Catalina 250s are similar sized water ballast sailboats, and the standard cooktop near as I can tell is propane.
Central texas sailor has a PS review of the C-250 http://www.texassailor.com/psc250.htm for full text.
"The C-250 includes a Seaward "Princess" single-burner stovetop. Older models use 8 oz. butane canisters that have proven problematic. Newer models use the Seaward LPG locker kit located in the starboard locker. An interior switch controls the solenoid on the tank. When gas flow is stopped at the solenoid, there is no chance of propane accumulating in the cabin. The LPG locker is adequently vented outside the hull at the transom."
I read an article from some sailing journal about stoves that basically said that they went all over the world looking at boats, and the rest of the word has shifted to using gas, we're the only place that's still using alcohol. They said they expected to find hundreds of cases of boat explosions, but they were surprised that they just didn't find it. The said they were reversing their opinion on alcohol based on that finding. I was surprised.
A Catalina doesn't seem like an order of magnitude more sophisticated boat. Their outfit includes a propane tank outside in the vented lazarette with a solenoid on the valve, hose leading into the cabin to the cooktop, and you use a switch inside to turn it off and on.
Still, assuming alcohol produces sufficient heat to cook with it seems to make more sense as a fuel for a day/weekend sailor. Your stove doubles as a heater, too. (heat-pal, or use a clay pot ) It's only downside seems that the dang stoves cost an arm and a leg, and why is that?
My single burner butane cooker cost like $30, and there are several nearly identical designs at around the same price. But I don't want to be topsides breaking eggs at 6am when it's 44 degress outside.
Colemans are a commodity too. Origos however cost $250-450. Why isn't there a cheap knock-off alcohol stove, the design's like 50 years old isn't it? I bet Moe could make one of these in a sheetmetal shop in about an hour with scrap aluminum and a brake. He just couldn't sell 'em due to product liability. Ahhh, lawyers.
