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23-10-2008, 14:05
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#1
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Eternal Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Port Ludlow, WA (NW corner of Puget Sound)
Boat: 30' William Atkin cutter
Posts: 1,496
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Wood vs Diesel Cook Stove
I have access to an old diesel cookstove/oven (which needs a bit of work to get it going). What I was wondering, assuming it would feasible to change over to wood. What are the pros and cons of each. With diesel prices going up, space for tank and complexity of plumbing in the diesel(though I would have an auxiliary engine fuel tank available). In addition to the diesel (or wood) stove/oven I have a two burner propane cook top and propane sea-awing. I live on in the Pacific Northwest and cruise BC and Alaska.
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23-10-2008, 15:51
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: Prout Manta 38' Catamaran - Sunspot Baby
Posts: 1,521
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Get a propane oven and quit messing around. Carrying wood for the oven sounds like a nightmare.
George
__________________
She took my address and my name
Put my credit to shame
Sunspot Baby, sure had a real good time
Bob Seger
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23-10-2008, 15:56
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Wherever the boat is!
Boat: Marine Trader 34DC
Posts: 4,619
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if you already have a propane stove, why put yourself through all of that at all? Carrying enough wood to make it worthwhile will require towing a small barge.
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23-10-2008, 16:30
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#4
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Eternal Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Port Ludlow, WA (NW corner of Puget Sound)
Boat: 30' William Atkin cutter
Posts: 1,496
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thanks for the input
I am not really that comfortable with propane on board espescially with an oven, what I have now is a 2-burner propane cook top (no oven). I have made room for it so I can install a diesel cook stove w/oven (which I traded a bunch of otherwise useless stuff for) and not loose any counter space (I'll actually be gaining space). I will probably continue with my original plan and install the cook stove as a diesel. I have a 3 gallon tank, place to put it with deck fill, space in my engine room for filters and what not, and enough room in my lazzarette along with everything else) for 4 Gerry cans of bio-diesel.
I will still have a small wood heater between the main cabin and forward cabin. 1gal. shop-vac works great for removing *cold* ashes & there are otherwise unuseble spaces that can be used for wood storage.
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23-10-2008, 17:17
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Oxnard / Alameda, CA
Boat: Golden Gate 30, Westerly 23
Posts: 169
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Wolf:
I've cruised Puget Sound so know the value of heat and wood/pellets/junk mail makes a cozy, dry heat, but to quickly heat up a cup of joe or soup is far easier w/ propane. Diesel heat would be nice, if you can draw from your engine tank, but puts out more moisture.
Keep warm,
John
PS - I've cruised quite a bit w/o an oven, much can be baked on a stove top.
__________________
We can't change the wind - but we can adjust our sails.
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23-10-2008, 17:22
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,767
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The diesel stove (marine?) is good up here. Most the fisherman use a Dickenson or something equivalent. You just light it (sometimes not that easy!) and leave it on all day for cabin heat and to keep the coffee warm. On the other hand if it's summer and it's warm out, it takes a while to really get it cranking for cooking.
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23-10-2008, 18:19
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Oro Bay Puget Sound
Boat: Irwin sloop
Posts: 407
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My only concern with wood is that lots of it harbors bugs, and lots of them are mean. An infestation of any kind has to be bad news.
Jesse
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23-10-2008, 20:59
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Puget Sound
Boat: Irwin 41 CC Ketch
Posts: 2,878
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse
My only concern with wood is that lots of it harbors bugs, and lots of them are mean. An infestation of any kind has to be bad news.
Jesse
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Best argument against I have heard so far...were still hashing it out ourselves...wife loves wood heat..me to..our boat might just be to small for the mess of it all though..still its a hard idea to let go of.
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24-10-2008, 00:07
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Oro Bay Puget Sound
Boat: Irwin sloop
Posts: 407
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Great photo. And yes us geezers do become fond of our comforts.
Jesse
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24-10-2008, 04:35
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: New Zealand
Boat: Hartley Tasman 27'3" Kaea (50/50 motor sailor) & Laurent Giles GK24 IOR 1/4 tonner
Posts: 57
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I've been on boats that have wood stoves and I have a dickinson pacific diesel oven on my boat. Both have a nice dry heat. Fuel for my diesel stove is easier to manage than wood would be for me, but boat stoves are generally small, so don't need much wood to run.
