Gas Availability in France

[JamesS]

I intend to spend a little time in France next year.

On previous holidays I've never had to worry about replacing the gas bottle but are our little blue bottles readily available over there?

The ones I can recall seem to be mainly for domestic use and are probably not compatible.

 

[heerenleed]

camping gaz

If you mean Camping Gaz, then yes, there is no problem. it is a French brand originally and you can get it anywhere in France.

If your little blue bottle is Calor Gaz, then no, i don't think you can get it easily (if at all) outside the UK.

happy sailing and fair weather..

Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[JamesS]

Re: camping gaz

Yes, I think I am talking about Calor Gas - does anyone have a solution?

 

[qsiv]

Re: camping gaz

Short of changing the jets and moving to propane, I'm afraid not.

I'm just so pleased that my current boat is all electric - I've forgotten all about those gas issues!

 

[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[snowleopard]

gas flexibility

best solution for cruising uk & french waters is to have a 'wall block manifold': this attaches to a bulkhead-mounted regulator and has two inlet pipes with non-return valves so you can use either or both. fit a calor regulator to one and camping gaz to the other then you can fill up anywhere you go. Calor do a free leaflet about gas on boats which tells you how you should be set up. happy cruising.
p.s. there is an alternative- eat ashore all the time!

 

[Robin]

Calor cylinders are not available, Camping Gaz is no problem. The gas is the same but the cylinder connectors are not. You can buy an adapter with an on/off valve to fit the French Gaz cylinders and a connection to fit the Calor hose to, these cost around £10 and a Calor Gas main dealer here will stock one. Gaz is easily available in France, most supermarkets, chandlers and marine fuel places stock them. The cylinders are 6lb to our 10lb so you change more frequently, it would pay to have a 2nd spare. The first full cylinder will cost about £20, exhange refills about £6 in France. We used to carry 2 Calor cylinders and 1 Gaz with adapter, then run on Gaz when in France and use the Calor ones only whilst waiting for an easy opportunity to exchange the empty Gaz one. Our new boat has all Gaz so no problem other than the cylinders run out 40% faster because they are smaller.

 

[heerenleed]

Re: camping gaz

no, you don't need to change anything if you use propane instead of butane or the other way round, as long as the pressure of the regulator is what you cooker needs. Calor gaz dcomes as butane or propane, Camping Gaz only comes as butane, so it is no good in winter. But butane and propane are very similar and most appliances accept both without any changes.

Either you buy a camping gaz bottle plus regulator or you take as much gas as you think you may need during your stay in France. Don't even try to get your calor bottles refilled outside the uk, there is only one supplier and he is in Middelburg, Netherlands. Camping gaz as the 'overseas option' is your best bet. Also, the bottles are smallish, yes, more expensive gas, but easier to carry to the gas shop (and back!)

Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[heerenleed]

Re: camping gaz

I've considered to go electric. What changed my mind was that I don't wish to run the generator for every kettle I put on. How is your setup?

Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[qsiv]

Re: camping gaz

We have LOTS of battery (1400 AmpHours) and a 3 KW inverter. We need to charge once a day (normally coincides with meal prep), and in between we can run electric kettle, microwave or one ring on the hob witout the genny (so at least hot drinks in night watch dont wake the crew). We also have big electric winches and of course the autopilot eats amps.

If we are day sailing then the engine pumps out lots of amps during the departure and arrival manoeuvres, so the genny isn't needed (and theres usually shorepower overnight). When the genny is running it is sufficiently quiet that we dont hear it from on deck.

All in all civilised - and no worries about gas explosions. My father would studiously rip out gas from our boats and replace with parafin/diesel as he was so anti gas - maybe I have inherited his distrust!

 

[heerenleed]

1400 AH!

That's a lot indeed. We just have 500 AH household (or 250 ah on 24 V I should say) and thought I rather had a lot. I have a 1000W inverter, just enough to run the microwave on, and the heating system (kabola diesel central heating).

the genset will need replacement at some stage, but recently I red so many negative stories about AC gensets that i start considering a 24 V DC charger genset instead. We have a Force10 stove with grill and oven, and I don't have this built-in fear for gas, but at times it is quite a hassle to get gass supplies. But the Force 10 was so bl**dy expensive that I am very reluctant to even consider replacing it by an electric device in the near future. It is only 3 years old.

So you don't use solar or wind energy? Solar is getting higher on my wish-list now, as the only efficient wind-gens (Air Marine) are really too noisy.

Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[qsiv]

Re: 1400 AH!

Problem with solar (in N Europe) is that there just isnt enough sun to make it worthwhile.

Wind (I had thought of AirX et al) sounds better - but we have to run the genny to use oven and more than 1 ring, so it might as well charge the batteries as well. I am considering putting a high ouput 24V alternator to charge the dometsics (as this should be more efficient than generating AC and piping it into the shore supply.

The problem lies in the complexity of the systems - I wouldnt entertain doing it without the input of the builders (Trintella) as there are so many Mastervolt boxes that O would be scared rigid about getting the cabling correct. All in all - I suspect I will leave well alone as it all works faultlessly.

If I was starting from scratch the Sterling genny looks most appealing (as I dont have Aircon) - then the whole boat would run of inverters and the genny would hiss away nearly all the time - different paradigm altogether.

 

[charles_reed]

Calor gas is definitely not available in France - and though Camping Gaz is it is about twice the price (though cheaper than the UK) of alternatives.

I use the Butagaz Bric - it holds 6 kg of LPG weighs the same when full as a 4.5kg Calor bottle and the refill costs the same as the 2.3 kg Camping Gaz refill.
I've found it also in Portugal.
It's a very simple matter to chage over the regulators (Butagaz Bric for Calor) and the Butagaz Bric fits into the same height as the Calor 4.5kg bottle.

With two on the boat showering every 24 hours (water heating is by LPG) the Bric lasts me about 8 weeks.
The first Bric and regulator I bought in Pornichet (of evil memory) cost me 26 euros - refills are about 6.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: 1400 AH!

I have 420ah at 24volts and run a 1.5kw inverter with a 4kw mains genny. I use gas and will continue to do so, it's just easier, I fell, I use it to heat my water aswell, i can't think of electricity doing that, as I don't spend any time apart from the winter, when it's cheap in marinas, on shorepower. As long as you pipework and valves etc are in good condition, and kept that way I see no problems with gas. I use repsol cylinders in spain, they were very cheap from a flea market and very cheap to fill, you can get them anywhere, I carry three 15kg cylinders, so don't need to fill them very often. When i get to another country I'll do the same again, dumping the old ones and getting a local cylinder, I find it easier and cheaper.

 

[heerenleed]

Re: sterling genny

Absolutely right, it looks interesting. but it is outrageously expensive as a genny. If i would start from new i might buy it and then leave out the Kabola heater. On theother hand; you make yourself dependent on one single device for many purposes. Don't know if i would like that..


Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[ccscott49]

Re: sterling genny

Lousy power output aswell, wouldn't run a kettle!! But great heating system, not a lot of use in the meddy!