Tom Cunliffe talks about the solid fuel stove on his yacht. Anyone have one?

[Adios]

As a young man I recall Guy Thompson holding forth on the loss of one of his Calliopes. The story was that he had gone to the pub on Foulness, leaving a charcoal stove burning. on his return he opened the hatch and there was a large explosion. The theory being that a build up of carbon monoxide and a sudden addition of oxygen triggered the bang. I never thought that carbon monoxide was explosive but didn't dare question the great man.
Any thoughts on the safety of charcoal stoves on yachts?

I remember reading about someone who died in their tent because they brought in the last of a disposable barbecue for warmth. Maybe because it seems to be barely alight and no smoke charcoal is a wolf in sheep's clothing. I can imagine someone thinking the fire is as good as out and shutting themselves in tight to keep the warmth in. Carbon monoxide detector a must obviously for any fire which should protect against that. There are monitor/alarms available as well as just alarms, could then keep an eye on levels going up before they reach the alarm level.

 

[38mess]

Thanks for putting me into Tom's YouTube channel, I've watched around 12 back to back last night.

 

[Adios]

Thanks for putting me into Tom's YouTube channel, I've watched around 12 back to back last night.

haha yeah. Did you hear him tell the story of an Atlantic storm? When he gives an opinion on what's a proper sea boat I feel inclined to listen. If you've not read Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness (I highly recommend any Conrad) its written as a story of a sailor's trip up the Congo that he's telling the rest of the crew while they're sat waiting for the tide to take them up the Thames. I could really picture that knowing the area and having waited in the same place for the same tide a hundred years later. Tom's got the same story telling skills as people in those days had I reckon.

 

[38mess]

haha yeah. Did you hear him tell the story of an Atlantic storm? When he gives an opinion on what's a proper sea boat I feel inclined to listen. If you've not read Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness (I highly recommend any Conrad) its written as a story of a sailor's trip up the Congo that he's telling the rest of the crew while they're sat waiting for the tide to take them up the Thames. I could really picture that knowing the area and having waited in the same place for the same tide a hundred years later. Tom's got the same story telling skills as people in those days had I reckon.

No I will have to look him up, thanks.
Tom does spin a good yarn. I liked the one of his 1949 car and how to start it
Edit
Yes I watched the storm video, one of the talking heads at end is a neighbour

 

[mjcoon]

... I never thought that carbon monoxide was explosive but didn't dare question the great man.
Any thoughts on the safety of charcoal stoves on yachts?

CO was a major component of mains gas before we switched to "natural". And the reason for sticking your head in the oven to commit suicide. There was hydrogen in the gas, too, though I don't know the proportions, which would have added to the explosive potential, though not from a charcoal stove...

 

[jamie N]

Like the above, I've never heard of a charcoal stove going 'bang' in the middle of the night!
I've an Origo 6000 stove for the same reason, in that meths stoves rarely make a news story; gas stoves regularly do.

 

[JumbleDuck]

CO was a major component of mains gas before we switched to "natural".

I believe that in a coal fire there are two distinct stages of combustion: carbon + oxygen to carbon monoxide, then carbon monoxide + oxygen to carbon dioxide. If that's right, it probably goes for charcoal too.

 

[DownWest]

I had this made by a local welder/blacksmith, Richie Foss, who's great to deal with and 'does the job'.
It exits disguised as a mushroom vent, obviously the mushroom's removed before lighting, and works very well with charcoal, which is easily available. A good fug goes on for about 6 hours, and heats with a fabulous ultra dry effect which enhances the dram of choice whilst one recovers from the ardours of the day.

View attachment 105480
View attachment 105481

Interesting
I am running up a similar unit for a friend's 30ft, just figuring the secondary air. That flue looks quite big in diameter and short?
Love those from the states, linked by Kukri, but the PRICES...
We heat with wood here (and oil) no gas in the sticks. I can see that carrying wood would need some space on a small boat.

Just had a thought: A small pellet stove? Actuall fire box is tiny and flue small diameter, burn fairly clean too. Needs some lecky to run the fan and feed, but?

 

[Adios]

Interesting
I am running up a similar unit for a friend's 30ft, just figuring the secondary air. That flue looks quite big in diameter and short?
Love those from the states, linked by Kukri, but the PRICES...
We heat with wood here (and oil) no gas in the sticks. I can see that carrying wood would need some space on a small boat.

Just had a thought: A small pellet stove? Actuall fire box is tiny and flue small diameter, burn fairly clean too. Needs some lecky to run the fan and feed, but?

multi fuel would be ideal wouldn't it. From experience wood doesn't need air to come through a grate underneath, burns ok in a coal fire but can burn too quickly if too much flow from underneath. A wood fire needs to be bigger than most coal grates, while a coal fire can't have too wide a grate or its too spread out and you'll need to have too much coal burning. I expect pellets are more like coal then in that it needs air to come up through a grate and for there to be a few layers for the fire to rise through. I wonder then about a small at the bottom funnel shaped box, so a coal or pellet suitable bottom to keep the coal/pellets together and on top of each other, but with enough internal volume to use it with wood.

