Propane Stove and strorage

[rebuckley]

Hello -
On our 36, the propane tank storage for the stove is under the upper helm. Obviously this is not really adequate for safety reasons, but relocation is difficult and requires re-plumbing.
I was wondering how others have handled this change? Have you found a good place for the propane tank? Or have most switched to a different kind of cooking utility?

[jleonard]

I just left mine as originally installed. I don’t see it as a real problem. It can drain overboard if there’s a leak and would have flow uphill quite a way to get to the interior of the boat.
If I were ever forced to move the tank I would build an air tight bench on the bridge decks with overboard drains to house the tank

[jashmen]

Under upper helm as well. Not proper with current standards, but don't want to re-plumb and move either.

[Sebby]

Hi Reb,

I may be able to help you here ! My propane is also on the flybridge. The pipe runs through the flybridge structure to the left and down through the deck to the galley. Personally I would not move my propane tank into the boat, but I do want to share one thing that I encountered.

The original builders did a really stupid thing. They never sealed the hole that the pipe runs through down to the galley. The result of this was that over the years water ran down the pipe and dripped into the floor area and continued down into the bilge behind the tanks and rotted a large area of marine ply, which all had to be dug out and replaced.

All for the sake of a little sealant. Very annoying !! I also had excatly the same problem with the scuppers. Cheap fittings allowing water ingress into the woodwork down below and was a major tear out and rebuild job, again just for the sake of some good sealant. I had some bronze scuppers made and fibreglassed the scupper tunnels, so now 100% water tight. Silly, lazy oversights causing dispproportinate damage to the boat. Grrrrr!!!

I would recommend you check these areas for rot. Hopefully, your boat was better built!

Kind regards,

Sebastian

[jleonard]

I might add that I just had a survey on monday and nothing was mentioned about the propane system other than the tank was "under the dash and vented".