chrishscorp
Well-Known Member
I would agree, however mine drains into the bilge :ambivalence:
Gas or spirit?
- Thread starter marie galante
- Start date
I would agree, however mine drains into the bilge :ambivalence:
ronsurf
Well-Known Member
Sadly, not rare enough: October 2015 and August 2015
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/four-hurt-devastating-boat-gas-10220212
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...losion-boat-River-Thames-near-Maidenhead.html
Fatality in 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/2727057.stm
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sailorman
Well-Known Member
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FWB
N/A
The pros and cons of gas on a boat have been discussed on the forum many times in the past.
I take the view that putting an invisible, heavier than air, explosive gas in the confines of a boat is asking for a Darwin Award. The awards are not presented very often in relation to the number of contestants but it still strikes me as a daft thing to do. I'm always very wary of boats coming alongside mine, kind of negates the fact that I don't use gas.
I take the view that putting an invisible, heavier than air, explosive gas in the confines of a boat is asking for a Darwin Award. The awards are not presented very often in relation to the number of contestants but it still strikes me as a daft thing to do. I'm always very wary of boats coming alongside mine, kind of negates the fact that I don't use gas.
ronsurf
Well-Known Member
You have to die for a Darwin Award, don't you?
FWB
N/A
Yes being blown up will probably qualify.
prv
Well-Known Member
Technically, having your bollocks ripped off so that you can't reproduce is sufficient
. But death is the usual approach.Pete
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
The pros and cons of gas on a boat have been discussed on the forum many times in the past.
I take the view that putting an invisible, heavier than air, explosive gas in the confines of a boat is asking for a Darwin Award. The awards are not presented very often in relation to the number of contestants but it still strikes me as a daft thing to do. I'm always very wary of boats coming alongside mine, kind of negates the fact that I don't use gas.
I have no statistics to back this up, but based upon my reading in the yachting press it seems to me that far more people die by falling overboard, being hit by the boom, keels failing, overwhelmed by weather and several others than do by exploding gas. The risk is very low indeed by just being as careful and sensible as any long term yacht owner would be.
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
The pros and cons of gas on a boat have been discussed on the forum many times in the past.
I take the view that putting an invisible, heavier than air, explosive gas in the confines of a boat is asking for a Darwin Award. The awards are not presented very often in relation to the number of contestants but it still strikes me as a daft thing to do. I'm always very wary of boats coming alongside mine, kind of negates the fact that I don't use gas.
I can't help foeu's concerns, but i can't help feeling that his attitude is a bit paranoid. I agree with vyv; its EXTREMELY rare for a boat to have an accident due to having gas on board. Nothing wrong with having gas appliances on a boat so long as you apply some common sense and be careful.
FWB
N/A
Well John I'm not paranoid...unfortunately I don't have a certificate to prove it.
I said that gas explosions are rare. People who don't regard gas on a boat as potentially dangerous are a danger to themselves and others.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Many gas related issues ( Boom ) have been hire boats or untrained crew changing a gas bottle ( Nic 55 ??? ) or refiling an outboard with out due care
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
If all you want to do is slowly boil a kettle and fiddle with flammable liquids the go for a spirit stove. If you want to cook then go with gas. If you are scared of gas then stay inside your bubble, sailing is not for you, hell, driving to the boat is too dangerous for you!
FWB
N/A
I have a Taylors stove. It's simple to use and not slow at all.
GHA
Well-Known Member
Probably so.
For the rest of us who do recognize the potential dangers then it's not difficult to maintain a system which is safe.
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
Is it as simple and fast as gas??
C08
Well-Known Member
I think it is very easy to become over anxious about gas. When I got my first sea boat I determined not to have gas on the boat and over a few years had various spirit stoves and eventually a Taylors Paraffin Cooker. Over a number of years I had a number of incidents, apart from losing some eyebrows, that could have gone wrong and resulted in a fire. I installed a system with the bottle in a draining locker complete with gas shut off solenoid, bubble leak detector, a gas alarm and a new cooker with oven and grill. As has been stated modern cookers are all fitted with burner thermocouples and are very safe. I think the point is that gas versus liquid burners comparison is an EXCHANGE of risks and that no system is without small potential risk. We cook a lot on the boat using the grill and oven extensively and for me it is gas ever time.
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
I completely agree with you that you should regard gas as potentially dangerous.
However I go the impression that you not only won't have gas on your boat but you get worried about other boats nearby. May I suggest that getting worried about other boats alongside you isn't assessing the risk reasonably.
How many boats are alongside other boats every day of the summer etc? How many accidents do you hear about?
Its approaching zero...
Draw your own conclusions.
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
Nope - and I've used both.
(We currently have a Taylors gas cooker which regrettably they don't make any more.)
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
I sailed that boat and a friend lost his leg. It was almost certainly due to the gas locker drain becoming blocked and the gas building up and overflowing past a poor deck to gas locker joint and into a void behind a newly installed watertight and gas tight bulkhead. In trying to make the boat safer by installing water tight bulkheads, if the leak had occurred before the bulkhead was installed, they might have smelled the gas and not tried to start the generator...
Fit a gas detector and flame failure devises and bubble leak detector and be sensible and you will live safely with reasonable cooking facilities.
FWB
N/A
It probably is. The preheat time is not wasted since it's used to heat the kettle. I don't have to go on deck to open the gas bottle.
You don't get flare ups and singed eyebrows with a Taylors if it's used correctly. Just put a kettle on the burner during preheat, wait for the flame to go out and light just as you would with gas. In fact if you just want a mug of boiling water then the 4 minute preheat will preclude lighting the burner. The paraffin is odourless and extra containers are easy to store as are the meths bottles. I know that it sounds complicated but in reality it is simple.
You have to use one to appreciate the ease of use.