Gas or electric galley?

Alcohol? Really? That stuff should have been outright banned onboard a long time ago. RCook said it. Dangerous and useless.

Generator failure leaving you without your eggs bennie is a non issue. Propane systems can fail too.

I would choose gas any day for serious cooking on land but I still have the moisture factor that only Wadden has refereed too and I suspect that's because most either never gave it a thought or are boating where it doesn't matter so much. We hear lots of people complain about mould on boats and usually associate it with water penetration. Uh, uh, not always.

BTW if you like neat things this is a good conversation piece: http://vikingcylinders.com/product-category/lifestyle/
Much lighter, easier to handle and you can see the propane level.

Watch out though, a company named "Lite" had bad ones, had a forced recall and became insolvent. Lots of them still around, even now, as the recall was not widely known.

Is it true ...
One must start a diesel engine driving a generator to have a cup of tea?

manyboats said:

Electric seems crazy to me.
That's like trying to turn one's boat into a house.
If you have an electric cooking stove your boat is a houseboat.

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Bayliner built a lot of boats of different types and sizes but never built any houseboats. I do know of several Gibson houseboats with propane cook stoves, I'll have to let the owners of the propane cookers know they have boats and the owners with electric cookers know they have floating houses. This will confuse them because they all look alike;-)


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I've been considering buying a pellet grill for my house, to supplement my gas grill. Easy and quick to start up (like gas), but with the flavor of grilling with hardwood. They use electricity to start the pellets on fire and to run a small auger motor to feed pellets to the fire box. Not much flame to deal with and easy to control at lower grilling and smoking temps. Would this be a good option for use on a boat? There is at least one manufacturer (Green Mountain) that makes an AC/DC version that they market as a tailgating grill. It's fairly compact, and might work well on a boat. Thoughts?

boatpoker said:

I can understand that but I don't want to fire up a generator every time I want a cup of coffee and since I'm up around 0500 my neighbours in the anchorage don't want me to either.

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Our inverter ran the microwave and coffee maker just fine. Problem solved.

What on earth is the problem with having the modern comforts of home on a boat? I missed the memo on that one. And anyway, our boat was our house.

My boat is my house and I like my comforts. Each liveaboard has become more house like in comforts.

Even in survival schools they teach you how to make your situation more comfy.

Sure I can make cowboy coffee on the propane stove...not happending if ghe drip coffer maker can be powered one of 5 different ways.. I used to lug 50 pounds of ice to my sailboat every week just to keep beer and wine cold when young and single...nope...no iceboxes on my boat these days.

I understand boaters that like it from one level above primitive camping all the way up to superyacht....but I am not so naive that it should not be done one way or another.

manyboats said:

Electric seems crazy to me.
That's like trying to turn one's boat into a house.
If you have an electric cooking stove your boat is a houseboat.

Click to expand...

manyboats said:

Is it true ...
One must start a diesel engine driving a generator to have a cup of tea?

Click to expand...

OK, guess I have a houseboat. Our avatar proves it.



I suspect your first statement is an example of "for me" (you) and I'd deduce that means you also don't have a generator, don't have AC, don't have hot water, etc. Doesn't seem like that's a problem -- for you.

But it wouldn't be all that great in our life. We might as well drop back to paddling our canoe... which is good exercise, but not at all the same thing we enjoy now with "the houseboat."

And an inverter would work fine for a cup o' tea. Or popcorn.

But then you'd likely not have the electric appliances on board to take advantage of an inverter, yes? And maybe not a large enough battery bank in the first place? Just guessing...

Anyway, different strokes...

-Chris

manyboats said:

Is it true ...
One must start a diesel engine driving a generator to have a cup of tea?

Click to expand...

Definitely not. The inverter is strong enough to cook water with power from the batteries.


best regards / med venlig hilsen
wadden

Propane stove. We wouldn't switch to electric. Too used to it.

All electric except for gas grill(uses the 1lb bottle). Inverter runs microwave and coffee maker. I cook with gas at home but I can get by with the one burner stove top or electric skillet while aboard.

Diesel stove: cooking and cabin heat
Propane cooktop and BBQ: cooking when its too hot out for the diesel stove, and all ordinary BBQ functions, regardless of the weather. I have been known to stand out there in the rain to get my steak just right.
electric microwave and crockpot: neither get much use, but the mike will heat stuff up quickly from the inverter.

My boat came with a 4 burner propane stove with oven. I upgraded to the diesel stove and propane cooktop. Better results, more choice.

Propane galley all the way. Would not change it.

We have a converter aboard (1KW I think) but I've never used it. We've got enough draw on our house batts w/o using a converter. Quit inefficient I'm told. We have hot water underway from the engine and from shore power in port. Cook w propane (Chris loves her new stove) and heat w kerosene via Wabasto.

Most here on TF probably regard us as boat campers. Bigger boats and more money bring on a very different boat style. A big motorhome isn't my style on land either. I like to keep unnessary weight off the boat and systems simple. But even if we were rich and had a 50' boat we'd probably cook w propane. We don't like generators running on other boats. However a Honda" generator on board as a 2nd backup to the start batt has some meritt.

Having "all the comforts of home" on a boat is leaning toward being addicted to modern comforts and we have a bit of a negative feeling about it. Except for running generators we don't look down our noses at those w "comforts" at all. If I had a cabin on the woods I'd consider it a small badge of honor going out to the outhouse at night .... unless it was pouring down rain. And when we do camp it's usually in a tent but I don't rub stickes together in the am.

caltexflanc said:

Our inverter ran the microwave and coffee maker just fine. Problem solved.

