On Badger, we carried our kero in 20l containers in lockers in the lazarette.  A small hand pump was fitted and I used to pump up the kero into a jug to transfer to the cooker and lamps.  A similar system would work well with alcohol, especially if you are buying it already in 20l containers.  But they would have to be jerricans, rather than pails.  In later years we found that it was difficult to buy kero anywhere, particularly good quality stuff, so were pleased that we had this bulk storage.  Equally, if you were sailing in the Islands, you might find it worth stocking up with alcohol in advance.  For the sake of interest, I use about 2.5l alcohol per week, cooking for myself - I do a lot of 'real' cooking rather than just 'hotting up' food.

While I agree with David that alcohol is a great fuel for voyagers, I cannot, alas, say that the cookers available are equally great.  Other people seem to get on OK with the Origo, although David has found it slow, but the 'gimbals' for the stove are apparently useless.  The Maxie is a faster cooker, but the burners corrode and it, too, has useless gimbals.  I have managed to obtain a pressure alcohol cooker for SibLim (and am working on getting another, for spares), but as far as I can tell, the burners are no longer made.  I find this very strange as these are surely the ultimate cooker: fast and clean using an easy-to-stow liquid fuel.  Admittedly, you can apparently get a spectacular fire if you don't light them correctly, but lighting one is not exactly rocket science.

David, Yes we can get denatured ethanol here in Canada, but not as readily as in some parts.  Most hardware stores here only stock methanol, but most chandlers have denatured alcohol (albeit at a bit of a premium).  You can also get large containers (20L pails) fairly easily from industrial sources.  However, the easiest source are stores that sell fireplaces for homes.   Clean air regulations seem to have brought an end to wood fireplaces in many cities.  One alternative that has sprung up is ethanol fireplaces.  It seems odd, but it does have the side effect of making ethanol readily available for boats.  It think this should be the case anywhere it gets cold.  I was trying to figure out ethanol availability in the south pacific and stumbled across a similar application in New Zealand.  http://www.southpacificethanol.com/eco-fire-fuel.html

Have you found ethanol to be available in the smaller island states of the south pacific?  I've been told it is not.  It seems like it would be a good idea to carry a fairly large quantity.  I had considered building in a tank, but metals corrode readily with ethanol in storage and water absorption through a vent seems like it would be a problem.  Right now I'm favouring 20L gas cans for storage and transfer to smaller containers for refilling the stove.

The truck did have a company name on its fascia, but I forget what it was. Anyway, it's probably not relevant, as the truck was fully laden with lamp posts on their way to various places in Scotland, and was clearly engaged by ALC, not just for me but for a large number of deliveries. Which causes me to wonder why I had to pay so much to get my one little mast tube dropped off at Ravenglass.

Actually, the old bermudan mast is due to be collected by:

Phil Evans Sailing Services

Address: The Joiners Shop, Kendal LA8 0NH

Phone: 01539 738900

Email: philevans.sailing@btinternet.com

who apparently has a mast trailer. He is going to take the rig down to Hampshire; and another eBay bidder was thinking of engaging him to take it to Scotland, if he'd won the auction. This may be a useful name to record.

The new mast tube was delivered today. Just one little problem: it came on a truck 15ft high, and the two bridges that span the only way into Ravenglass have 12ft 6in clearance. Luckily, the driver was a friendly soul, and helped me to carry the tube under the bridges; and later in the afternoon, my obliging son in law helped me to carry it up to the house.

Interestingly, the weight of the new bare tube is 36kg, and the weight of the old bermudan mast, together with its stays, halyards and headsail furling gear, is 41kg. Even after I've added the masthead, heel plug, conduit and cable, and halyard, the new mast should only weigh about 41kg. I will have answer ready for the perennial question "but surely an unstayed mast weighs more than a stayed mast?"

At last!  Now maybe you folks can start calling Ethanol something less confusing than Meths!