Hi gang, Let me enter the fray with my comments. We started out back in 1966 with a Primus two burner kerosene stove in our big boat, but , if you weren't VERY careful about preheating the burners, when you opened the valve you'd get a big yellow flame that immediately covered the bottoms of the pots and pans with a nice film of soot (and the overhead as well). A few experiences like that and my wife insisted on alcohol as a fuel; enough of that damned kerosene! But, alcohol has a lot fewer BTU than does kerosene, so any cooking is going to take a longer period of time. Like forever and ever................... Finally I decided enough is enough, and was about ready to convert to a propane system when we sold the boat. I had used propane systems in friends boats in Europe, and it's clean, hot, instant on, and instant off - and it cooks - right now! The problem with propane is that it is heavier than air, so if there is any leak; or the flame goes out because of a boil-over, you fill the bilge with propane that lies there waiting for a spark to ignite it.................. That's the danger, and the reason why in the US the requirement is that the propane bottle be kept in a locker with a separate overboard drain; and the stove be connected to the bottles with a shut off valve that you can actuate from the stove. But we're back to the old problem of learning to live with the devil.......... In Europe they have diesel engines and cook with propane. My friends looked at my Atomic 4 that ran on GASOLINE!!!! and were appalled. Connie, how dangerously can you live?, were the usual comments. But like anything, if you know the dangers, and are careful, you live with them very nicely. I lived with my Atomic 4 for 26 years, and was always very careful about gasoline fumes - or the possibility of gasoline fumes in the bilge; and ran my bilge blower to purge the air down there. Having had my fill with alcohol stoves, I now cook with a single burner propane stove on LEPPO. I make sure that the bottles aren't leaking: and am very careful about venting the boat. Is it dangerous? Probably. More dangerous than running a gasoline engine in a boat for 26 years? Probably not. But the instant heat: hot flame; the elimination of preheating burners; are worth the care and worry connected with the use of propane. Bills comments are right on target. The alcohol flame - if alcohol is spilled - is almost invisible, being a very pale blue. It certainly isn't as safe as it's proponents would have you believe. I've had the whole top of my refrigerator (under the stove) covered in blue flame from an overfilled primus burner cup................... It's learning to live with the devil you have on board, and respecting it's dangers. Connie