We are in the process of replacing the existing electric range on our 28-year-old trawler with a new propane stove. It's only one of the never-ending projects that we committed ourselves to when we purchased the boat three years ago. 

The new propane stove will allow me to make coffee in the morning without having to start the generator, a noisy beast we lovingly call "˜Mr. Moto'. The old electric range works well when powered by Mr. Moto, however when we are connected to shore power (which, unfortunately, is most of the time), it runs on a mere 120 amps, making the simple chore of boiling water a test of patience.

Of course, like all projects, it's not just a matter of pulling out the old stove and installing the new one. Oh no, it's much more complicated than that. After all, it's a boat project.

Holes must be drilled to accommodate the propane lines, mounts built and installed for the tank, new wiring must be run for the control panel and also for the life-saving propane sniffer in the bilge.

 

Old fiberglass trawlers are built like Sherman tanks. I guess back in those days they thought the more fiberglass they used, the stronger the boat. That may be true, but it makes drilling holes quite a challenge, and a messy one at that. I'm finding fiberglass dust everywhere. I hadn't realized that because the propane tank is being installed in the storage space on the bridge, the hole for the hose would come through the ceiling of the guest cabin.

We call the guest cabin "The Garage" because it's the place where we store all of our clothing, extra cushions, summer floating toys, musical instruments and everything else that we can't find a place for. I was horrified when I encountered the chaos that the drilling had caused in the garage. Oh well, an hour spent with the vacuum and all was put right.

The garage is far down on the list of upgrades for our trawler. I would like to eventually remodel it into a glamorous walk-in closet/storage space, complete with large pull out pantry bins, racks for hanging clothing, a cedar lined linen closet and a fold-down ironing board.

Currently, the teak veneer walls in the garage are in horrible shape due to leaks which have since been repaired. It's OK, we keep the door closed when we have company.

Meanwhile, back to the project at hand "¦ The stove we bought is a Maytag Magic Chef built for an RV. The cost was 1/3 of a comparable stainless steel marine stove. The Divine Esther has just replaced her RV stove after 25 years on board Meri Mate, so I'm thinking that the expensive stainless steel model isn't really necessary.

I'm really looking forward to eating Sweetie's famous hash brown potatoes again. The electric stove just didn't get hot enough to make the potatoes crisp.

Here's his secret recipe:

Captain Sweetie's Famous Hash Brown Potato Pancake

2 potatoes, peeled and grated

½ cup olive oil

Thinly sliced or grated Swiss or cheddar cheese

3 green onions, sliced

1 – 14" or 16" Teflon frying pan (the large pan is necessary to spread out the potatoes so they get crisp)

Pour the oil into the pan and heat on high until a shred of potato sizzles and crackles when dropped in.

Place handfuls of the shredded potatoes in the pan and spread them out evenly, pressing down as you spread them out.

Allow the potato pancake to brown on the bottom, usually about 6 – 8 minutes, sometimes longer, depending on the stove. You should be able to lift the pancake to peek underneath to check the color.

Once the bottom has browned, flip the potato pancake over gently with a large spatula, being careful not to break it. Turn down the heat to medium-high and brown the other side.

When the bottom has just about browned lay the cheese on the top of the pancake to cover the entire surface. Top with sliced green onions.

When the cheese melts, remove the potato pancake from the pan and allow it to drain on newspaper for a few moments to catch any excess oil.

Slice in half to serve as a main course, or in quarters as a side dish.

Enjoy!