Hi Tod, To answer your question on gimbaled stoves:
On my NE-38 I had a gimbaled four burner stove with oven. The pivot point was at about the level of the top burners, so the whole lower portion was the "weight" keeping the stove level. The top burners had a railing to keep pots and pans in place, and if things really got rough, there were clamps that fastened to the rails to enclose the pot or kettle and keep them in place. This is all well and good in a 38 footer with a full galley; but in an M17 ........? My solution, that has been refined from the MICRO to the ComPac16 to the M15, is a low single burner propane stove. It's only use is cooking at anchor or at the dock. I wouldn't think of cooking in a seaway in an M15. On our Tripp-Lentsch 29, when the weather deteriorated, the first thing the Admirable did was head for the galley and cook up some "proper" bad weather food. I've sat at the tiller in oilskins with salt water from the bow hitting me in the face eating tuna fish pancakes with spinach. She came up with some marvelous meals.............! We often said, we ought to write a cook book about on board cooking, the trouble is, all the cooking is based on what's availble in the galley at the moment. It is an artfull creation based on available ingredients. How can you start a recept: take the leftover bluefish from yesterday's lunch and, ..........? It's culinary art: make do with what you have.....! I have to chuckle - forgive me Scott - about the fear of using propane on board. When we sailed in Europe, European boats had diesel engine and propane stoves (no warning systems or automatic shut-off valves). My Tripp-Lentsch had a Universal gasoline engine and an alcohol stove. The European were horrified: GASOLINE how dangerous!!!!!! When I pointed out that they were cooking and heating with propane, they just shrugged their shoulders. That's the way European boats are built! So it boils down to knowing, - and respecting - the devil you live with; be it gasoline; or propane, both are equally dangerous! Connie _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
