Ain't it great waking up on a Saturday morning to an email from Practical Sailor that just frosts your cookies?
I'll bet there isn't a single one of us on this forum who hasn't been derided by diesel snobs, dock experts and the likes over the propulsion fuel in our boats. "Atomic Bomb", "turn the key and BOOM" and "get a diesel" are all too common. That we are a civilized bunch is the only thing protecting them from a flattened nose.
And here comes Practical Sailor with their expert views on cooking fuel. Two excerpts:
Gee, no mention that butane is heavier than air, is stored under pressure and in the event of a leak the entire volume is expelled and the vapor settles in the bilge. With the slightest ignition source it can blow the boat to smithereens. That's exactly the knock on gasoline and what killed the Atomic 4 engine sales three decades ago. Seems like a convenient omission to me.
Well, at least they admitted propane was heavier than air but considering it as concentrated natural gas? That's crazy. Natural gas is lighter than air so doesn't pose the risk of propane, the same risk that terrifies them about gasoline.
The line that set me off to a weekend of grumbling (apologies to the Mrs.) was
The ultimate? Really? Seems they're a lot more comfortable with gasoline than they realize or will ever admit.
I'll bet there isn't a single one of us on this forum who hasn't been derided by diesel snobs, dock experts and the likes over the propulsion fuel in our boats. "Atomic Bomb", "turn the key and BOOM" and "get a diesel" are all too common. That we are a civilized bunch is the only thing protecting them from a flattened nose.
And here comes Practical Sailor with their expert views on cooking fuel. Two excerpts:
BUTANE
Butane, usually seen in small pressurized cans, is ok for small boats and in rough conditions. A standard 8-ounce can has a tidy flame that will burn on high setting for more than three hours and produce in the process about 7,000 BTUs.
Butane, usually seen in small pressurized cans, is ok for small boats and in rough conditions. A standard 8-ounce can has a tidy flame that will burn on high setting for more than three hours and produce in the process about 7,000 BTUs.
PROPANE
The most popular fuel in the last decade or two has been propane. Sailors used to be afraid of it because, being heavier than air, it can collect in the bilge if there's even a minute leak. Like butane, you might consider propane as concentrated natural gas. It requires very, very careful installation. It yields 2,550 BTUs per cubic foot, is cheap, and is available most anywhere in the world. The ultimate is a boat well equipped with a propane stove and air and water heaters, AND a first-rate sniffer.
The most popular fuel in the last decade or two has been propane. Sailors used to be afraid of it because, being heavier than air, it can collect in the bilge if there's even a minute leak. Like butane, you might consider propane as concentrated natural gas. It requires very, very careful installation. It yields 2,550 BTUs per cubic foot, is cheap, and is available most anywhere in the world. The ultimate is a boat well equipped with a propane stove and air and water heaters, AND a first-rate sniffer.
The line that set me off to a weekend of grumbling (apologies to the Mrs.) was
"The ultimate is a boat well equipped with a propane stove and air and water heaters"
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