks great.

If you are looking for just a 2 burner cooktop they are hard to come by. But I think Taylor still makes them.

If you want an entire two burner too and oven you can find them used. The one in our big boat came off a wreck, only God know how old it is. New burners from Hanse and you are golden. New Taylor stoves are expensive.

I bake bread in the oven and have never had a smell or taste. Gets good temp, 350 or so.

[jen1722terry]

Have you thought about non-pressurized alcohol? We installed an Origo 6000 2-burner with oven and love it. No CO, oven heats very well. Takes maybe a minute or so longer to boil a quart of water. No plumbing or need for a fuel tank or locker. We live aboard all summer in Maine and a gallon of fuel lasts that long. Fuel generally available.

Cozies up the cabin in the morning also. No odors. Cannot flare up like the pressurized versions. Great stove.

Just an idea that works for us on our smallish (31') sailboat.

Cheers!

Jenn and Terry

[roland stockham]

The Wallace stove are diesel electric forced air, basically the same as a diesel space heater. Not used one but now the space heaters to be somewhat expensive on servicing and not the most reliable at sea. I strongly believe in the KISS principle so would not want one. The Taylors pressure kerosene stove are much simpler, quicker to light, burn hotter (than anything else!) and can be repaired/serviced on board with simple tools. The other reliably simple system is a diesel drip stove. On a larger boat sailing in cold waters where continuous heating is needed this is a good alternative but they are an always on range so not suitable for the tropics!!

On a cat electric is an excellent option but you need a big enough space for the 1Kw plus solar station to run it, usually impossible on a mono-hull

[roland stockham]

PS - where you consider propane as a viable option comes down to you take on safety. I won't have it on board and definitely would not consider it for cruising. If you must have it cylinders need to be mounted outside the rail and turned off at the cylinder after EVERY use. Gas lockers and remote shut off 's can fail. The problem with propane is that if you get a fire it destroys the boat and kills everyone onboard before you even have a chance to shout 'fire'. What the RYA video that simulates a gas leak, it's pretty sobering.

[Paul Howard]

Any cruiser with someone prone to seasickness onboard will find there is no choice but to go with propane or there will be a revolution. We began cruising with a Kero cook stove onboard. I do about half of the cooking and was not bothered by the time and smell. My wife gets seasick and hates being in the galley any longer than necessary when under way or when at anchor. When preparing for our second long term cruise she refused to go unless I installed a propane stove.

Our long distance cruising has mostly been in the tropics. The less time the cook stove is burning the better. Diesel stoves give off lots of heat.

Propane is not that difficult to find, as it is used for cooking in nearly every country of the world. It is the connections and containers that change and in some countries you may need to purchase a different tank or go to a special filling station to get yours filled. It was never an insurmountable problem and I have cruised in every continent in the world.

[Siberian Sea]

Hard to find or get your propane tanks filled in some areas. Diesel is always around. In high lat sailing a good Dickinson stove produces lots of good dry heat and is the standard for Alaska commercial fishing vessels. Propane is quick to light, clean to cook and exhaust and safe if done correctly. Propane however is more expensive to heat your boat with and produces condensation in colder climates. Best combo is to cook on gas and heat your boat with a diesel forced air system like a Wabosto.(not sure how it’s spelt).

[Cheechako]

Never ha d a big problem getting propane cruising, US, Caribe, Mexico. But I think the main thing is a diesel cook stove heats the boat up a lot. If you are in Alaska or the PNW winters it can be really great. The fish boats just run them continuously. But if you are going south, forget diesel cookstoves...