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pas63 · 12-09-2023, 14:22

I have no aspirations of world cruising, crossing oceans or going to the furtherest reaches of the world. I do on the other hand plan to take off in November for the Bahamas and further south. I look at the size of my Force 10, the hassle of getting propane, the danger no matter how minimal of propane, especially in the tropics and question the benefits. Is this just another hold over of tradition with limited real need today, especially when the vast majority of boats are rarely ever out for extended periods of time.

Don't get me wrong, living aboard since 2007 in a marina I've cooked up feasts in my galleys, but now that I don't plan to be tied to the marina with ready access to a car and propane, look at this huge volume of space the stove occupies that could be better used as storage with a small portable Japanese style stove. Those of you cruising, especially in the Caribbean, what are you doing?

GreenWave · 12-09-2023, 14:26

Gambled = Gimballed :-)... They are certainly still the primary way to cook. As more go to Lithium I imagine induction cooktops will take over. Still... How do you cook "oven-style"?

pas63 · 12-09-2023, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenWave

Gambled = Gimballed :-)... They are certainly still the primary way to cook. As more go to Lithium I imagine induction cooktops will take over. Still... How do you cook "oven-style"?

Offing spell check lol

pas63 · 12-09-2023, 14:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenWave

Gambled = Gimballed :-)... They are certainly still the primary way to cook. As more go to Lithium I imagine induction cooktops will take over. Still... How do you cook "oven-style"?

And I have 400 amps of lithium and am installing 4 x 220 was solar panels. How do you cook oven style? Airfryer. How many want a propane oven on in the tropics?

Kettlewell · 12-09-2023, 14:43

It depends on what you cook and eat. Sure, you don't need an oven, but the gimballed stove is still quite useful offshore for heating a kettle or a pot of soup. Even when in the tropics we often bake bread, muffins, brownies, cupcakes, and you name it. Baked fish and chicken is nice. We also do a lot of grilling on the stern. I carry enough propane to go a year or more of fulltime use, so I just plan on filling up when it is convenient. No, the oven is not essential, but we like having one.

GILow · 12-09-2023, 15:43

Try a gimbled convection microwave with grill.

Easy.

sailorboy1 · 12-09-2023, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by pas63

I have no aspirations of world cruising, crossing oceans or going to the furtherest reaches of the world. I do on the other hand plan to take off in November for the Bahamas and further south. I look at the size of my Force 10, the hassle of getting propane, the danger no matter how minimal of propane, especially in the tropics and question the benefits. Is this just another hold over of tradition with limited real need today, especially when the vast majority of boats are rarely ever out for extended periods of time.

Don't get me wrong, living aboard since 2007 in a marina I've cooked up feasts in my galleys, but now that I don't plan to be tied to the marina with ready access to a car and propane, look at this huge volume of space the stove occupies that could be better used as storage with a small portable Japanese style stove. Those of you cruising, especially in the Caribbean, what are you doing?

I will tell a secret

Marinas etc know boats use propane and places that boats go generally have propane refills either on site or they send them out for refilling . ...................... even in The Bahamas! You need to have an extra tank so you can wait till getting to a place, but that applies even cruising along the US coast.

Nicholson58 · 12-09-2023, 17:17

We live aboard in the Caribbean. Propane is easy except French islands. Propane is everywhere in the US. If in Trinidad, refill with Trini mix. More BTU in a 20# tank than pure propane. One 20 pounder lasts at least seven months

Kettlewell · 13-09-2023, 06:38

Quote:

More BTU in a 20# tank than pure propane. One 20 pounder lasts at least seven months

We carry two 20# tanks when cruising fulltime, which gives us plenty of time to find the next convenient propane refill. So many boats use propane it is easy to find this out by just asking around any anchorage or marina.

rslifkin · 13-09-2023, 06:41

I wouldn't say the traditional gimballed propane stove is obsolete, but it's no longer the universal solution it was for a while. There have always been other options like alcohol stoves, but electrically powered options like induction have become viable on a far wider range of boats.

**noelex 77** · 13-09-2023, 07:28

The fuel or source of energy for the stove/oven is the most critical factor. Over the years we have used most of the options, propane/butane, electric, diesel and alcohol, on various boat we have owned. There is no perfect solution. A mixture of options is hard to beat if your plans are to cruise diverse areas.

Gimballed propane is sometimes the best option, so is usually worth retaining, but the Caribbean has excellent solar insolation year round so if you are confining your cruising to this area and can install enough solar (usually at least 1000w) electric cooking is hard to beat. On the other hand propane refills are very easy in the Caribbean, so either fuel is OK if you have not enough room for adequate solar.

**Jammer** · 13-09-2023, 07:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by pas63

[....] the danger no matter how minimal of propane[....]

[....] the stove occupies that could be better used as storage with a small portable Japanese style stove.

I am not certain what you mean by a "Japanese style stove." If you are referring to the ones that use butane canisters the size of hairspray cans, I don't believe they are necessarily any safer than a propane installation. We had a thread on those a month or so ago, and the feedback from surveyors was that they will end up being flagged as a risk in a survey that most insurance will not accept.

All fuels pose risks.

GILow · 13-09-2023, 22:37

The biggest risk of those disposable can style cookers is that a can will be lost or forgotten down the back of some storage locker and eventually rust.out and leak. At which point it fills your bilge with a very explosive mix.

I'm pretty sure there has been at least one fatality or very serious injury attributed to just this issue.