Thoughts on 2 burner cookers. Spirit or gas?

ash2020 said:
That's interesting. But mostly opinions seem to favour gas.
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So they do.

I'm not trying to persuade you what to do. I'm just answering your question.

You asked:

"Are spirit stoves a reasonable option these days?"​

I think they are, others don't.

In the end, it's your decision.
 
I have sailed for two weeks many a time and many years ago without needing to heat any food or water.

Tinned soup etc and now there is a wider variety of tinned goods.
 
My 24’ boat has an Origo 3000 twin, on gimbals. I use bio ethanol and it doesn’t smell. I’m glad I don’t have to find room aboard for gas pipes, stop taps, bottles and a gas locker on a small boat.
Ok, The foam pads are faffy, and when I take them off the volatile spirit fumes upset my CO alarm even when not lit ( I googled it and it’s a common detection error) so I twist the alarm off when cooking.
All in all I find it agreeable.

The compass stoves look like an Origo copy?
I heard some UK customers have had problems buying from Compass marine since the euro-schism.
 
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ash2020 said:
I think long term I really want gimbals. I've always had it on other boats. I always seem to be making tea at 30° on a reach.
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I really like having a properly gimballed cooker, but that is hard to achieve in a small boat, and I am not convinced it is necessary..

I had a gimballed cooker on a small boat, but the daft frame supporting the cooker (intended to allow the cooker to be lowered and less in the way when not in use) would very occasionally collapse, dropping the cooker a few inches, which was very hazardous. Even without this problem, the restricted space available on the boat meant that that the cooker couldn't swing far at all before reaching an obstruction and stopping abruptly, and when the boat was in motion this would result in spillages. As a temporary measure, I removed the frame and fixed the cooker direct to the base underneath. I found that with pan clamps this was actually satisfactory to greater angles of heel or rolling than with the gimbals (I think the only time we couldn't use the cooker was the two times when the tide had gone out after we'd gone aground, leaving the boat lying on its side*), and given the lack of space to have it properly gimballed with adequate clearance I never changed it in years of extensive cruising.

(*We'd learnt our lesson by the second time. As soon as we realised we weren't getting off before the tide went out (and unworried about drying out on mud), the kettle went on, and tea was made. We then each found a book to read and a wedged ourselves between a berth or cockpit bench and its adjacent hull or coaming, relaxed and read and snoozed until the boat came up far enough to get the kettle on again. :) )
 
Our club require all boats using the marina to undergo a Fire and safety inspection every year. I did the inspector job for some years. Anhy gas installation must have a current safety certificate from a licensed engineer. Includes time expiry for gas hoses. Certainly any form of portable gas cooker or barbecue are not allowed.
Yes we get a lot of boat fires like several per year. Almost all of them larger mobo style boats almost certainly having gas installation. (i can't be sure all attributed to gas leaks however)
Certainly meth cooker is slower but much more convenient in terms of refuel and installation. I have dinky single burner meth cooker for my 21fter. But it has not been on the boat for many years due to my sailing habits not needing a cooker. ol'will
 
KevinV said:
I'd rather have a fitted, gimballed stove, mostly because it feels more "proper", but the reality is that the "temporary" gas canister jobbie I have is fast, cheap enough to run and has the bonus that I can take it outside to cook smelly stuff
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People seem to forget also that the gas cannister portable units can also be fed gas from large ballon via adaptor pipe.

My 38 has a hob / oven combo - but without grill ... the gas supply ballon in the transom locker unfortunately is not setup well. The gas line splits into two without shut offs on each ... one goes to cooker and other to the gas powered cabin heating. So far I decided to not use the system until I get that changed. In fact I would like to remove the gas heater ... which then means remove the Y piece.
 
LittleSister said:
I really like having a properly gimballed cooker, but that is hard to achieve in a small boat, and I am not convinced it is necessary..

I had a gimballed cooker on a small boat, but the daft frame supporting the cooker (intended to allow the cooker to be lowered and less in the way when not in use) would very occasionally collapse, dropping the cooker a few inches, which was very hazardous. Even without this problem, the restricted space available on the boat meant that that the cooker couldn't swing far at all before reaching an obstruction and stopping abruptly, and when the boat was in motion this would result in spillages. As a temporary measure, I removed the frame and fixed the cooker direct to the base underneath. I found that with pan clamps this was actually satisfactory to greater angles of heel or rolling than with the gimbals (I think the only time we couldn't use the cooker was the two times when the tide had gone out after we'd gone aground, leaving the boat lying on its side*), and given the lack of space to have it properly gimballed with adequate clearance I never changed it in years of extensive cruising.

(*We'd learnt our lesson by the second time. As soon as we realised we weren't getting off before the tide went out (and unworried about drying out on mud), the kettle went on, and tea was made. We then each found a book to read and a wedged ourselves between a berth or cockpit bench and its adjacent hull or coaming, relaxed and read and snoozed until the boat came up far enough to get the kettle on again. :) )
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My 25 has no gimbals and I have cooked on it while heeled ...... its a full Calor Gas Oven / Grill / Hob job ...
 
Hi, I have a brand new Compass Marine Origo 3000 copy that is still boxed that I am looking to sell. I brought it as a back up to my Origo 3000 but really do not need a spare. Not sure how much but happy to sell it for less than I paid, I would have to check the receipt for price.
 
Cerebus said:
Ybw did a video years ago of trying to blow up a boat by leaving the gas on to fill a boat.

They failed a few times before blowing up the boat because they could not get gas to air mixture correct.
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Atypical situation, Sods Law wise, because you are trying to blow it up.

I once saw the remains of a boat on the bottom of Lerwick harbour where they werent

Alcohol stoves for camping are just fine here in Taiwan where ethanol is widely available, but if meths was all I could get I wouldn't use it. Nasty stuff, because it is designed to be.
 
On our first yacht we fitted with a metho spiriit stove. It was an excellent solution. We used this for cruising, including times when we were over a couple of months away from shore facilities.

Unfortunately, there do not seem to be any drip-fed methylated spirit stoves available for purchase. This is a pity. They worked well.

They were a very reliable and effective solution for a smaller cruising yacht.
 
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noelex said:
On our first yacht we fitted with a metho spiriit stove. It was an excellent solution. We used this for cruising, including times when we were over a couple of months away from shore facilities.

Unfortunately, there do not seem to be any drip-fed methylated spirit stoves available for purchase. This is a pity. They worked well.

They were a very reliable and effective solution for a smaller cruising yacht.
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You have reminded me of one small tanker I sailed on ... the galley range was fed by drip fed diesel. All the food had that taint !!
 
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