"Chuck Bollinger" wrote in message
instead, then you will solve the sooting and smoke problem with the same
solution.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I have always run my Dickinsons on
diesel and once I learn how to assemble and operate them I haven't had any
problem with soot on deck..

What I have found is, if the stove is run for a long period of time with the
blue/yellow flame any soot accumulation in the stove is consumed with the
high combusion temp.. However, if I run my stove for only a hour or so,
there is soot accumulation above the combustion area.

I got my near new $1650 Dickinson Pacific galley stove fpr $600 because the
sellers wife couldn't get it to burn without smoking. Turned out they had
been assembling the internal baffles incorrectly and she was only lighting
it for a brief period to cook a meal.

One of the draw backs of these stoves, is it takes about 30 min for the
stove top to get up to cooking temp. from a cold start. The oven will take
about 45 min to reach 350 deg.

If it isn't cool enough to need cabin heat all day, I cook lunch/coffee on a
propane 'sea sling' type stove.

I'm living aboard at the marina now (don't tell the manager) and have dock
power and an electric heater. However I prefer the heat from the galley
stove and when I get out of my bunk in the morning, I light the stove, make
a pot of coffee and breakfast. I then turn off the stove until evening but
the residual heat form the stove keeps the coffee warm for an hour and the
cabin cozy for at least two.

I just prefer the cozy warmth of the stove, over the electric heater.

Even though I have a CO alarm, etc. I don't leave the stove running
overnight or while I'm away from the boat.

I have kerosene aboard for my lamps but it is of a higher quality than I
would want to burn in a stove. So if I were to switch to stove kerosene,
that would create and an additional fuel requirement.

However, since my stove gravity tank is getting low, I may purchase a 5 gal
can of stove kerosene and see how it works. Who knows??

Steve
s/v Good Intentions