Butane stove issues!

[Danjenni]

We have a Seaward Products Princess single burner cooktop in our 2012 22’ cruiser. While it lights easily, it will not stay lit. I have held the off / on knob over to light for perhaps 2 minutes and as soon as it is released the burner goes out. The fuel canister is new. It produces a very nice flame and it looks like a very usable situation for light cooking. The model # is 1203-06. I suspect fouled thermocouple but have yet to try to clean it. In the online manual they don’t show a thermocouple but the bracket is there. Anyone dealt with a similar situation? Has anyone found a suitable replacement unit that would drop into the cutout in the countertop? Thanks for any help.

[ssobol]

My Kenyon butane stove died. I got two countertop butane stoves, a big one and a small one. I replaced the galley countertop with a solid piece. Now I use one or both stoves as needed. I can also use the stoves in the cockpit or on shore if I want. It is a more flexible arrangement than a built in stove IMO.

[Peter & Judy]

We have a Wallace built in, but I don't use it for much of the cooking, unless I need some heat as well. It takes a long time to heat up, especially if you just want a cup of coffee. So I carry two butane stoves with me. The first is a Korean butane table top stove that you can buy at any Asian market for about $20, the canisters are cheaper there as well. I use that for most of my cooking and do this often in the cockpit. This keeps the fish smell and noodle steam out of the cabin. The second is a Jetboil that I also use for camping. It is compact and ultrafast if you just want a cup of coffee. I am not sure that I would spend the money to install a new "Marine" stove in the future if I had to replace my current stove. As soon as you add the word "Marine' to anything the price goes up significantly.

[Alyssa Jean]

When I had the 25 I removed the Wallas, resurfaced the counter, and used one or two of the small butane heaters to cook. The Wallas took too long to heat up and too long to cool down. I mostly cooked in the fully enclosed cockpit. Like others have said, it kept the smell out of the cabin. I also installed a diesel space heater with a vent into the V berth.
While I was in the mood I removed the head, piping and maserator and made a storage bin out of the waste tank.
If I was ever going to have a new boat built I would have it built with no cooking top and no head. A very nice porta-potti can be bought for about the cost of a replacement maserator (I had to replace the original once) and it can be kept in the shower area and used there or in the cockpit.
I would also skip the water heater and have an instant installed under the sink.

[smckean (Tosca)]

I bought the Anna Leigh from David about 6 years ago. I have found these modifications he did to work very effectively. At first I was disappointed that he had removed the marine head and replaced it with a porta-potti. I have since changed my mind! You can't beat the simplicity of the porti-potti....no pumps, no leaks, no smells, no clogs. But best of all, I like that I can just put the boat on the trailer and go home without having to go to a pump-out station. A quick dump into my septic tank; then a rinse, and the job is all done.

The diesel heater is a must up here in the NW. The heat it provides creates great comfort, but its best feature is the ability to keep thinks dry. The relative humidity is obviously lower in the cabin when the heater is running. So when you and your clothes are wet, there is a way to dry things out. All surfaces don't feel damp either. The counter top heater will do that too I assume, but it must be awkward to have that hot piece of metal right there, in the way, and being a hazard. I find 2 gallons of diesel last me a long, long time.

I too cook on one of those Asian $30 butane stoves. I find NO inconvenience at all. Unlike most folks, it seems, I do cook inside (not always tho). I like being able to put the stove where ever convenient -- it is sometimes on the counter, sometimes on the table, sometimes on the platform under the removable helm seat. It responds quickly and is instantly adjustable down to a very slow simmer. The only negative is when I have to boil lots of water (like for pasta or cooking crab).....it just doesn't have enough BTUs. For that I purchased a 10,000 BTU Coleman single burner that sits on top of a 1 pound propane cylinder (the propane is far cheaper than the butane too). I use that stove in the cockpit.

Like David, I would have a new boat setup this way too.....including an under the counter instant-hot instead of the water heater. In the cabinet that now houses the water heater, I would have them install a freezer.

[colbysmith]

I second Sandy in the comments above. I removed the MSD head and replaced with my porta potti. No worry about pump out stations. I took out the Kenyon butane/electric stove, that still appeared to have the original butane can in it. Those stove's seals dry out, and then you get flame from places you don't want it. I put in a butcher block and have the full counter top for my wife to prepare food, cook with an electric skillet, or use our small portable butane stove. I heat with a Wabasto Diesel fed heater that does a great job! And I also pulled out the 6 gal RV-like water heater and replaced with a 2.5 gal under the sink heater. Lots more space available now where the 6 gal was, and still plenty of hot water. Colby

[thataway]

Another option is an induction burner. We used one on our 22 and now in the 25, as well in the RV. Even though they have other stoves. The induction burner is fast--but you have to have a generator (1000 watt will do) or an inverter.

[Danjenni]

Thanks to all for the great responses! It is truly good to keep it simple. Isn’t that the whole C-Dory theme? We do have the Jet Boil on board and use it for all the cooking we have done thus far. Looks like a new countertop is in order!

[Danjenni]

Thanks to all for the great responses! It is truly good to keep it simple. Isn’t that the whole C-Dory theme? We do have the Jet Boil on board and use it for all the cooking we have done thus far. Looks like a new countertop is in order!