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Oil lanterns

gabosifat

Member III
Hi Everyone,

Just wondering how many people have one of the large brass oil cabin lanterns on their boats. I'm looking at getting one & just wondering if anyone has any brands they would recommend. Another friend has a dutch one (I think it's DRG) which he likes. Some have a large tubular shaped wick with a mushroom style cap on it's top which are bright enough to read by & don't smoke or smell. I'm told they give a bit of heat as well which would be great for winter cruising.

Any opinions on types or brands would be much appreciated.

Steve Gabbott
E35/3 "Silent Dancer"
Vancouver
 

ted_reshetiloff

Contributing Partner
I used one as a kid cruising with my parents because it was an effective light source that did not draw amps. I just removed a gimbaled pair from my 38 because the smoke bells were messed up. The ones that came with my boat were not very good quality and are on E-bay right now... I would like to replace them and will follow this thread. Good luck.
 

Mike.Gritten

Member III
Steve,

we have a large Dutch lamp over our dinette that certainly throws enough light to read by. We regularly use it when we're on the hook, or just for some ambience while enjoying a meal at the dock (we live aboard). Make sure you fill it with the best smokeless/odorless lantern fuel you can find - makes a big difference. I don't know the manufacturer. Ours is well made and uses the circular wick, but doesn't have the "mushroom cap" you speak of. I would highly recommend one.
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
I have a trawler lamp I bought probably ten years ago from Defender, but I see that they no longer carry them. It is an off brand, and a quick google search found only the HDR brand, which is also Worms & Plath. The catalog pictures do not show a lower bail for tying the lamp down. I would consider that a problem as I use a dowel between the lamp and the mast.
 

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rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
My E38 came with a Weems & Plath gimballed lamp on the bulkhead in the salon. Its not nearly at large as Toms but it does throw a nice mellow light that is great to eat or socialize under. Not quite up to reading IMHO. I want to get another non-gimballed lamp to hang in the cockpit for eating there. RT
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Trawler lamp lower bail.

Tom & all, I have a Den Han lamp that I was able to get a lower bail for by contacting the US distributor. It wasn't free but they were glad to sell me one for my lamp. I keep ours above a galley locker inline with the edge of the horizontal lid. By drilling a 5/16" hole in the teak edge of the lid I am able to lead a small line through that hole to a little calm cleat mounted to the inside bulkhead of that locker. This keeps the lantern in place while under way yet fewws the lower bail with the flick of that line in the cleat. I have a bronze sail hank on the top bail that hooks to strategically placed bronze pad eyes attached to the overhead teak battens in several places of the cabin. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA
 

jkm

Member III
I have spent more time than I care to compute with this issue.

When I got my 35 it came with a fabulous kerosine "Alladin" lamp type 23. The Alladin Lamp Company actually invented the type of wick you describe. The light output was similar to a 100 watt bulb. Had a glass chimney and the heat, though I had a diffuser, would have melted the cabin ceiling, while hanging. So to use it safely we had to put it in the center of the table, where-as there was no room for food. The mantles do not last long on high. When I sailed I took off the glass chimney for fear it would break. Lamp is now on a table at the house. Ebay is next. It cost about $300.

Next I bought a propane lamp from Century. Fearing a propane leak I kept the bottle outside. Of course I ran out of propane at the island and I don't store extra bottles in the boat for fear of a leak. Can't tell how much fuel is left in those small bottles.

Then I went with a Coleman that burns both paraffin and kerosine. Since I live in SoCal I started to use paraffin, but paraffin tends to coagulate. Light stops working well when the air gets chilly.

Now at anchor I use my cabin lights which are diods, and flourescent lights that use batteries. Out in the cockpit we hang the Coleman lantern using kerosine. Kerosine seems fairly safe. It does smell if you use the stuff from the paint store, if you have lots of money Weems and Plath sells kerosine that only slightly smells.

The look of a small kerosine lamp, like a Weems & Plath, is a great looker and will be a good addition. They use wicks not mantles so the light output will be poor. Frequently they are on sale and I think the look is great.

I'm still hung up on the Coleman route. It's the cheapest way to go, most reliable and the mantles/chimneys are sold everywhere. We do bring it inside and even when hanging very little heat seems to rise. I think it was the chimney of the Alladin that was so dangerous.

