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Removing the alcohol stove

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/22/2008 : 20:48:14

I have not tried to use the alcohol stove since we bought the boat in the fall of 2006, especially after some of you called it a curtain burner.

Is there a way to remove it from the boat without taking the galley apart? If possible, I would like to test fire it away from the boat and work on it at home over the winter, if necessary.

DavidP
1975 C-22 SK #5459 "Shadowfax" Fleet 52
PO of 1984 C-25 SK/TR #4142 "Recess"
Percy Priest Yacht Club, Hamilton Creek Marina, Nashville, TN

Edited by - dmpilc on 01/22/2008 20:49:10

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2008 : 23:23:01

It should be fairly easy to remove. The original curtain-burner is a gimballed stove with screws in metal brackets on the four corners.

Edited by - on

glivs
Admiral

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2008 : 06:37:49

David,
Search for past threads on using your stove for some good tips; it's actually easy once you get a feel for how much alcohol to bleed out for the preheating phase. To help keep flare-ups down, we keep a tea kettle on the burner when we light it.We also shape a disposable oven liner behind the stove which helps direct heat away from the storage bin above the stove. The teak in that bin can get quite dry if not oiled somewhat frequently (twice a season). The issue is, however, that the Admiral will not start the "curtain burner" so we may switch this season to a butane stove like many here have.

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2008 : 09:08:51

The alcohol stove works fine as long as you do everything exactly right, but it's absolutely unforgiving of even small mistakes, and the consequences can be awful. I replaced mine with a small microwave oven, because the only time I used it was at the dock, where I had shore power, and the microwave never scorched my curtains, although it did shrivel my buns.

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clayC
Navigator

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USA
207 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2008 : 13:37:09

We stay on our boat a lot in the summer, and use the stove every day. Its a great stove. We use pre-heat paste you can get in camping stores instead of dribbling alcohol out of the stove. We have also been told by a technician to use alcohol you can get at a hardware store instead of a marine store.

Clay C

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2008 : 20:04:14

Another alternative is to convert the alcohol stove to propane... works great and looks right.
There are some threads or articles on this site that detail doing the conversion.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2008 : 22:19:49

These are all great suggestions. I'll look at it some more. I was hoping that there would be a way to lift it out of its mounting bracket. No such luck, huh? It's probably been years since the stove has been used, so I was reluctant to pour any fuel into it. The PO did leave a jug of fuel in the boat when I bought it. found it in the storage locker under the port settee.

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farrison
Navigator

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USA
166 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2008 : 09:53:03

David, We pulled the stove out of a friends 27' just last weekend. We just gently pried the arms that hold the two gimble pins in toward the center of the stove and lifted the whole stove assembly straight up. This leaves just the stainless steel (maybe chrome) liner in the space. The stove has a solid, round aluminum bar across the bottom that acts as a weight to allow the stove to swing back a forth even when it has a pan of something on the stove. We plan to go through the stove and get it working again.

Paul

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2008 : 10:56:57

David: Don't try that stove without lessons! (...and be aware that the pump can become faulty.) I removed ours just as Paul described... The base was held by four screws inside. Replaced it with an Origo ($$), but have since (on my new boat) gone with a portable butane, which I'll probably use in the cockpit as much as in the cabin.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2008 : 12:49:28

Finally got the stove out of the boat. Took a while to figure out how to release the pin at the rear left corner that keeps it from swinging. Found an old dirt dobbert nest underneath about the size of 2 golf balls.
I'll take the plunger apart tonight and clean it up. Looks like it hasn't been used very much. Heck, it's been over a year now and I haven't even tried to use the fresh water tank yet, haven't needed to!

Edited 2/20/08: In the relative warmth of the garage, pulled the plunger out, gasket appears to be rubber and in decent condition. Had to tighten up one of the knobs. Poured some fuel into it, pumped it, primed it as suggested above and on other threads, and it did fire up, for a little while,high flame. Did leak a bit into the bowl around the burner on one side and at the pump plunger. Looks like it needs to be taken apart.
Are there any schematics available for it, or spare parts? Anybody know about how long a full tank should last?

Edited by - dmpilc on 02/20/2008 20:39:41

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.