Alcohol or Propane?

[04 Marine]

All I can say is wow! I was hoping for one or two opinions, I am literally knocked off of my feet with your responses.

A bit about myself and why I asked. I'm 60+ and a bit of an adventurer. As a career Marine, I spent the first 7 years as an enlisted guy and flew some 350 combat missions as a helo door gunner in Viet Nam. I've served as a Marine Drill Instructor, a Warrant Officer and at retirement a Marine Major who came up through the ranks. Within the Corps I spent most of my career as an Air Traffic Controller or Facility Manager. After retirement, I managed large general aviation airports and owned an aviation fuel facility. I've built a previous 38' sailboat about 1980 and logged over the years some 10K bluewater miles as a singlehander. My wife of 42 years likes jewlery better than boats or for that matter any of the airplanes that we've owned so in the end it all works out.

I know I won't be the youngest, nor the oldest, just an old Marine who wants to do it. It being the solo non-stop circumnavigation, which brings the 8 to 9 months of cruising time into reality. This will go along with some of my other adventures such as climbing glaciers and mountains...flying WWII fighters and bombers...doing Mach I+ in the back seat of the F-4 Phantom...running marathons...and the list goes on. The difference being is that I'm not looking for sponsorship or publicity beyond my own realization of having done something that is of interest to me. I do sell some of my metal art to help pay for the trip, but that's about as close as I care to come to a sponsor.

Having read each posting for which you have my appreciation and thanks. I'm going to stick with the Origo Stove that I have. I have no interest in a pressurized alcohol stove and I think the safety record of the Origo stove is excellent. For those using Origo stoves, I'd like to hear about your consuption rate. I know Origo claims 6-8 hours per 8oz. fill but that seems a little lean. I was estimating more like 5oz. a day cooking/evaporation or about 20 days per gallon. Over a 9 month trip that would use roughly 14 gallons, my plan is to stock 20 on board for departure. I'll also carry a single burner propane stove with disposable propane cylinders as a backup.

I can build all of my own storage as my little home metal art studio is nicely equiped with MIG, TIG, Gas and ARC welding, powder coating oven, a CNC plasma table that is 50" by 98", lathe, mill, a 4 axis CNC mill, metal brakes and shears.

Again, thanks.

Glen

[jenny.caron]

Glen,

We're currently not really monitoring how much we use, but that would definitely be a good thing to start keeping track of. We cook at home all the time, and I bake quite a bit too. I'll keep some stats and let you know!

[clockwork orange]

Originally Posted by David M

I don't know...a group of people who want to send a child on her own around the world versus some very experienced cruisers? I would give the nod to the experienced cruisers.

With all due respect, her "group of people" include the likes of Don Mcintyre, Jesse Martin, David Dicks and Jon Sanders. All guys who have done the very trip that the Op is planning so i would give the
nod to their experience over the experienced cruisers.If the OP were looking for the best choice of cooking appliance to go cruising through the Carribean it would be another story.I myself would be interested in the logic behind choosing an alcohol, im guessing it has something to do with being able to put out a fire but not much recovering from an explosion in the southern ocean.I have actually witnessed an explosion on board a power boat at a gas dock and seen a guy come out the fwd hatch with his back on fire,it would have been much worse had it been a propane explosion.That said i would have no problem with propane in my own boat but only if i ,personally did the inastallation, if i bought a boat with propane i would tear it out and re instal it.
Steve.

[hpeer]

FWIW we are now buying a boat with some noname propane stove (well a name I don't recognize and can't remember at the moment.)

I had bought a used Taylor two burner kero/paraffin unit (just because) that will go into the boat.

I will probably turn the propane storage lockers into gas/kero/diesel storage lockers, but need to size things up first.

I'm a little premature here as we have not closed yet. Plans subject to change.

[troymclure]

Currently using alcohol and rather happy with it. I use about 1 litre per week. Ie a few dollars per week on fuel. It does take a bit longer to say boil water then it did with an electric stove in an apartment (havne't tried gas). But besides that it well... cooks food. Takes about 30 seconds to heat the burner and besides that i like it. Initially I got alcohol because i couldn't afford to get gas installed on the boat, but after using alcohol for a while i'm a convert. Considering possible dangers with propane and how I don't mind alochol stoves i'll probably end up eventually getting an alcohol stove/oven. Right now i'm just using a single one burner alcohol stove.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by troymclure

Currently using alcohol and rather happy with it. I use about 1 litre per week. Ie a few dollars per week on fuel. It does take a bit longer to say boil water then it did with an electric stove in an apartment (havne't tried gas). But besides that it well... cooks food. Takes about 30 seconds to heat the burner and besides that i like it. Initially I got alcohol because i couldn't afford to get gas installed on the boat, but after using alcohol for a while i'm a convert. Considering possible dangers with propane and how I don't mind alochol stoves i'll probably end up eventually getting an alcohol stove/oven. Right now i'm just using a single one burner alcohol stove.

I would have to wonder how often you cook three meals a day on that stove for say two or more people and what do you do if you want to bake anything? WG

[SkiprJohn]

I had a kerosene stove once and will never again. My current stove is propane.
regards,

[troymclure]

I cook 2 meals a day. Lunch and dinnner breakfast is *.

I don't bake. I worked out a 3 month menu before leaving the marina and have no baked goods in the menu. I do skillet bake some meals (ie a pan with a lid) but thats it and those meals are freeze dried camping meals specifically desigend for skillet baking.

