Ah well, I've just extricated myself from CanalWorld forums and what do I do but go and sign up to this one, recommended to me by a fellow boater a while back. I hope it's the right place... my interest is specifically paraffin and I notice that I've acquired quite a collection of appliances, which I hope to learn more about through your forum. This all started when I achieved my dream and acquired a 1937 Grand Union Large Woolwich narrow boat - completely gas free of course, all cooking and heating by solid fuel; not so great in the summer. So my first acquisition was a boxed 1956 Monitor stove, which I used quite happily last year, but it was frustrating getting it to light sometimes. So someone recommended getting a Beatrice stove, and somehow we ended up with two, a single 33 (which I see from your gallery was designed for heating an iron; how come their clothes weren't all covered in soot?) and a double which I have been using on a recent month-long trip, with good results (apart from the soot). On this trip we met up with the chap who'd recommended the Beatrice and he mentioned that he'd spotted a Rippingilles stove at Newark market. Having scouted out some pictures we decided we had to go and have a look and promptly bought it. That's going in my other half's newly acquired boat, a 1937 33' wooden cruiser, Dunkirk Little Ship. So looking around the kitchen, not to mention the boats, I conclude that I have acquired a collection of paraffin stoves (and lamps, but we'll leave them for now) and thought I should join the forum. Am I the only female?
There are only one or two ladies here that I can remember. Welcome. A bunch of pirates, er pyro's here. Don't encourage us. Duane
Hi Canal Girl, I learnt to swim in the Grand Union Canal at Apsley Lock, near Hemel Hempstead, by the old Dickensons paper mills. Only learn because I was pushed in! You will find lots of good advice and lots of good friends here; welcome. Steve.
Welcome, Chertsey. This is a fine group of gentlemen and scholars. Except when we discuss politics and religion. So we don't. However, when we stick to stoves, this is the BEST site on the web for Kero Burner info. Enjoy!
My boat made one of the very last deliveries of coal to Dickinsons Mills (Croxley, it was) in August 1970. Thanks for the welcome everyone.
Hi, also a narrowboat owner and addicted to paraffin. Heating is with a Bialaddin bowl fire, supplementary lighting is using a Bialaddin T10 table lamp and a Tilley storm lantern. Al Fresco cooking is with a Primus 210, with an Optimus 155 under rebuild, We do cheat and use the electric lights and gas cooker as well. I did get a big Tilley FL6 for tunnels, but never used, as naked lights not allowed. Currently moored at Barton on the Trent & Mersey ChrisQ
Hi Towpath totty 8) Sorry we can't all be PC ,Welcome aboard love to see some pic's of your boats & stove's here on the site all sounds very nice & relaxed, the chugging of a one lunger & tea on the go, superb 8) If your suffering sooty pans with your sad iron stoves try using "low odour white spirits", burns with a nice hot non smelly flame & as long as you don't have the wick too high the soot is kept to a minimum, i use it in all mine Best regards Stu .
By pure coincidence, I was watching a new Beatrice stove on eBay last week. It sold for 41 GBP. Beatrice stove Yonadav
Ah, a girl, just what is needed to join this group of gentlemen, 2 or 3 curmudgeons and just a small handful of old f_ _ts. Mostly none of them belch or scratch in public. Welcome to the forum, but don't go hanging no danged frilly curtains in the windows though. And photos are needed....boat pictures, stove pictures and girl pictures....lots of each. Best, Bob
Blimey, that Beatrice is a beauty. Mines the same model but nothing like as new. OK, will get round to posting some photos... Or you can look at the blog: www.chertsey130.blogspot.com and the attached photo albums
I'm glad you said those last two timely words. I guess you've already noticed the banner up in the left corner for our sister site about real lamps? I've checked your webpage out a bit, and I saw a Tilley X246B somewhere in there. Not a lantern some of our members praise too high... I couldn't tell though, due to lack of experience of "modern" Tilleys. Regarding the Beatrice and heating irons! I have actually asked myself that very same question you did: What about the soot that undoubtedly must form underneath any iron positioned on top of this gizmo? Up here the Beatrices mainly was used for cooking as far as I know, and it was firstly when I entered this site that I was told that they were made for heating irons, which I still find a bit strange... And of course; welcome aboard!
Lovely pics of lovely boats. If you ever get to the northernmost bit of the English system in Ripon let me know and I'll arrive with a paraffin or petrol stove and kettle.
Excellent! I love the idea of living on a longboat! Right now I live in a camper (mostly of my own building ) owing to fact NZ has no real canals. If it did, I'd be there! There is an ongoing disussion about boat stoves here, several of the member have day or weekend craft. There are some very clever meths stoves just for this. My camper uses a profane stove but please dont hold that against me, it's a great wee unit (Flavel B700) that was so successful it went out of production. Two rings, a brutal grill and a working oven is hard to argue with when the camper smells like roasting pork or some such Welcome aboard the Ship of Pyros(Tm)!
