[barefootnavigator]

Our little boat is getting closer and closer to resuming our cruise and I have decided to pull the propane stove. There isn't anything wrong with it other than the fact that I have never plumed it in. Basically it just acts as a gimbal for my portable butane stove that I have been using for 3.5 years.

I really like the Origo non pressurized stoves but I've been told alcohol is difficult to obtain far from home. Id like to hear from people who have been out cruising for over a year without propane and what their thoughts are.

This is NOT a propane bashing thread, I love propane but on this boat its just more trouble than its worth to get a proper set up.

 

[Tenoch]

I can't comment on availability of alcohol all over the world, but gotta say I love my Origo. I have a Force 10 propane stove/oven in the new boat and am thinking of pulling it for an Origo 6000. Something to consider too, if you were in a place were you couldn't find denatured alcohol, what are the chances you could get propane anyway?

 

[barefootnavigator]

I wonder if you could use kerosene.

 

[Tenoch]

I wonder if you could use kerosene.

Or the cheapest local rot-gut liquor.

 

[deltaten]

My findings also, BFN.
WHile I like the "handiness" of propane; I cringe at the prospect of the costs to have it plumbed to 'spec'.
Once added up , the cost of parts alone well exceeds the price of an outrageously (IMHO) dear stove itself.

Custom, full lenght hose, special four away switch/relay, solenoid valve, two thermocouples and associated wiring. Then add a nonstandard tank and it would exceed my food budget for near a year!!!

Hence, I use a two. burner camp stove, perched upon my defunct pressure alky stove and deal with little gasbottles. stowed in the 'pit locker....with the proper low drain/vent,of course
The alternative is to singemy hair with a cantankerous alky stove, a stinky diesel unit or odd-ball butane tins or *heaven forbid!* Coleman pressure. fuel! Diesel would be nice,as it's common to the engine fuel; but, WOW; what they ask for a good stove is near as much as I. paid for the boat!

Hasta be a better/easier/cheaper way?

 

[newhaul]

I use a Coleman multi fuel stove burns the same gasoline I use in my outboard motor also have a propane stove I plumbed to a two gallon tank I just turn the gas on when I need it and turn the tank off when I'm done originally it used the disposable bottles but they can leak when not on the stove

 

[Minnesail]

If I were you I'd pull it and replace it with a depth sounder.

 

[barefootnavigator]

If I were you I'd pull it and replace it with a depth sounder.

Good one

 

[PBzeer]

Looking back, I often wish I'd simply put in a two burner Origo, rather than a new propane stove/oven and redoing the lines. I haven't ended up doing near the amount of "cooking" I thought I would (the reason for propane), so the Origo would work just fine. And there's usually someplace that sells denatured alcohol that's a lot easier to get to than propane.

 

[SVAuspicious]

Something to consider too, if you were in a place were you couldn't find denatured alcohol, what are the chances you could get propane anyway?

Quite good. Propane is one of the most commonly used cooking fuels worldwide. That is not to say you won't have to haul your tanks some distance to get it, but you can.

 

[Ajax_MD]

BFN-

Define "far from home"?

If you're planning on cruising the US and Canada, denatured alcohol is widely available at hardware stores and "big box" stores like Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

If you're going overseas or south of Mexico, I have no comment as I don't know the availability of alcohol in those regions.

My two-burner Origo is pretty thrifty on fuel consumption, and with the proper cookware, is a joy to cook with. You can't beat the safety factor. A final thing to consider, is that Origo makes a hybrid electric/alcohol model (4300E) that allows you to cook with electric elements like a household stove, when connected to shore power.

The 4300E could greatly extend your fuel supplies and also reduces the amount of moisture released into the cabin while cooking with electric heat.

 

[killarney_sailor]

I agree that it depends on where you plan to go. We have 2 -20 lb propane tanks so do not need to fuel up very often. I don't know the relative burn rates of propane and alcohol or how many cans of alcohol you have room for, but I am picturing in my mind where we bought propane and whether you could buy alcohol. In general I think you would be ok assuming that you could carry as much cooking capacity in alcohol. If it was substantially less, I could picture that it could be a problem. I really can't picture where you would get alcohol in out of the way places that have a sort of general store. Cooking gas and kerosene would be available. I used to have a kerosene stove and hated it.

 

[PBzeer]

Pretty much anyplace that sells paint, is going to have denatured alcohol.

 

[Pegu club]

We installed an origo two burner stove on our B-24 this season, it works great, coffee, eggs and sausage for breakfast, pasta for dinner, it boils water quickly enough to not notice having to "wait" for it to boil water. I have no first hand information about purchasing alcohol outside of the states, but have seen many cruising boats with origo stove/ ovens on them on the yacht world site.

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

How cheap is it in the USA?

Because in the Caribbean at the chandlery its $17.05 per gallon. Though it must be cheaper somewhere else

Where propane is $10.50 for 10 pounds and really available world wide wherever theres a boat

Caribbean's Leading Chandlery - Budget Marine

 

[bljones]

I'm not sure about the lack of availability of stove alcohol- you can buy it at any good paint store, since it is a common paint thinner. You won't have to buy alcohol all that often. I have a Cookmate two burner stove, essentially an Origo clone. I cook a lot, (2 meals a day, 4-5 days a week) and find that a burner fill will last up to two weeks. We have used about 6 litres of alcohol since the beginning of July.

 

[PBzeer]

Because in the Caribbean at the chandlery its $17.05 per gallon.

A chandlery would be my last resort.

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

A chandlery would be my last resort.

Do the have a swimming pool? :laugher

 

[Faster]

My understanding was that, unlike pressurized alcohol stoves, Origo wick style stoves could get away with simple methyl hydrate.. is that not so?

We had a pressurized alcohol stove for a decade and found a good workaround for the preheat routine - we found when you burned that (expensive) fuel raw in the 'cups' the fumes were very strong and burned the eyes. We've used an Origo type too and didn't notice any such fumes.

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

you can buy it at any good paint store, .

That, again, depends on where the guy is going. "Paint store" takes out most idylic islands... And "Good paint store" takes out whole regions.

Mind you, one could buy lots and store it.