Have fun and keep us up o date

John
 

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Galley_Slave

Member II
We have and use Weems and Plath. I like it because I feel it's relatively safe on the boat. It's not the largest model. The smaller one (maybe 8 or 9 inches high?) does fine for those summer nights when Neal and I want to eat by candle light or do simple chores. It isn't bright enough for serious reading, but will do fine for quick reading. And, unless you love polishing brass, it will lose its luster. I seldom polish it. Okay, I never polish it.
 

Kim Schoedel

Member III
I too have Weems and Path lanterns. Classic brass, nice looking. Very small one at the galley and a larger one on the bulkhead just fore of the settee. No good for reading, no good for enough lite to play cards etc at the table. Also have a Trawler Lamp exactly like the one that Tom has. It sits at our home. Finding a secure spot while under way until we need it is difficult.

Off the subject kinda sorta but would really like to install a nice looking battery operated lite above the table. Battery because it will be a pain to run power to that area. And we do not need it very often. Don't want it to look like a cheap plastic "dome lite" like we had in a previous boat. Any ideas?
 

gabosifat

Member III
We have friends who have the bigger Den Haan lamp and they just bungee the bottom to a clip of some sort & the top is fixed with a non stretchy lanyard to a fixed point. They sail a lot & have never had spilled kerosene or a broken chimney.
Any experiences pro or con?

Steve
 

P Abele

Member II
Our boat came with one of these:
http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/WEEM/WEEM8807O.html
which I removed the first season we owned the boat since it seemed a bit fragile to have down below while racing and with having kids etc. It has been sitting in my basement since and has a "soot hood" which mounts above the top of the glass chimney. From what I recall these parts are all in good working order, although could probably use some polish at this point.
I will double check exactly what I still have, but drop me a line if anyone is interested and it is yours for the cost of boxing up and shipping etc.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
"Golden" memories

Oooo.... Nice!
:egrin:
We have one of these, but have never (yet) installed it on the boat... It has been used occasionally at home during winter storm power outages, though.
Mine is engraved, to me even.... "Sailor of the Year" from a yacht club, a rather longish time ago...
:cool:

I can report that "regular" kerosine fuel can smell a bit while burning. I hear that one can use a clear "lamp oil" so that the wick will burn cleaner and eliminate (?) the smell. Never tried that yet, however.

We used a "Fastnet" gimbeled oil lamp often in our prior 26 foot sloop, and liked the warm and friendly light. It seems to go well with Happy Hour and a glass of rum with friends. ;)

Cheers,
Loren
 

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Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
Smell, what smell?

I think that a lot of you guys are overly sensitive about the smell of kerosene burning. I have found after many years with a kerosene cook stove on my previous boat and the lantern on Xanthus that there is very little odor if you have a good flame. If the flame is not hot enough it does stink.

I use kerosene from the gas station, the pump right next to the diesel pump. The same jug I use for winch cleaning. I don't know if it is available from gas stations in the south but expect it is as truckers heading north need it.

As a point of fact, no one has ever turned down a dinner invitation on Xanthus because of the smell of the lamp. ;)
 

dwigle

Member III
Bail

Glyn,
Tell me more about getting the bail, as none of the new lamps seem to have them and I wouldn't have a hanging lamp without one. For those who aren't familiar, an ASD (anti swing device) makes the lamp less subject to damage underway and keeps the light from the lamp in one place when anchored in swells. I made one for our old boat, but would like to do it right this time.

Don Wigle
Wiggle Room
E38 #8
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Lower bail on my lamp.

Don, We have a Large Den Han Trawler lamp (West Marine sq.#468686) that easily accommodates fitting of a second upper bail to the lower part of the light. To that I have attached a small Dacron line that leads through the teak trim of a locker lid in the galley counter and ultimately to a vertically mounted Clam Cleat (West Marine sq.# 115675) attached to the side wall of that same locker. Email me at glynjudson@roadrunner.com and I'll send you an image of it secured in place. The top bail has a bronze sail hank added to it that attaches to a bronze pad eye fitted to an overhead teak batten. Actually I have several of those eyes throughout the cabin for ease of placement of the light where needed. When under way the lamp remains securely in place when the Dacron line is tightly engaged in the Clam Cleat. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA
 

rod sanburn

Member II
Oil lamps

I have two, one in my E-27, gimble mounted on the bulkhead. Its a Den Haan Cabin Lamp. Its been great. It use's a common flat wick, it holds 12oz of oil and burns about 24 hours. I installed a smoke bell above it. One thing important is do not buy the cheap oil. Buy the odorless, smokeless. I also have a brass anchor lantern I use in the cockpit. Both save battery drain. Recommend both. Rod
 
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