Gas locker drains on Sadler 34

[maej]

The Sadler 34 has a gas locker that is open to the cockpit on part of one side for the full height right next to one of the 2 cockpit drains, so far so good. The trouble is the skin fittings for the cockpit drains are on the sloped transom and are angled up so the drain hoses dip down then up which makes them hold water so they can't function as a gas drain This was picked up on the survey.

I'm intending to fit a new dedicated drain to the gas locker from inside it to a new skin fitting on the transom and routing the hose to ensure it always slopes down. Is this enough to have one working drain or do all the drains need to be capable of allowing gas to flow out?

What have other Sadler 34 owners done to make their gas lockers safe?

 

[DJE]

See here.

 

[maej]

See here.

Thanks for that.

So sounds like I need to fit a new drain, a gaslow system, and seal up the locker from reading that thread. Yikes and to think I actually thought this set up was safe.

 

[Neil_Y]

Have a look at annex 3, page 55 http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/blue.pdf this is used for coded vessels so should satisfy insurers. But you're right in changing the drain to one that does not hold water.

 

[Caer Urfa]

What have other Sadler 34 owners done to make their gas lockers safe?

Hi
Not sure if this will help as a differant boat, but I have just fitted a complete new gas installation on my boat and tried to follow the BSC gudlines where possible, but the 'Best Practice' parts can be interpreted a few ways!

My Gaz bottle is housed in a proper bottle locker and the system includes a Bubble gaz detector which works brilliently, what is does not do is tell you where the leak is, thats the clever bit.

Whatever I purchased I made sure they all compiled to the appropiate ISO code

Cheapest site I found was:- http://www.gasproducts.co.uk/acatal...?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=feedmanager
http://www.force4.co.uk/339/Force-4...google&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=pid339

Yes the gas locker drain 'has' to 'decline' with no kinks/ blockages in the pipe like water, it is noticed that transom fitting for the skin fitting is now 'not recommended' although I know many are, I also fitted a 3/4" gas drain pipe as recommended in the 'Best Practice' and all pipework is in 8mm copper other than the certified 'Orange' gas pipe final connection and the regulator is not a cheap one but like this
http://www.gasproducts.co.uk/cgi-bi...as_Regulator_-_Campingaz.html#aLB4005#aLB4005



Hope this might help
Mike

 

[vyv_cox]

There are two options on a Sadler 34. You can:
1. pipe the gas drain to a special skin fitting on the transom. This needs to be angled downwards, rather like an Eberspacher exhaust fitting. It would be quite cheap to have made, just a flange and short length of stainless steel pipe.
2. Pipe it to a new skin fitting on the hull, just above the water line. This is the option most owners, and those of 32s, have taken. It does take up some valuable locker space though and you need to seal the inner skin.

The Gaslow system on the SSOA site is only to allow connection of two bottles to one regulator, so not strictly necessary. Best to find out what your surveyor wants before spending a lot.

 

[maej]

There are two options on a Sadler 34. You can:
1. pipe the gas drain to a special skin fitting on the transom. This needs to be angled downwards, rather like an Eberspacher exhaust fitting. It would be quite cheap to have made, just a flange and short length of stainless steel pipe.
2. Pipe it to a new skin fitting on the hull, just above the water line. This is the option most owners, and those of 32s, have taken. It does take up some valuable locker space though and you need to seal the inner skin.

The Gaslow system on the SSOA site is only to allow connection of two bottles to one regulator, so not strictly necessary. Best to find out what your surveyor wants before spending a lot.

Ah, I see. I'm happy with manually switching bottles so I guess I don't need the gaslow system, phew it sounds expensive. I was going to reply to that thread on SSOA when it was new but my registration request hadn't been confirmed at the time.

The pre-purchase survey just says to re-route the cockpit drains so they don't hold water, but to do that would waste a huge amount of locker space and put them in a prone position I think which is why I wanted to just fit a new dedicated gas drain instead. I haven't had a gas check and the insurance company haven't said anything, but I had planned to replace the pipe, hoses and regulator anyway to make it safe since thy are unknown age. Some of these documents though make me feel like I'm gambing with my life not having sealed conduit etc...

