Portable gas cookers £5.99!

Also be aware that there was a safety alert concerning some of these issued by Hants CC Trading standards and the BSS.

Be sure it is correctly assembled before use. Some could be used incorrectly assembled which lead to overheating of the gas canister.
 
1 canister of gas = 4 boiled kettles. But A five pack of canisters sold for about £1 at Trago Mills. Kept me going during a mammoth hull sanding day providing tea, so great. I'm told by my welsh friend that "Gelert" is a great name for a dog, in Wales.
 
They can use a whole canister for a single meal.

A 907 Gaz bottle costs around £20 and that holds 2.75kgs.....about 12 gas cannisters (227gms each).
It's easy to get the cannisters at around £1 a time. Granted it's fiddly to change them but they are better value than Camping Gaz.
 
I cringe when I see boats with something like this plonked on a shelf; one wave or wash in harbour and it's alight, upside down on the cabin sole...

Just a sop for lazy builders and designers, any boat worth a cooker is worth one actually securely fitted to the boat, with gimbals and pan clamps - these things evolved for a reason.

True, I certainly use my cooker far less than decades ago, nowadays in weekend cruising it's just for breakfast and tea making, other meals being probably a snack lunch and evening meal ashore, now most pubs offer food.

These portable jobs are fine for picnics ashore, but then a one-shot barbecue is cheaper and probably more fun.
 
Sometimes it surprises me the rubbish this forum comes out with.

It dosn't look like it has a flame failure cut off, so use with care down below.

Anyone with half a brain will notice the flame has gone out. When on a boat you're supposed to be present at all times while cooking. There is also insufficient gas in these cylinders to cause any real harm, especially since you'd have various open bits while cooking to give a bit of a draft.

Also be aware that there was a safety alert concerning some of these issued by Hants CC Trading standards and the BSS.

Be sure it is correctly assembled before use. Some could be used incorrectly assembled which lead to overheating of the gas canister.

Have you even seen these? There are about 4 parts! These are being sold through a reputable outlet and have all relevant safety stuff covered. I am confident they are safe.

They can use a whole canister for a single meal.

Yes they can, if you cook for 2 hours on full gas.

1 canister of gas = 4 boiled kettles.

Stop overfilling your kettle. I use about 1 can a week when on board and drink lots of tea. Gas kettles can boil a single cup of water since there is no element.
 
I cringe when I see boats with something like this plonked on a shelf; one wave or wash in harbour and it's alight, upside down on the cabin sole...

Just a sop for lazy builders and designers, any boat worth a cooker is worth one actually securely fitted to the boat, with gimbals and pan clamps - these things evolved for a reason.

True, I certainly use my cooker far less than decades ago, nowadays in weekend cruising it's just for breakfast and tea making, other meals being probably a snack lunch and evening meal ashore, now most pubs offer food.

These portable jobs are fine for picnics ashore, but then a one-shot barbecue is cheaper and probably more fun.

Sorry Seajet but this is the silliest post here (and from such a clever forumite too!).
Firstly, not all boats are big enough for gimballed cookers. When using these, common sense tells you not to cook in a F6 while on passage so you just wait until moored somewhere. It would take a pretty bad wave to knock this off of the worktop and even then I'd be more worried about the hot food than the flame. Unless you have petrol all over your cabin sole, contact with a flame will not immediately set it on fire. In fact, anyone who has tried to set fire to anything will tell you that it would take quite some time for it to catch. As I said in my previous post, you should be present while cooking on a boat as it does have its risks. If these cookers fall on the floor for any reason you can pick them up and switch them off. I've been using my old one for 2 years on board and sometimes in poor weather and not once has it even slipped a little bit let alone off the worktop!
 
There is also insufficient gas in these cylinders to cause any real harm, especially since you'd have various open bits while cooking to give a bit of a draft.

I agree with the overall sentiment of what you are saying but I very much doubt that that particualer point is true. I don't intend putting it to the test but I suspect that one cannister of gas would be enough to do serious harm.

But I certainly agree that the cookers are very good for what they are.
 
I agree with the overall sentiment of what you are saying but I very much doubt that that particualer point is true. I don't intend putting it to the test but I suspect that one cannister of gas would be enough to do serious harm.

But I certainly agree that the cookers are very good for what they are.

