Some apt notes, Krugman makes some points, and in the “Did you get the message” department…
For cooking fuel, on our boat we carry two 20-pound propane bottles. The idea that we always have a a full tank to switch to when the bottle in use runs out. For those interested, we get a bit over three months per bottle, giving us six months of use.
As it happens, we have a third tank on our other boat. Which we’ll be filling up tomorrow which we can use as a backup and save some dollars in the process. The reasoning being that propane cooking fuel costs in the US of A will go up soon.
One of the current tasks on the “to-do” list is to get a small backpacking alcohol stove and a couple gallons of alcohol. This is a backup option if our propane system goes wonky. Of course, if cooking alcohol is not available, there’s always rotgut rum available in most cruising destinations. We still have fond memories of filling a gallon bottle from a 55-gallon barrel of rum in Dominica that would take the paint right off your boat.

The whole point of the exercise is that we’re making some informed decisions. These are based on the cost of things, our actual needs, and hassle factor of running out somewhere that propane is a bitch to acquire.
On the other hand, some say that we should morph into an all-electric boat. We don’t have the real estate to install a solar farm and don’t want to spend a small fortune on new batteries. We much prefer cooking with gas over induction. Sure, an all-electric boat is all kinds of hip and tempting till you do your homework. One should check the costs, and factor in the potential negative issues (no morning coffee).
Now, if you’ll forgive me, it’s time for my second cup of coffee…
I pulled the propane stove out and replaced it with a two burner Origo cook top which I believe is no longer available. There were two main reasons for the change. The first was that my propane system was old and I felt the whole thing needed replaced to avoid the risk of my aluminum boat turning into a pipe bomb. The second was that I have no good place to store the propane tanks without taking up valuable deck space and I can store a lot of alcohol below deck.
I have heard a lot of complaints about slow cooking on the Origo but that hasn’t been my experience, and I find the relative safety of the Origo worthwhile even if I felt it cooked slower. It may also be a more expensive fuel than propane, but I feel the benefits are worth it.