Marine Propane Tank ?

[sailvayu]

Sure but to come here and recommend others follow your path even though it poses more risk is not a wise thing, it is frankly reckless. It always bothers me when people post to do things that may not be safe because they do not agree with those who have researched this stuff for years. Remember many more read this than reply. If you are going to give advice it is best to err on the side of caution. I may take risks in life but i never advise others too take risks.

[Strygaldwir]

Propane tanks are approved by the DOT in the US, TUV in EU. Not sure about the rest of the world. The operative, issue is that if they are not approved, they will not be refilled in the US. Not sure about the rest of the world.

Twenty pound tanks, if you have the space are very convenient for extended cruising. The steel tank will work on the boat, I carried one for a while, just put silicon aquarium sealer on the bottom rim, protects from rust.

I do however have the composit tanks now. They work great, and I believe are well worth the slighly extra cost over a steel. They are quite signficantly less than the aluminum and I like them a lot better!

Propane cost vary significantly. In the Bahamas it was fairly expensive. In the US, some places will only filll a bottle, one price. Many places will sell by the gallon, or pound. Some places will only do bottle exchanges. Not a good thing with that nice aluminium tank, or the composit.

[Unicorn Dreams]

Accurate gauge for a steel or aluminum tank. They are free and on your boat. Just take a glass of ice water and pour on the tank. Just look at the side of the tank and you'll see the propane level.
People that live in cold areas just look at the tank, no water required.

[sabray]

Originally Posted by sailvayu

Sure but to come here and recommend others follow your path even though it poses more risk is not a wise thing, it is frankly reckless. It always bothers me when people post to do things that may not be safe because they do not agree with those who have researched this stuff for years. Remember many more read this than reply. If you are going to give advice it is best to err on the side of caution. I may take risks in life but i never advise others too take risks.

I didn't recommend they follow a path. I gave real life experience. You make your choice based on the information present. decide what works for you. In real life using well attached and plumbed home depot propane tanks should be fine. AS I said I have aluminum tanks now. I dont swap them but fill them. One of them has a bad valve so it wont be used until its replaced. So you could have 15 year old aluminum tanks with bad valves or swap a tank up every 4 months and have an inspected steel tank. Dont see why you cant use steel tanks so long as you are careful. you approve or not. I sailed with steel tanks for years I maintained them had no problems. THats real life been there done that experience. Not a recommendation just my experience. I rarely recommend something but try to tie my opinion to an experience. Not reckless and I resent your choice of words "come here" "reckless" all sounds kinda pompous.

[captain465]

I think that those in dissent on the propane tanks should read the ABYC requierments. I cannot quote directly, but believe that the only requirements the ABYC has, is in regards to "storage". They advocate overboard venting of the storage compartment if below decks. Any tanks above decks will vent overboard, as long as they are not in the cockpit well, but "on deck". I have also seen tanks mounted on the pushpit, this is also a overboard vented location. The key item to remember is that propane is heavier than air, and will settle to lower spaces.
I do not think that the ABYC calls for a particular material for thye tank itself. I may be wrong, so if anyone has a copy of ABYC standards, please let me know.

[rourkeh]

Originally Posted by ggeardino

OK really 6 lb propane tank for a cruising boat? And it costs 17 bucks to fill. The same as a 20#r for your home grill.

Is there any reason you can't use your standard propane tank from a home grill to cook on the boat? Anyone out there try this?

The marine tanks are so expensive to buy to have as a backup.

I am always looking for a bargin. I say I am thrifty, my husband calls me cheap! LOL

Thanks!

To answer the actual question that was asked. Yes you can use standard propane tanks made of steel. Yes they will rust. And yes you can paint them. All the rhetoric about is it safe, will I blow up my boat, what will the insurance company say if I am a moron and blow up my boat with non approved tanks. I don't know!! Don't blow up the boat. But if the steel tanks are unsafe why do they use them everywhere else other than on a boat?

