Oil lamp for cockpit

[Guest]

We have been using an old hurricane lamp in the cockpit for a while, the lamp has had a nasty accident!!!

Looking through various bits of literature to replace it and came across repro miners lights.

Anybody tell me if the miners lights actually do give a reasonable light, that could perhaps be hung on a strop from the boom if we ever have a summer.

If not is the hurricane the best alternative?

Pete

 

[steve_cronin]

If your "Miner's Lamp" is a Davey Lamp (or repro) then I would suggest that you will have a dissapointing light output compared to your hurricaine lamp,with it's much bigger wick. Also Davey lamps were "Safety" lamps in that there was a gauze completely shielding the flame from the surrounding atmosphere. This stopped the wick from igniting any "Black damp" (methane) at the vital concentration that might have caused an explosion. A flame will never pass through a mesh as the heat is taken by the metal. If this gauze is steel then it will soon rust away in the marine environment. So-called "Catalytic" heaters are termed "Safety" by having the same arrangement Also these lamps were never intended to be wind-proof. There was a time, when I was a lad, when just about every terraced house around here (Leicestershire Coalfield) had a Davey Lamp in the garden shed usually kept as a momento by a retired miner.

I would buy a new hurricaine lamp if I were you.You can still get them from traditional ironmongers shops but watch out, some are very low quality and one I had once had the wick holder clamp stamped out of the tin in completely the wrong direction. Get a good one and it will last for years. If you want to go diving, there is an old brass one of ours at the bottom of Alderney Harbour and another in Studland Bay! They are easy to store provided that you don't over-fill them.

One final tip, use Citronella oil and you will have a good anti-bug lamp too especially if you use it as a riding lamp in the fore part of the vessel from where the fumes will waft back to engulf you in a bug free bubble.

Steve Cronin

 

[vyv_cox]

Living in Holland gives us a good alternative - candles are sold here by the million in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. We can also buy them with Citronella oil for midge repellence - not great but better than nothing. Candles have the great advantage that they are much easier to stow and don't leak.

Otherwise I agree with Steve - a hurricane lamp is very cheap and effective.

 

[Guest]

In ‘another’ place I was pointed to Bairstow Brothers: http://www.bairstowbrothers.co.uk/index.html , which probably answers a few different needs. . My hurricane lamp I had for nearly 30 years , but it fell down the cellar stairs (brick & oak) onto the brick floor of the cellar...It served itself well on my various boats from 1986 to last season…and many pleasant evenings in the cockpit with good wine, good company etc

Thanks for the input

Pete

 

[romany123]

Let me know when you open the next bottle Peter......I will bring the lamp.
Dave

Dave

 

[paulstevens]

Greetings,

DHR of Rotterdam make an excellent range of brass oil lamps which are also very efficient. Most Dutch chanlders stock the range. I bought a large hanging lamp in Monnickendam last year for £70 and it provides a really good light.
Can be bought here from Nauti-brassy-alia, (not sex a shop) but as usual in UK much more expensive.

 

[brian_neale]

Pete,

take a look at http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/mall/oil_lamps.htm.

I was there yesterday picking up some winches for the new boat, and a really good and helpful bunch. Give Moray a call and ask what he would recommend for outside use. They specialise in traditional gear from traditional materials (which may make you wonder about the "traditional" winches, but they are mighty fine shiny chunks of bronze!).