Propane Stove

[Hankthelank]

hi all,
I'm looking at replacing my alcohol stove with propane, but find all the marine stoves to be fairly expensive. I did find this one for outdoor camping, which has a good price tag

Outdoor Camp Oven 2 Burner Range And Stove - Camp Chef

Does anybody have any concerns with using this in a sailboat?

cheers,
hank

[jwidahonurse]

I had a propane cookstove on my 64' schooner. It is messier than alcohol. It creates a film on the galley bulkheads. Also, it smells bad and has a potential for leaking where my alcohol stove doesn't.

[edboat]

It might work but you would need to attach gimbels to it to make it usable.

[Rhosyn Mor]

used origo 2 burner non pressurized alcohol. bacon's in Annapolis, 'bout $100
Bacon Sails & Marine Supplies

[Sam Plan B]

I replaced an alchohol stove four months ago with a stainless steel gimbled stove. It has 3 burners and an oven. Works well with no problems with soot on the overhead. It was second hand from Bacon Sails in Annapolis and cost $250. Bacon Sails is famous among the Chesapeake Bay sailing community. They carry sails and marine hardware on consignment. They don't have much on their website so you have to go there. Open m-f normal business hours.

[Hankthelank]

Originally Posted by jwidahonurse

I had a propane cookstove on my 64' schooner. It is messier than alcohol. It creates a film on the galley bulkheads. Also, it smells bad and has a potential for leaking where my alcohol stove doesn't.

Wouldn't the same problems occur using a marine propane stove?

[slomotion]

Many years ago I had a Coleman camp stove (just burners - no oven) on a boat and it worked ok. But I agree with edboat and Sam - if you're going to spend real money, you want a gimbaled stove even at anchor.

[Boracay]

My understanding is that proper marine stoves have a flame failure cutoff.
That is - if the flame goes out while the gas is on the thermal switch turns the gas off.

I just had a gas stove installed on Boracay to Australian Standards. The installer (thanks Matt) put in a leak test gauge and approved of my proper gimballed stove with flame out shut off.

It is very easy to forget to turn the gas off and solenoids do not do well in a marine environment.

It was expensive but to me peace of mind is priceless.

[Pblais]

My understanding is that proper marine stoves have a flame failure cutoff.
That is - if the flame goes out while the gas is on the thermal switch turns the gas off.

That isn't restricted to marine stoves. You can't make a propane anything that lets the main burner stay open if the pilot light goes out. It's called a thermocouple. It was invented shortly after they invented the explosion. They cost nothing and most everything that operates indoors has one. Marine stoves do too.

[nautical62]

Hank, I've succesfully used campstoves on a couple pocket cruisers, but they were the simple two-burner stoves for around $50. My concern with the stove you linked would be while cheaper than a traditional marine stove, it's still a good bit of money and may not hold up well or have the safety features of a marine stove. I'm aware of one person who purchased a stove simlar to that which did not hold up to salt air use and was forced to get rid of it after only a few months. Unfortauntely I don't know if it was the same model or not.

With my simple two-burner camp stove, the safety feature was simply to set the 1-lb propane cylinder out in the cockpit at night. I bolted the stove to the counter with a quick release nut which made it easy to cook in the cockpit on hot evenings. I much prefer that to cooking below and plan to have that same option on my next boat. Neither stove was gimballed, but with fiddles, I could comfortably cook at rolly anchorages or underway on a run or motoring - not healed.

If you don't need an oven, the above may be a workable solution for you depending on your cooking needs and tempermant. On the other hand, if an oven and other cooking niceties are important, get a real marine stove, properly equipped with the proper safety features. My thougth is anything in between is likely to come with a high risk for the cost - but I could be wrong....

I hope you find a good value what ever your decision.

- Dave

[witzgall]

Our stove, circa 1985 does not have a thermocouple. So if you buy used, and this is important to you, check that it indeed has it.

Chris

[Hankthelank]

Thanks all. I might rethink what I actually need. A 2 burner stove top might suffice, and is easier to find in a used boat shop. Thanks again for your insight.

[cabo_sailor]

Frankly I don't understand the posts that claim soot and residue for a PROPANE stove. I've had alcohol and propane and no real problem with either in terms of residue.

As to the question of using a marine vs. rv stove the only info I have is when I was browsing through the Lyn and Larry Pardee book that I believe was the "Care and Feeding etc." I believe they mentioned that their first boat used an rv stove but that by the time they got done replacing parts due to corrosion it would have been cheaper to just get a marine rated stove.

I plan on replacing the stove/oven on my boat this year with a Force 10. I would like the extra burner and the broiler. I have no understanding of anyone cruising that would not want an oven. I love to cook and my wife loves to bake and we both love the results. I can still remember sending fresh baked blueberry muffins over to a friend on the hook. They had no oven.

To each their own,

Rich

[Cheechako]

That stove should be fine if it has the thermocouple. many RV stoves have been used from the factory on boats in the past. I think Chef Mate brand?

[over40pirate]

While cruising full time (anchoring out) for 7 years, I went the route with alcohol, kerosene, and propane. Alcohol and propane don't produce soot to make the cabin a mess.

My propane stove (marine) doesn't have a thermocouple. Never had a problem with the flame being blown out. For cooking on a low flame, we would use a metal trivet of some kind to reduce heat to pot, and keep the flame a bit higher to prevent blowing out.

Gimbled? Our stove is gimbled, but 95% of the time, sailing or anchored, we never used the gimbled function.
Theory for gimbled stoves and a lot of other things people talk about is fine. Especially for sailing the armchair, but when you get out there full time, you realize what is really needed.
Such as mast steps. Oh no, too much windage, blah blah blah. Right.....if you are racing. If cruising, especially singlehanding, they are very handy.

Coastal cruising, and Bahamas sailing is different than crossing the Pond.