[Bash]

our boat came with two propane tank lockers with outboard vents, one on each side of the sugar scoop. we don't call them "tank lockers." we call them "bomb lockers."

helps us keep it all in perspective.

the rule is this: no matter what size tank you keep in the bomb locker, it will run out exactly halfway through Thanksgiving dinner. This rule is inviolable if you have guests aboard who already think you're crazy for living aboard.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Bash

our boat came with two propane tank lockers with outboard vents, one on each side of the sugar scoop. we don't call them "tank lockers." we call them "bomb lockers."

helps us keep it all in perspective.

the rule is this: no matter what size tank you keep in the bomb locker, it will run out exactly halfway through Thanksgiving dinner. This rule is inviolable if you have guests aboard who already think you're crazy for living aboard.

everything ALWAYS runs out half thru t day dinner..LOl...never fails.
only thing the word marine does is raise prices 400 percent. nothing more.
some places donot fill the fiberglass tanks. all will fill aluminum and steel ones. figger it out from there--i would love fiberglass tanks-- but i have aluminum. lol.... at 134 per bottle i would hope they last a day or two. i will also use steel ones. just place a rag under them for the rust. they will be in a box, so it isnt really a concern on the boat.

idont call it propane--i call it BOOM GAS

[Don B]

Although this is a very old thread I thought I'd add my $0.02 cents.

The propane tank on my Watkins 27 is very old (probably original) and a recent survey noted the Surveyor could not find a certification date stamp. After some research I found my tank is an appliance tank not a portable tank and falls under the ASME regulation not the DOT regulation. ASME tanks have a rating plate attached and do not have a certification date stamped on the collar.

FYI I have never had a problem getting the tank refilled.

That said the usual safety procedures should be practiced.

[ur2slo]

Originally Posted by sailvayu

Sure but to come here and recommend others follow your path even though it poses more risk is not a wise thing, it is frankly reckless. It always bothers me when people post to do things that may not be safe because they do not agree with those who have researched this stuff for years. Remember many more read this than reply. If you are going to give advice it is best to err on the side of caution. I may take risks in life but i never advise others too take risks.

LOL

Its called "Natural Selection" if your dumb as a rock and need to read stuff on the internet to git schooled, then maybe you should be the one we read & hear about in marina's that end up with boats blown clean off to the water line?

Life is dangerous, crossing the road is dangerous, but I do both. It's as safe as YOU make it.... jeez, when we gonna take responsibility for our OWN actions.

Question Stupidity..........



BTW, just filled mine up here..$1.49 gallon & yes I run 2 OUTSIDE 5 Gal for cooking.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Don B.

[accomplice]

We purchased two new aluminum 20# less than 3 years ago. When purchased (through a boatyard), we failed to look at the date of manufacture. The tanks are only good for 12 years. I subsequently learned that ours was already 3 years old when we got it. Thus, 3 years in, we're are already halfway through the tank life.

If you're buying new tanks, I suggest checking that the tanks are recently manufactured. If they've been sitting for a while, you don't get 12 years use out of them. At around $400/tank, every year matters.

[boatpoker]

I have been using two standard 20lb. tanks since 1994. In Ontario and on the east coast of the US it is getting harder to get tanks filled, most places just do exchanges now like Publix or Home Depot or a lot of gas stations.

My propane system is built according to ABYC Standards.

You may want to check out Safe Boat Propane Installations which I wrote in accordance with those standards.

From DIRT FREE currently in Lucaya and leaving for the Sea of Abaco within the hour.

[wsmurdoch]

We started out in 2004 with one 20# aluminum tank and one 20# steel tank. The steel tank left a rust stain ring on the bottom of the propane locker. When the steel tank body began to rust, we traded it in empty at a Blue Rhino place for a new full one. I poked around and got a brand new steel tank in the exchange. When the aluminum tank went over 12 years, we had it re-stamped at a propane supplier for about $5. We later found a full 20# fibreglass propane tank (Lite brand) floating on the sound side of Great Guana Cay in the Bahamas and kept it until it was recalled, then we cut it up and trashed it. One year we bought (cheap) a used aluminum 20# tank at Sailors Exchange in St Augustine Florida that had a bad valve. We had the valve replaced for about $25 and now have two 20# aluminum tanks. When the only propane available to us was by swapping tanks, we decanted a full steel 20# tank into one our empty aluminum tanks. We carry the hose to do that when we need to. We also have a brass "steak saver" propane adaptor that will let us use the 1# disposable propane tanks if we need to. We carry one of them inside a piece of capped 4" PCV pipe in the propane locker. The pipe keeps cylinder dry and rust free.