Hello.

I am restoring an old wooden trawler which my wife and I are looking to retire
on in a few year. There is currently a Dickinson diesel stove which we like in
that it provides heat, dries the cabin, as well as is usable for a cook top.
Perfect for the Pacific North West were we live. But the prospect of using this
for cooking in warmer latitudes is not as appealing :-)

I have been looking at a 2 burner propane cook top to augment the Dickinson in
warmer areas, and I just came across the Wallas ceramic diesel cook tops..

After finding all I could on the web I am looking for some peoples experience.

1) Does it concentrate heat produced to the cooking area, or would it tend to
also heat the cabin? (Thinking of how the Dickinson operates vs. a propane cook
top)

2) What has been the experience with them? Reliable?

3) Are there any special startup/shut down procedures? Does it take a time to
'warm up' before it is usable for cooking

My basic goal here is how does it compare to a propane stove top. I do get the
impression these are rather expensive, but the idea of being able to fit out our
boat using only one fuel type (and hence dispensing with any Propane system) is
very attractive.

I have also found out that C-Dory uses them, though it seems as much for heating
as for cooking. I will be seeking out C-Dory owners for their experience.

Thank you all ahead of time for any comments you have.

Al Thomason
45' Ed Monk Sr. 'trawler'