[C320-list] Fwd: Replacing Oven/Stove with Storage

[Mark Hood]

We just got our 320 the middle of last season from Jeff Hare. The oven was
not used much, but we love it! We had a 1972 Douglas 32 prior with an
non-pressurized alcohol stovetop, the total pits. We had a Coleman type
stove for a while, but as Doug says it is a safety and storage issue. As
Doug does we turn off the gas at the tank so risk is minimal compared to
steel tanks that easily leak, ours did, but was outside on deck
fortunately. So far we have made cookies, heated lasagna and quiche, we
love having it. But everyone knows how they use their boat, just be sure
you can go backwards easily for resale value down the road. This year we
are having a new cocktail sized teak table made for below with folding
sides for easier use of that area. We are keeping the old table as is so we
can put back if we sell at a point down the road. We could have modified,
but that would be non-stock and decrease value depending on who is buying
of course.  Mark Hood Hull #809

On Tue, Feb 22, 2022 at 3:45 PM Doug Treff <doug at treff.us> wrote:

> When you say "Coleman type stove" I assume you are talking about the green
> propane canisters. How are they safer than a system that is purpose-built
> to handle propane with a proper shutoff switch?
>
> The answer is: They are not safer. These green bottles are made of steel,
> which can rust in a marine environment, compromising the integrity of the
> bottle. They also have a vent that could expel propane at any time if the
> pressure builds in the bottle. Another problem: Where do you store them
> when not in use? They don't belong in the cabin. Propane is heavier than
> air and the bottles should not be stored below. The built-in system has a
> proper locker with a drain line to allow any propane that leaks from your
> tank to escape overboard.
>
> I take a belt-and-suspenders approach. When not using my stove, the valve
> on the tank is closed, the solenoid is off, and of course, the burner
> valves are "off". The odds of having a problem at this point are
> negligible, and as others have pointed out, mostly related to user error.
> One thing I did add to my boat as an additional safety check - a propane
> detector in the cabin.
>
> I guess what I am saying is this: if you are concerned about your system,
> have it inspected and tested by a professional. As long as you follow the
> safety precautions, the risks are low. And I would submit to you that they
> are lower than the risks you take by using a Coleman stove down below.
>
> To me, the additional safety issues PLUS having another piece of gear to
> stow when not in use makes the Coleman stove approach a non-starter.
>
> --
> Doug Treff
> doug at treff.us
>
> On Mon, Feb 21, 2022, at 3:46 PM, rthruston88 at gmail.com wrote:
> > Roger,
> > Not sure if you are referring to me or Ron, but we do not have the
> > cabinetry as we are the 3rd owner and it was the 1st owner that took
> > the stove/oven out and then put it back in upon selling it to the 2nd
> > owner.
> > Thanks,
> > Rene'
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> On Behalf Of
> > Roger Nitkin
> > Sent: Monday, February 21, 2022 10:19 AM
> > To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
> > Subject: [C320-list] Fwd: Replacing Oven/Stove with Storage
> >
> > Ron,
> > Thanks for the information !
> > Is there any chance you still have (and don't need) the cabinetry ?
> > Thanks again,
> > Roger
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Roger Nitkin <rnitkin at aol.com>
> > To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com>
> > Sent: Sat, Feb 19, 2022 9:30 pm
> > Subject: Replacing Oven/Stove with Storage
> >
> > During the 5+ years we've owned Summer Time,  we've never used
> > theoriginal equipment oven/stove.I'm not really comfortable piping
> > propane down belowdecks and dealing withtank, lines, and connections.
> > For our simple cooking and coffee making needswe use a simple
> > Coleman-type camp stove. It's easy to set up and use, and can be easily
> > removed from the boat when not needed. It occurs to me that we could
> > remove the whole built-in stove/oven unit, and replaceit with cabinetry
> > for storage, which we could certainly use. We would also be removingthe
> > unneeded weight.
> > Has anyone else thought of this, and if so, what kind of
> > storageinstallation did you create ?Thanks !
> > Roger NitkinSummer Time1997  #429Westport, CT
>