If I was in your situation I wouldn't try to change the fuel from what it is designed to run on and if possible would also keep the propane stove for times of warm weather.
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24-10-2008, 10:22
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Northern British Columbia, part of the time in Prince Rupert and part of the time on Moresby Island.
Boat: 50-ft steel Ketch
Posts: 1,884
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Wolfenzee,
I agree with Stuart on changing a diesel stove to wood burning, if indeed that is what you were suggesting. Even though both use a fire-box principle, there are a lot of differences in basic construction and safety margins. It is more feasible and safer to convert a wood stove to an alternate fuel than the other way around--some wood stove manufacturers such as Navigator, offer kits to convert their wood stoves. I personally prefer a diesel stove for cooking (Dickinson Beaufort).
__________________
'Tis evening on the moorland free,The starlit wave is still: Home is the sailor from the sea, The hunter from the hill.
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24-10-2008, 12:54
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 122
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wolfenzee
I have access to an old diesel cookstove/oven (which needs a bit of work to get it going). What I was wondering, assuming it would feasible to change over to wood. What are the pros and cons of each. With diesel prices going up, space for tank and complexity of plumbing in the diesel(though I would have an auxiliary engine fuel tank available). In addition to the diesel (or wood) stove/oven I have a two burner propane cook top and propane sea-awing. I live on in the Pacific Northwest and cruise BC and Alaska.
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Boats love wood heat.You can almost hear my old girl sigh with joy when she warms up with wood.All hydrocarbon driven heating systems have water in the fuel.Which can cause all sorts of condensation issues.But if you can switch over to wood you won't regret it.Heating with diesel is also expensive if you are living aboard.
Propane will cost you considerably more
I have a propane oven and stove as well and I use them regularly as well and they put an amazing amount of moisture back into the air
But for heat
I have a small airtight made of 3/8 plate steel and
I also have a 1500 watt electrical heater when Im at the dock
When its snowing outside.Im sitting inside with all the windows open with a tshirt on.
I burn bio bricks , which are small bricks made of white wood chips compressed with steam.No chemicals or anything just compressed wood.They cost about 40 cents a piece and 2 bricks will burn for 12 hrs
so for around 1.60 a day , The pup and I are in heaven.
Yes , wood or bricks are messy and require more attention but nothing a dustbuster wont handle.
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24-10-2008, 15:58
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Puget Sound
Boat: Irwin 41 CC Ketch
Posts: 2,878
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Capct
Boats love wood heat.You can almost hear my old girl sigh with joy when she warms up with wood.All hydrocarbon driven heating systems have water in the fuel.Which can cause all sorts of condensation issues.But if you can switch over to wood you won't regret it.Heating with diesel is also expensive if you are living aboard.
Propane will cost you considerably more
I have a propane oven and stove as well and I use them regularly as well and they put an amazing amount of moisture back into the air
But for heat
I have a small airtight made of 3/8 plate steel and
I also have a 1500 watt electrical heater when Im at the dock
When its snowing outside.Im sitting inside with all the windows open with a tshirt on.
I burn bio bricks , which are small bricks made of white wood chips compressed with steam.No chemicals or anything just compressed wood.They cost about 40 cents a piece and 2 bricks will burn for 12 hrs
so for around 1.60 a day , The pup and I are in heaven.
Yes , wood or bricks are messy and require more attention but nothing a dustbuster wont handle.
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Mind posting a picture of your setup?
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24-10-2008, 16:17
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Seattle
Boat: Cal 40 (sold). Still have a Hobie 20
Posts: 2,975
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Wood is dry heat?
I don't get it. Donald Street also said wood is dry heat, don't use liquid fuels for heat in his books. What I don't get is if you have a chimney the products of combustion are going outside. To me if you're getting wet your chimney isn't drafting correctly, or your using something like a stove with no outside exhaust.
John
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24-10-2008, 23:08
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Shenzhen, China
Boat: Nauticat 42 (Jersey, U.K.)
Posts: 404
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Quote:
All hydrocarbon driven heating systems have water in the fuel.Which can cause all sorts of condensation issues
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all fuels (wood, propane, diesel, coal) combust to water and CO2
free water in diesel shouldn't be confused with water from oxidation (i.e. combustion)
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