I'm also a singlehander so thats meals for just one person and they're generally fairly simple meals as well. Ie, not much in way of meal prep or cooking time. I eat well, it's just that i spend a bit more on meals then the average cruiser does so that i can spend less time in galley making them and have a bit more variety.


* My breakfast consists of mamee noodles (asian noodle snack designed to be eaten uncookek from packet) a muesli bar and soya milk with protein powder, it's not exactly bacon and eggs, but i can store 3 months supply aboard easily and it's a 2,000 kj breakfast still.

[SurferShane]

Comparison of Fuel Efficiency

Here are some of the posts I mentioned from a bushwalking site that compare the efficiencies of various fuels. To date I still cannot find the link to a clear-cut comparison that is lost somewhere on the same site.

While the posts indicate that gas is around twice as efficient as the Trianga/metho burners, you must take into account that many yachting stoves use a primer that converts metho to a gas and greatly increases the efficiency. Due weight restrictions the basic bushwalking metho stoves do not have this function. The closest thing is to have a look at the results for the MSR/shellite stoves, which also use a primer system.

http://tasmania.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1287&p=10157&hilit=fuel+effic iency#p10157

http://tasmania.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=823&p=6109&hilit=fuel+efficie ncy#p6109

http://tasmania.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2502&hilit=Fuel+comparisons

A bit off topic I am also trying to remember the name of the Scandinavian maritime adventurer who designed a sailing ship that rose above the pack ice in an attempt to reach the North Pole? At the time the primus stove had just been invented and the fact it would still operate at very low temperatures was an important consideration in this “Shackleton” like expedition.

[sck5]

I have an Origo 6000 and wouldnt convert to propane. If, as the OP says, he already has an Origo, then the thing to do is try it for a while and then change it if you dont like it. I use propane in my house and have used it on several charter boats and I honestly dont know why anyone would make a big deal out of how long it takes to cook things with alcohol. If there is a difference it isnt very much.

There are major benefits to an Origo - virtually no moving parts and no danger of blowing up your boat even if you spill alcohol. It will evaporate, unlike propane. The thing is very well built and will never break. As for refueling it, the secret is to go to the paint department of the local hardware store and ask for denatured alcohol. Same stuff and much cheaper than the "marine" alcohol they probably dont have at the chandler.

I suspect many of the people who swear by propane either never used an alcohol stove or used one of the pressurized alcohol stoves which I would agree were both a pain in the ass and dangerous as hell. I would never have one of them but I would happily have a non presurized alcohol stove over any pressurized system.

PS. With an Origo you won't need to put propane tanks in the propane locker. You can use the space to store more denatured alcohol than you could possibly use before getting to the next place that sells it.

[SurferShane]

I should have noted in the above post that the primer on my metho stove DOES NOT use pressure; it is simply a process of pre-heating the burner. In comparison the MSR style stoves use both a primer and pressure.

Maybe my stove is similar to the Origo? At any rate, I am happy with its performance and will also be sticking with it.

[Polunu880]

my first boat that I lived on had an old pressure fuel stove like hated it had to pre heat the burners etc, replace it with a propane stove, talk about problems, and the smell.
when I built polunu I had tried all the rest by then, I went with a non pressure Origo alcohol stove, all I can say it is the best of all the types out there that I have used, and would never change except to a bigger Origo stove. btw If you run out of denature alcohol you can aways dump some of your good liquor and cook with that.

[slowshoes]

I have an Origo 6000 as well and I use a 1.5 gallon plastic insecticide sprayer to fill my burners. I store it under the galley sink and when I need to refill the burners I just pump the handle until the tank is pressurized, put the burner in the sink and fill from the hose from the sprayer. I put the burner in the sink in case there is a spill, but frankly there never is. (make sure and depressurize the sprayer once the burners are full).

I think the stove is great but the oven seems to cook slowly for me. For some reason, the oven burner itself doesn't seem to get as hot as the two on the stove. The next time I bake, I'm going to take one of the burners off the stove and try it in the oven. If that speeds things up, I guess I'll buy a replacement burner.

I don't understand why some feel there is a safety issue with this stove - I don't think there's a safer stove out there. I understand there is an alcohol availability issue outside the U.S though.

[w32honu]

For all of the Origo stove users............

How are you storing your fuel in bulk (say 10 or 12 gallons)? Is alcohol considered safe to store down below in secure containers? Or in your opinion should the fuel be stored topside in a ventilated locker (like propane).??

[Hillbillylad]

I have a non pressurised Origo two burner stove. I was going to toss it when I read all the forum stuff and already lined up a propane replacement. Then I actually tried it. I love it. When the missus joined me I was worried she would be a bit Iffy about it but she loves it too. We cook just about everything from pot roasts to bread but the biggest test for me is can it make a decent plate of chips( that'll be fries to our colonial brethren) and yep it makes excellent chips.
We use maybe a gallon of denatured alcohol a month at 13 dollars a gallon. I refill using a pump type thing I bought from the hardware store cos I too got sick of losing so much fuel pouring the gallon can into the pans. Spills wipe up or evaporate quick enough but that's money drifting away in the breeze.
I store the cans in my vented locker on deck with the gasoline tank.
At the moment I have no intention of getting rid of it, we love it. It polishes up right nice too.