 

[mjcoon]

..and heats with a fabulous ultra dry effect which enhances the dram of choice whilst one recovers from the ardours of the day.

"ardours" = great enthusiasm or passion

That must be the "very good social mixing" that you refer to in a later post!

 

[DownWest]

multi fuel would be ideal wouldn't it. From experience wood doesn't need air to come through a grate underneath, burns ok in a coal fire but can burn too quickly if too much flow from underneath. A wood fire needs to be bigger than most coal grates, while a coal fire can't have too wide a grate or its too spread out and you'll need to have too much coal burning. I expect pellets are more like coal then in that it needs air to come up through a grate and for there to be a few layers for the fire to rise through. I wonder then about a small at the bottom funnel shaped box, so a coal or pellet suitable bottom to keep the coal/pellets together and on top of each other, but with enough internal volume to use it with wood.

A pellet unit would have to be dedicated. I fixed one for a neigbour, igniter was bust and the feed motor jammed. The fire box is only about 50mm square and the small amount of pellets are burned in a constant draft, with another fan to move the heated air. Maybe too much noise for TC

 

[Adios]

A pellet unit would have to be dedicated. I fixed one for a neigbour, igniter was bust and the feed motor jammed. The fire box is only about 50mm square and the small amount of pellets are burned in a constant draft, with another fan to move the heated air. Maybe too much noise for TC

oh i see these are small pellets not like briquettes

 

[JumbleDuck]

Davey & Co sell a lovely wee solid fuel stove which I serious considered. However, it doesn't burn charcoal and I didn't fancy coal smoke.

 

[jamie N]

Blimey! That's £lots more than I paid Richie!

 

[Adios]

I didn't fancy coal smoke.

I used to be next to someone in a marina who had a rarely used coal burner and he was ok but the fumes used to fall into my boat. I'd forgotten about that but probably in a marina they are a bit antisocial. Mine wasn't a spotlessly clean boat and i'm not that precious but i can imagine someone wouldn't like the idea of soot floating past them either

I think as well i wouldn't want that design. If i was going to go to the trouble of having a solid fuel stove I'd only do it if i can see it burning. Nothing like dozing off in front of a flickering fire. Do Dubarry make slippers?

 

[dunedin]

We had a rather scruffy MAB moor alongside us at Tobermory once. We went away for a walk and whilst away he lit his heater.

When we came back our boat was entirely covered in sticky black soot. It was horrific. Spent a couple of hours trying to clean off, but only partially successful. And black all over the ropes etc. Took weeks to clean off.
I would not want to be next to such an antisocial boat ever again.

 

[Adios]

We had a rather scruffy MAB moor alongside us at Tobermory once. We went away for a walk and whilst away he lit his heater.

When we came back our boat was entirely covered in sticky black soot. It was horrific. Spent a couple of hours trying to clean off, but only partially successful. And black all over the ropes etc. Took weeks to clean off.
I would not want to be next to such an antisocial boat ever again.

Whats a MAB?

Thats entirely unacceptable obviously but something must have gone wrong surely, his own boat would have been covered if that was normal. TBH i now wonder if my old neighbour had a charcoal heater or coal. It was an acrid fume more than smoke and no soot that i noticed but i thought it was a coal smell, it drove me out of my boat as it seemed to go straight up from his chimney and fell straight down my hatch. We actually fell out over it. Nearly 20 years ago so its a bit hazy but coming back to me now.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I believe that in a coal fire there are two distinct stages of combustion: carbon + oxygen to carbon monoxide, then carbon monoxide + oxygen to carbon dioxide. If that's right, it probably goes for charcoal too.

The carbon->carbon monoxide reaction happens in blast furnaces. The carbon monoxide then reduces the iron ore (ferric oxide, usually) to iron and carbon dioxide.

 

[Gary Fox]

Whats a MAB?

Thats entirely unacceptable obviously but something must have gone wrong surely, his own boat would have been covered if that was normal. TBH i now wonder if my old neighbour had a charcoal heater or coal. It was an acrid fume more than smoke and no soot that i noticed but i thought it was a coal smell, it drove me out of my boat as it seemed to go straight up from his chimney and fell straight down my hatch. We actually fell out over it. Nearly 20 years ago so its a bit hazy but coming back to me now.

'Manky Auld Boat', an older plastic yacht, eg a Contessa 32

 

[jamie N]

I've not noticed any residue from my charcoal burning, either in the ash box, or on the 'pristine' deck of my 'classic yacht'. It does tend to burn very hot, whilst it's burning, then being just a fallow retained heat as it reduces.