New Stove and New Storage

Please welcome new contributors Walt and Kathy of s/v Suppose, a Cape Dory 31 berthed in Corpus Christi, Texas!  Their first project on Small Boat Projects is installation of a new stove and creation of a beautifully executed storage area beside it.  Read on...

S/V Suppose came with a stove and oven that operated on compressed natural gas (CNG).  CNG is an excellent fuel for heating capacity and since it is lighter than air, it can't accumulate in the bilge so it is very safe.  The downside is that it is not commonly or conveniently available at most marinas.   For that reason we decided to replace the stove with one that operates on denatured alcohol.  The new stove works great.  Two nights ago, Kathy fixed black-eyed peas that cooked for eight minutes in a pressure cooker and cornbread muffins in the oven.

Both the CNG and alcohol stoves are mounted on gimbals at the top. This allows a stove to swing to stay level when the boat heels to port or starboard.  The alcohol stove is 2 3/4 inches narrower than the CNG stove that it replaced. As a temporary fix, I made a wooden spacer to support the gimbal on the right side.  But, that is 2 3/4 inches of useful space that shouldn't be wasted on a boat the size of Suppose.

This is the new spacer box with a lower drawer that I made from teak and plywood.  The box at the top supports the stove and has a tray built into it that is handy for setting aside a spoon or spice bottle.

The drawer is mounted on slides against the side wall.  Although it is less than 3 inches wide, it is perfect for storing silverware and kitchen (galley) knives.  Small improvements like this on a small boat are very satisfying and give a lot of pleasure.

And that's what this blog is all about ;^)