Where do you put your gas detector on your S34? Mine has it by your feet under the chart table but it tends to get kicked a lot there so now I need a new one and a better place to put it.

 

[maej]

Hi
Not sure if this will help as a differant boat, but I have just fitted a complete new gas installation on my boat and tried to follow the BSC gudlines where possible, but the 'Best Practice' parts can be interpreted a few ways!

Thanks for the info, pics and links

It does seem like gas lockers are meant to be sealed now, but I do prefer having mine open fronted as I can reach the regulator to turn off the gas at the bottle without even having to open the locker, and because it's so easy even the laziest of crew (me) does turn it off after every use.

Can the bubble tester be fitted inline with the flexible pipe?

 

[robertj]

The Sadler 34 has a gas locker that is open to the cockpit on part of one side for the full height right next to one of the 2 cockpit drains, so far so good. The trouble is the skin fittings for the cockpit drains are on the sloped transom and are angled up so the drain hoses dip down then up which makes them hold water so they can't function as a gas drain This was picked up on the survey.

I'm intending to fit a new dedicated drain to the gas locker from inside it to a new skin fitting on the transom and routing the hose to ensure it always slopes down. Is this enough to have one working drain or do all the drains need to be capable of allowing gas to flow out?

What have other Sadler 34 owners done to make their gas lockers safe?

I have sorted this on my 34.
I had a flanged skin fitting fabricated to a short pipe.
Drilled and fitted another dedicated skin fitting to the bottom where the gas bottles are with the tubing connected.
I can take a few pics if you like to send to you? Wont be until tomorrow as I am resting my ribs.
If you don't want to drill another hole in the transom there is always the option of having new cockpit drain skin fittings custom fabricated to suit. I didn't take this option as the drain hoses would be up off the hull bottom to go into the new fitting.

This was acceptable to the gas engineer when he certificated my gas instalation for the insurance/survey.

bob

 

[maej]

I have sorted this on my 34.
I had a flanged skin fitting fabricated to a short pipe.
Drilled and fitted another dedicated skin fitting to the bottom where the gas bottles are with the tubing connected.
I can take a few pics if you like to send to you? Wont be until tomorrow as I am resting my ribs.
If you don't want to drill another hole in the transom there is always the option of having new cockpit drain skin fittings custom fabricated to suit. I didn't take this option as the drain hoses would be up off the hull bottom to go into the new fitting.

This was acceptable to the gas engineer when he certificated my gas instalation for the insurance/survey.

bob

Thank you I think photos would really help if you could.

I'm reluctant to raise the cockpit drain pipes as I need the depth of that locker, I was actually planing on diverting them further to the outside to make even more room. I'm happy with another skin fitting in the transom, it's the below water line ones that bother me most.

 

[Caer Urfa]

Thanks for the info, pics and links

It does seem like gas lockers are meant to be sealed now, but I do prefer having mine open fronted as I can reach the regulator to turn off the gas at the bottle without even having to open the locker, and because it's so easy even the laziest of crew (me) does turn it off after every use.

Can the bubble tester be fitted inline with the flexible pipe?

The bubble detector kit comes with either 8mm compresssion fittings or hose tail, it is recommended to fit it as close to the bottle as possible after the regulator, ie so that any fittings and the cooker etc are 'downstream' after the detector.

Of interest they are also available in 10mm.

You should mount it so you can see the glass and one tip is 'do not' add the fluid until the detector is fixed in position.

Mike

 

[Finbar]

I fitted a gas drain hose to the transom on a Sadler 32 and had the problem that a standard plastic skin fitting faced downwards due to the slope of the transom, thus ensuring the gas drain pipe was invariably waterlocked. After some searching I found a Plastimo plastic skin fitting with a right angle bend. This could be fitted so that the drain hose always sloped down - problem solved without much expense. It will be in the Plastimo catalog.

 

[DJE]

This was my solution on a Sadler 29. I got a local engineering firm to make up the tapered washers in Delrin plastic to keep the drain horizontal as it passes through the transom. But I think there is more of a slope on the 34 transom.