Even tinier were the old Fatsco Pet and Tiny
Tot stoves. The Pet was a bare 11^3 / 4 inches
high and 10^1 / 2 inches in diameter (30 cm high
by 27 cm dia.). Sitting atop a coal bin, with
the chimney running up through the deck
ring (a water iron) and to the smoke head,
you could warm the cabin of a boat with no
machinery—virtually nothing could go
wrong, and you could cook some nice meals
to boot. Of course, you had to load the wood
and coal as needed and dispose of the ash.
Learning the proper flue adjustment, and the
art of banking the fire overnight just added
to the appeal. (“Banking a fire” means get-
ting it good and hot, and then covering it
with a thin layer of ash and partly shutting
off the flue. This keeps it burning all night at
lower output.) Though Shipmate (which also
made gas, kerosene, and alcohol stoves) is
long out of business, you can still get true
marine coal stoves from Fatsco stoves
(Mesick, MI) and the Lunenburg Foundry, in
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia; smaller units are
now available as well from Navigator Stove
Works (www.marinestove.com).
As with any cabin-sole or bulkhead-
mounted stove, careful protection from heat
and fire is needed. The stove should mount
on a tile- or stainless-covered platform, with
stainless backing behind the stove over insu-
lation, running right up behind the chimney.
The legs must raise the stove at least 5 inches
(13 cm) above the mounting surface, and
everything must be bolted in extra strongly. I
can’t imagine anything worse than a full-blast
coal stove coming adrift at sea. A strong pipe
rail around the stove is recommended to
keep you from being accidentally thrown
against it, as well as an open mesh or grill-
work around the chimney.
A good trick is to run the chimney
horizontally through a bulkhead and up
andout the other side. This way, the heat
from the chimney heats two compartments.
Remember—the chimney is hot! The bulk-
head penetration must be very well insulated.
(Some manufacturers make special fittings
for just this purpose.)
One nice option is a small bulkhead-
mounted fireplace. This is a really pleasant,
romantic way to take the chill out of the
air,though you can’t cook on these little
fireplaces.PART FIVE: VENTILATION, AIR-CONDITIONING, AND HEATING
Figure 15-7. Smokehead with water-iron
deck ringFigure 15-8. Smokehead and water-iron
deck ring (Courtesy Fatsco Stoves)