17 June 2011

Research

Stove Project: Days 2-4
The Queen's Birthday long weekend limits our activities on the project to preparation and research. There are two issues to address: where to run the gas line from the gas bottles to the stove, and what size of gas bottle to get.
We begin on the first problem. For the voyage north, we'd stored quite a bit of stuff that normally lives in the dinghy in the guest cabin, because the dinghy had been inverted on the davits, and we didn't have anyone else aboard but captain and mate. So everything comes out of the guest cabin, including the mattress, and is distributed elsewhere: on deck (oars, rudder, Fanno the kayak), upper seaberth (bedding), standing in the front cabin (mattress). We then remove some of the cedar panelling that covers the side of the boat and the underside of the deck. We also take out the panel that surrounds the fridge and includes the doors to the hatches beside and below the fridge. Then we take enough items out of the locker in the lazarette so that we can see where the pipe will go between the back corner of the deck, where it will begin, and the entry point into the guest cabin. We look at a range of options for the line ranging from above deck, under the cockpit coaming, just under the deck, along the chine about midway up the side wall, or underneath the bunk. Option 4, along the chine, seems to be the best option.
We spend time on the internet doing some further research on gas bottles. We find information that suggests that refilling bottles is giving way to the Swap'n'Go regime, and consider using standard galvanised bottles that we can swap, rather than the special stainless bottles designed for marine use. The engineer thinks that he could build a very effective locker using a section of poly pipe, but our internet research indicates that pipe with a diameter big enough for a gas bottle could be hard to get, and can probably only be purchased in 6m lengths - a bit difficult to handle without a car. But we make lists of the pros and cons of standard bottles vs the stainless bottles.
In between ferreting around in the boats innards and staring at computer screens, we go for walks down Tedder Street for food, and feed a large pile of washing through the marina laundry. We also go for walks around the marina, checking out all the older sailing yachts. Modern fibreglass production yachts such as Beneteaus and Jenneaus all have gas, but have lockers built into the boat, as do most power boats. So we need to find older yachts which have had gas added after they were built. We find a number where we can see the actual bottles, or a purpose-built added locker. Bottles are almost always at the back of the boat, often behind the back rails, strapped on with everything from elegant, welded frames that match the stanchions through to bits of rope. The gas connection gear is often open to the elements. Whenever we can we talk to the boat owners to find out what size bottles they use, and how long they last.
We move toward galvanised bottles, but eventually come full circle back to the stainless ones, as locker construction is beginning to look complicated, refilling seems to be what everyone does, and the slimmer stainless bottles will be less obtrusive than the fatter gal bottles, not to mention lighter to carry ashore for refilling. So by Monday evening we are set for a major excursion ashore on Tuesday to buy the stove and bottles.


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