Grainger Morris wrote:

What are the pros and cons of these two types of stoves for a small boat
(20')?
Thanks, Grainger

I have used, alcohol wet pot and pressure, kerosene pressure with
torch preheaters, and propane camp stoves aboard various sailboats.
We also have a sterno swing boiler, but only tried it once. Sterno
is, how shall I say, SSSSSSsssssslllllloooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww.

Preheater pressure stoves are OK for cooking, but a royal chore to
get going, no matter the type. Alcohol os just as flammable as gas,
but cool, and the flame is invisible, until your shirt catched fire.

Propane: twist a knob, spark a barbeque lighter, and presto! It's magic!

The propane won, 15 years ago, and I'm sticking with it. The small
tanks are kept under bungee in the cockpit when not in use. All is
well. We camp aboard most weekends or at least have lunch or supper
aboard, while fishing at the mooring or watching the sun slide out
of the sky behind "our" mountain.

Generally, we cook supper, do the dishes, then put the tank outside.
Breakfast, we bring in the tank, eat, clean up, stow the tank back
in the cockpit, where there is room for four beside the rudder post,
put the folded camp stove under a q-berth bin, and that's it. The
galley area is not dominated by no stinkin' old stove except during
cookery. The stove is also useful in other locations and it serves
as a winter spare in case of power outages to keep the coffee hot
until the power returns. We actually have about 3 camp stoves, two
propane, but I wouldn't take the naptha stove aboard any boat.

When we got this boat, a Tyler 29, it had an Origo 2 alky pot
screwed to the galley surface. It's replaced by the camp stove,
which we can secure for use, but usually just let it sit on the
plasic anti skid mat, and which might benefit from coat hanger pot
holder wires, but we never bothered. It makes good toast with a
beehive grate, and can do a dozen eggs with bacon on a flat
aluminium and teflon grill. Excess fat needs to be and is easily
drained off. It would serve well to make bread, or fuel a candle pot.

I am amazed that someone actually paid a couple of hundred bucks for
the barely used Origo. They are 600 bucks in the catalog. Phew! Most
sailors must be even crazier than me.

Never did get any use out of the kerosene oven, except for storing
pots, pans and a pressure cooker.

The price of tinned propane is a little high, so I am considering
refilling them from a 20 pounder tank, but not for tranport across
any legal boundaries. I don't really trust that scheme, but
considering, may give it a try. The worst that could happen is my
propane trickles down the cockpit scuppers.

Sterno sucks, and doesn't even do that very well.

2 0r 3 burner propane stoves are about 20 - 30 loons. If you can't
find one that cheap, try http://www.globalsemi.com they had a
special last month. I got one as a deal, but haven't needed to use
it yet. It is intended for the camper van / granny suite, unfinished
out in the yard.

YMMV

Terry K