Gas, Spirit & Parafin

[wooslehunter]

Facing the prosect of an expensive gas upgrade - locker, pipework etc, I'm thinking of simply replacing the cooker with a spirit or parafin unit.

Anyone got any comments on the relative merits of both of these vs gas.

Thanks

Dave

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[ccscott49]

Gas everytime.

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[Neal]

I\'ve had a Taylor\'s paraffin cooker...

for years. It's not quite as convenient to use as gas, but I much prefer it.



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[Mirelle]

So have I

My experience with spirit stoves is that the burners seem to give off less heat, so they take longer to boil a kettle. Conversely, a Taylor's stove's burners seem quite a bit hotter than gas.

I am completely happy with the Taylor's stove and would not change it. I might try the gas torch method of pre-heating burners, but frankly if you put the kettle or saucepan on when you light the meths the heat is not wasted and no time is lost.

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[wooslehunter]

Re: So have I

Thanks for the input so far.

What I really would like to hear are the pros & cons. Rather than seed the discussion I left it open.

However, here are some thoughts I've had so far to get things going:

Gas: very convient, easy to use, needs me to spend lots of cash & time replacing everything thanks to the insurance company.

Paraffin: only needs a replacement cooker, can be a pain to light, cheap, a bit stinky, makes the pots black

Spirit: only needs a replacement cooker, costs more to run than paraffin, doesn't stink as much as paraffin, doesn't make the pots black.

Any other comments please?

Dave

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[Mirelle]

Cannot claim to be unbiassed, but

Gas: "Pro" : Very convenient, does not terrify the non-boating visitor, negligible smell, does not dirty pots and pans. Can easily operate a grill.

Gas: "Con" : Changing bottles, and lugging them about the place, is a bore. Need to obey rituals about putting it off. Explosion risk. Need to pay the CORGIS.

Spirit: "Pro" : The safest system (can be extinguished with water) light in weight.
Any amateur can maintain for ever.

Spirit: "Con" : weak heat, cheap to buy but very expensive to run; smelly.

Paraffin: "Pro" : Safe, albeit sometimes alarming to the inexpert. Easy to carry plenty of fuel for a long passage (one pint runs one burner flat out for eight hours) Any amateur can maintain for ever. The cheapest system to run.

Paraffin: "Con" Can be smelly and sooty. Risk of flare up in inexpert hands. Burners carbon up and need renewal from time to time. Paraffin no longer so easy to get (but by no means hard to come by)

(NB if you put the fuel off at the tank when leaving the boat you are much less likely to get yellow flames, soot and smell.)

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[webcraft]

Spirit is great - it's just a pity that UK meths is so smelly - if they don't make it purple and stinky we're bound to drink it, though . . .

If you can get stove spirit from the continent or Scandinavia then so much the better.

Re. heat content - I have read that it is about 10% les than gas, and my own experience would tend to suggerst this is close to the truth. It's a small penalty to pay for much improved safety and in some cases cheaper insurance.

- Nick

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[ccscott49]

Need to clarify, gas everytime for a liveaboard. Spirit fine for the occasional day aboard, parafin, same, but can be used long term, but dirty, also try refilling your tank in a seaway, unless of course you have a big tank.. Gas for me. You will not need to get the gas locker, pipework changed and re-built very often, only the rubber pipes, as long as you use copper for the rest and rubber pipes need replacing on parafin stoves aswell. IMHO


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[LORDNELSON]

Gas is the most convenient. You do not make it clear who is going to use the galley most, if its not yourself how about asking the cook? My wife (who does most of the cooking) would be most upset if I changed from gas! If you do go for gas I would very much recommend a combined gas alarm/shut off solenoid switch. They are relatively expensive but make shutting off the gas at or near source so easy users will do it. If you have to search for the top of a cylinder in a gas tight locker at the back of a cockpit locker full of gear every time you have had a coffee the gas is most unlikely to be turned off every time. Good luck with your researches. Barry

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[graham]

It depends on how you use your boat.

I use an origo 2 burner meths stove .advantages are
1, Safety,no explosive risk in unlikely event of fire can be put out with water.
2, Simplicity,no pipes bottles valves etc.
3,Meths widely available at chemists and supermarkets at between £1.50 to £2 per half liter.This lasts us a weekend of light cooking tea making etc.We dont do elaborate meals on board with no grill or oven on ours.(you can get Origos with both)
By carrying multiple small bottles of meths you know exactly what you have in reserve.

On the down side if used a lot it would be expensive on fuel.Probably not an option for living aboard or extended cruises of more than a week or two.

Also some smell when refuelling but this can be done out in the cockpit.

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[wpsalm]

Liveaboard gas . long ocean passage parafin as it will also burn diesel in a pinch but its a mess and the burner your using will become clogged and and to cold to relight just before the water boils. cooked on parafin for over 20 years changed to gas this year ......its great.

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[philwebb]

Having used meths and gas. I find gas easier and safer to light. There are times when sailing when you and the crew need a hot drink or a cup-a-soup and I
would`t fancy lighting a meths burner whilst being bounced about by a rough sea.
The small size camping gaz bottles are not that heavy and you don`t need to
change them that often.

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[polarity]

Umm....
"only needs a replacement cooker"

Have you seen the price of a Taylors?!!

I have a parafin/Kerosene/white spirit burning Taylors. Love it. and the fuel seems to be easy to get anywhere - I have burned all of the above in it (and I hear av-gas works too)


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[Mirelle]

Secondhand Taylors do show up sometimes - mine was one. Some foolish and misguided people chuck them out without trying them when they but a secondhand boat. Since every single part is obtainable, they are a cheaper alternative.

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[ccscott49]

PLEASE, Do Not, repeat, DO NOT, use Av-Gas (gasoline) in a paraffin cooker, Av-Gas is high octane petrol! You will blow yourself and a few others up with you!

Av-Tur, (turbine) is high grade Paraffin, so might be ok, but I wouldn't use it either, you never know..........

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[wooslehunter]

Thanks to all for some great feedback.
Dave

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