Are boat ovens pointless?

On our 26 year old Aquador we have a Wallas paraffin powered hob and oven - the newer ones are diesel. The hob is slow to heat up but effective. We have an Aga at home and it is very much like that, hotter one side than the other. We have yet to get the oven to work. It makes all the noises, etc.. but never lights. I had a bit of a look inside and it all looks very shiny and tidy but all a bit mysterious in its workings. I suspect that it is the fuel pump that is not working properly as I doubt that it has been used much if ever in the past.
 
Surely we have gone beyond the characteristics of camping in the 50's and owners of yachts are not incapable of baking a loaf or roasting a chicken. Some replies to this thread suggest the male role has not yet embraced the simple oven.

How long will it take?

Jonathan

I wouldn't wish to upset crew by trying to use a device which is not in my department, except for occasionally repairing it.
 
We can (all) be heroes, just for one day

in the 21st Century there are no departments, that was pre....??

Certainly on a yacht, especially a small yacht, you should all be a skipper.

We were offshore, just the 2 of us - I had a thrombosis, portal vein, (I thought it was food poisoning and treated it with paracetamol (which had no impact, no matter how many I took), If this was what dying was like - make it quick.

Investigation resulted in it being genetic, I became the hospital prime exhibit, All my family, 4 sisters and offspring, were directed to a check.

I'm still here (as you can tell), but kept alive by modern pharmaceuticals - and no issues. The absence of 'Departments' got me, with no interventions from me, from offshore to inshore, to a mooring, dinghy, car, hospital - where the first priority was paracetamol poisoning.

Please upset the crew - and let them be skipper (which I'm sure you do) - and in fairness you take change of the oven -

'We can be heroes, just for one day' with thanks to David Bowie

Jonathan
 
When my oven came to the end of its life, I thought to try a hob only, and found widely varying opinions on alcohol versus gas. My 50 years old boat had a poor gas installation (no gas bottle locker, a leak would have filled the bilge), so at the very low cost of alcohol stoves, I thought to try it and see. If it didn't work I could revert to gas.
I didn't change back to gas. Now on 3rd year of alcohol I find that it costs less in fuel, and hasn't really limited the cooking. I don't miss the oven or the grill. I have done a Fray Bentos pie (in a saucepan with a trivet inside). I cannot grill, but don't miss that messy process. I cannot make scones as I once did- but only once. I doubt that I'll go back to gas.
 
When my oven came to the end of its life, I thought to try a hob only, and found widely varying opinions on alcohol versus gas. My 50 years old boat had a poor gas installation (no gas bottle locker, a leak would have filled the bilge), so at the very low cost of alcohol stoves, I thought to try it and see. If it didn't work I could revert to gas.
I didn't change back to gas. Now on 3rd year of alcohol I find that it costs less in fuel, and hasn't really limited the cooking. I don't miss the oven or the grill. I have done a Fray Bentos pie (in a saucepan with a trivet inside). I cannot grill, but don't miss that messy process. I cannot make scones as I once did- but only once. I doubt that I'll go back to gas.

We make our own marmalade (on terra firma aka home) we would not be without toast. Fresh toast and coffee (plus homemade marmalade) - on passage - perfection

You don't need a grill to make toast.

You just need a slice of (home made) bread and a fry pan (skillet) drop scone pan etc etc - get it really hot drop the slices of bread on the hot pan - toast in a 'short' time.

What's messy about a hot pan and a slice of bread (you use the hot pan to heat the water for the washing up :)

Jonathan
 
Glad to see your footnote!!
Just a general FYI, we here in Cornwall don't consider a Ginsters to be a Cornish pasty. Not one worth eating anyway.

When I was a Cadet in Plymouth MN College ... we used to frequent a pub that had the best Cornish Pasties I have ever eaten ... (yes in Devon !) ... I have no idea where they got them .. but they were excellent ...
 
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