charles_reed
Well-Known Member
I have experienced many disappointments in my search for non-entropic whistling kettles.
The first, left over from camping days 50 years ago, was aluminium,had a folding handle and cost 5/8 (that's five shillings and eightpence). That lasted my 1st boat, started leaking, and was replaced by a massively expensive stainless steel one with a special base, a present from the wife and bought in JLP. That lasted to the 2nd boat and then, one day, when full, the handle fell off - the water, fortunately, not boiling. The handle fixings were mild steel and had rusted through. Next was an expensive stainless steel kettle of impeccable brand - this lasted the least time as the spot welds for the handle let go.
Finally I found a kettle in a French chandler in Brest - carefully examined for all the weaknesses of the others and passed the inspection - the problem was the ridiculous price, in the end after pointing out it was obviously old stock (it had an FF sticker on) worked out in simple cash flow terms how much he'd already lost on it and offered to relieve him of this hole in his profits for €20, to which he finally agreed (I think he wanted his lunch and to avoid further recriminations from his wife who'd already phoned him twice).
All this goes to show that it takes a long time and many mishaps to finally find the adequate marine kettle. It's now done longer service than any of its predecessors and outlived 3 electric kettles.
The first, left over from camping days 50 years ago, was aluminium,had a folding handle and cost 5/8 (that's five shillings and eightpence). That lasted my 1st boat, started leaking, and was replaced by a massively expensive stainless steel one with a special base, a present from the wife and bought in JLP. That lasted to the 2nd boat and then, one day, when full, the handle fell off - the water, fortunately, not boiling. The handle fixings were mild steel and had rusted through. Next was an expensive stainless steel kettle of impeccable brand - this lasted the least time as the spot welds for the handle let go.
Finally I found a kettle in a French chandler in Brest - carefully examined for all the weaknesses of the others and passed the inspection - the problem was the ridiculous price, in the end after pointing out it was obviously old stock (it had an FF sticker on) worked out in simple cash flow terms how much he'd already lost on it and offered to relieve him of this hole in his profits for €20, to which he finally agreed (I think he wanted his lunch and to avoid further recriminations from his wife who'd already phoned him twice).
All this goes to show that it takes a long time and many mishaps to finally find the adequate marine kettle. It's now done longer service than any of its predecessors and outlived 3 electric kettles.