What on earth is the problem with having the modern comforts of home on a boat? I missed the memo on that one. And anyway, our boat was our house.

Click to expand...

Being at anchor for 3-4 days an inverter would suck down the batteries on AC appliances so you'd have to run the generator only. We can anchor for a week without running the generator to charge the batteries. Thanks but I'll stick with propane .... to each his own , if it works for you great.

Once in larger boats with high electrical demands and anchoring out for multiple days....

There are all kinds of combinations how electric is srored/generated and consumed.

Each crew will have its own agenda and how the skipper meets that is even all personal preference.

My own personal thoughts on electric really started to change when I noticed how much marinas were charging for electricity. I am leaning towards an off the grid boat even when in marinas.

Practical? Why not if off grid while anchored for long periods. It may still be a juggle or dance when to connect, but it would be nice to have the option.

alormaria said:

We prefer to go out for meals. Our propane system is mainly decorative.

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That would be my wife's choice as well but when anchored or underway, it's not practical.. We have a three burner propane stove with oven and broiler and it gets used nearly every day. We also have a microwave oven for leftovers and pre-prepared meals.

My choice is propane. Electric is impractical without a genset or shorepower.

Hawgwash said:

Every pound of propane burned indoors produces 1.5 pints of water that has to go somewhere.

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Our IG has an OEM exhaust fan over the LPG cooker so our 1.5 pints disappears outside. There is an exhaust fan in the head too, that`s for a different reason.

Greetings,
Mr. BK. I'm not even going to ask why you have a cooker in the head....

I like propane. Much prefer cooking on the grill outside and have seriously contemplated a totally outside complete "galley" and just a microwave and electric skillet inside.

BruceK said:

Our IG has an OEM exhaust fan over the LPG cooker so our 1.5 pints disappears outside. There is one in the head too, that`s for a different reason.

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The Coot has exhaust fans over the shower and the propane stove. Being noisy, the shower exhaust fan covers up bathroom noises. Shower is in back-right compartment; toilet is front-right out of view. Galley is in the saloon eight feet to the stern.

Well, I guess one take away; propane would be more popular on resale.

About Alcohol (the cooking kind): My folks had a 26' sailboat with an alcohol stove. I learned just how unsafe they are, especially where space is tight. You can't see the flame, so on startup, before it has been properly controlled, the flame could be 12" tall and you woudn't know it.

I have personally witnessed only two boats that burned to the waterline. both were caused by an alcohol stove getting out of control. I won't have it on my boat.

koliver said:

About Alcohol (the cooking kind): My folks had a 26' sailboat with an alcohol stove. I learned just how unsafe they are, especially where space is tight. You can't see the flame, so on startup, before it has been properly controlled, the flame could be 12" tall and you woudn't know it.

I have personally witnessed only two boats that burned to the waterline. both were caused by an alcohol stove getting out of control. I won't have it on my boat.

Click to expand...

No kidding.

Alcohol is NOT the way to go.

caltexflanc said:

Our inverter ran the microwave and coffee maker just fine. Problem solved.

What on earth is the problem with having the modern comforts of home on a boat? I missed the memo on that one. And anyway, our boat was our house.

Click to expand...

Never said there was a problem, just stated what I prefer and why.
PS My boat is my home and heas been for 20 years.

Alcohol has little energy compared to propane, kerosene, or diesel. You'll wait very long to see a pot of water boil using alcohol. Would not call it efficient. Have used alcohol to light up a kerosene stove, however; but it can be done just as well by lighting up some kerosene in the priming tray.

Big difference between pressurized and unpressurized alcohol stoves.

Have used both and hate the pressurized, unpressurized wasn't bad....but still prefer my propane.

Being at anchor for 3-4 days an inverter would suck down the batteries on AC appliances so you'd have to run the generator only.

Click to expand...

Why the phobia about running the generator? We lived on moorings for months at a time, anchoring when cruising the boat. In temperate weather, the generator ran an average of 3 1/2 hours a day, usually split between morning and evening for the purposes described in an earlier post. Sometimes as little as an hour and a half, sometimes as much as six if doing a lot of laundry or preparing something like Thanksgiving or Easter dinner. Generators are made to be run.

We have a tent for going camping, which we enjoy greatly.

Nothing really against propane, and having one or the other was not a consideration when buying the boat. But I liked not having to go through the hassle of getting big bottles refilled and not being concerned with the fire/explosion hazards. Again, in buying our next boat it will not be a check list item either way, other than being sure whatever system is in place is properly and safely supported/installed. When we go camping, all cooking is done via propane, BTW.

Have used alcohol to light up a kerosene stove, however; but it can be done just as well by lighting up some kerosene in the priming tray.

Even the Arabs take the Primus out of the tent to light it by flooding.

Heavy black smoke results from not pre heating , and just burning kerosene in the priming cup.

I did some attempts wit using battery power to pre heat , but the Amp draw was too high.

A Spirits can as used by printers does a great job of metering and not allowing the alcohol priming fuel to evaporate.

The Euro folks would keep a metal ring wrapped with asbestos in a jar of alcohol and light that to prime.

For those not familiar with a kero stove , 5 Gal of kero will last a couple about a year, and cooking is at 10,000BTU if desired.

Any stories from people with electric stoves where the generator stopped working at anchor? Especially before dinner and the nearest marina not reachable before dark.

Nothing against running the generator, but they are complex and they are known to need repair.