I definitely wasn't planning to test it. The point though is that any grown up with half a brain would struggle to do harm with one of these and the safety police are going OTT yet again. Even if my boat were big enough for a gimballed cooker I would prefer one of these to fitting a gas locker and mucking about with replacement hoses, carrying huge spare bottles, losing a worktop and all the other faff that comes with big cookers. As Seajet pointed out, most people boil kettles and fry bacon these days so a proper cooker is like buying a bus to go to the corner shop!
 
Sorry Seajet but this is the silliest post here (and from such a clever forumite too!).
Firstly, not all boats are big enough for gimballed cookers. When using these, common sense tells you not to cook in a F6 while on passage so you just wait until moored somewhere. It would take a pretty bad wave to knock this off of the worktop and even then I'd be more worried about the hot food than the flame. Unless you have petrol all over your cabin sole, contact with a flame will not immediately set it on fire. In fact, anyone who has tried to set fire to anything will tell you that it would take quite some time for it to catch. As I said in my previous post, you should be present while cooking on a boat as it does have its risks. If these cookers fall on the floor for any reason you can pick them up and switch them off. I've been using my old one for 2 years on board and sometimes in poor weather and not once has it even slipped a little bit let alone off the worktop!

LustyD,

I stand by what I said; if so far fetched how come I've seen plenty of modern boats over 23' with these things on shelves, and a couple of months ago checked over a 23' Hunter Horizon - which is far roomier than my 22 - which had one of these things, again unrestrained on a shelf ?

It has traditionally been the case that people with small cruisers think they don't need to do things properly, somehow that only applies to larger craft.

In reality, with experience it becomes very clear that smaller boats have to make more of an effort to look after their crews than larger ones; with the livelier motion and less room to place stuff, things have to work and stay working, and things like the best waterproofs are a lot more necessary on an Anderson than on a Swan 47 !

Also as small boats are generally slower thus longer times on passage, and less easy on their crews, a seaworthy cooker becomes a necessary bit of kit, if only for cup-a-soups and pot noodles ! :eek:

You know what you're doing I suspect Dave - still hope to sail in company some time - but unrestrained flat slidey gas cookers are not something to be encouraged.
 
You're certainly right about the boats over 23' but my 20 has no space for a "proper" cooker or a gas locker. I think the reality though is that modern boats make the decision that cooking bacon in a marina doesn't require a real cooker so use the space for other things. I for one would have more use of a wine rack :D
 
You're certainly right about the boats over 23' but my 20 has no space for a "proper" cooker or a gas locker. I think the reality though is that modern boats make the decision that cooking bacon in a marina doesn't require a real cooker so use the space for other things. I for one would have more use of a wine rack :D

Tempting though the idea is, the wine rack might lose its' appeal on a stiff cold beat; boats a lot smaller than yours have 'proper' gas cookers & lockers - I bet I could fit one - but the obvious answer for a simple fit would be a 1-2 burner Origo spirit stove, they are available with gimbals & pan clamps.
 
Had one in a Beneteau 21.7, cannot remember if it had a flame faulre device, I think it did. However did discover that once the gas canister was engaged it had a tendancy to leak if disengaged even though it purported to be self sealing. The on/off lever moves the canister forward to engage and alows it to release in the off position. So best to leave the canister engaged.

Did like the unit though very neat and as others hacve said the gas not that expensive if bought from places like The Range.
 

If you read that pdf carefully it states two things:
Safety_Police said:
A number of
accidents onshore in the UK have happened because the pan supports were not the
right way up when the cooker is being used.
and
Safety_Police said:
"It seems that with the pan support upside down and the burner on, heat is
transferred onto the aerosol type gas canister in the body of the stove and after a
time, the canister can burst causing a violent explosion and fireball”
Which I read as "some total spanner injured himself when not turning the pan support upright and instead resting the pan directly on the gas outlet".
Safety_Police said:
While the numbers of boat
incidents involving aerosol gas canister stoves are still few, they can be dangerous.
Which I read as "Although there are ZERO reported incidents, we think they are dangerous so please just THINK OF THE CHILDREN".


There is nothing whatsoever in this document that suggests people with IQ over 15 will have any problems while using the device.
 
I feel compelled to add that I also have Swan Vesta matches on board (non safety matches) which can in theory light just from the friction of movement. I've never witnessed this and don't feel overly worried, perhaps I've actually built a very sophisticated bomb :D
 
I have had one of these for 5 or 6 years now, always carry it in the car, a good cup of tea is virtually unobtainable on the road, so this machine is invaluable to me, if used with care and properly they are ideal.
 
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