What sort of gas?

[Fat Freddie]

I am planning a transatlantic trip next year. The usual UK, Portugal, Canaries to Caribbean. My boat has currently got Calor Gas Butane. Is this generally available or should I change to Propane? Any one got any experience of this?

 

[MrCramp]

I would ask this question on the Liveaboard forum as they tend to be far afield and will be more likely to give you a quality answer.

 

[snowleopard]

The standard advice is to use propane as that is what everyone uses across the Atlantic but there is an alternative, i.e. Camping Gaz butane. The drawback is that the largest cymlinders are pretty small but they have the great benefit that you can exchange them all the way down the coast of Europe and in the French caribbean islands. Getting your own propane bottles refilled this side of the pond is difficult. We were unable to get ours refilled until we reached the Canaries but 2 x 13kg bottles lasted all the way there (3 months).

 

[30boat]

In Portugal Camping gas is widely available.

 

[DownWest]

Down by the docks in Faro (Portugal) The BP depot used to fill up any type of cylinder, perhaps 30boat knows if they still do?
A

 

[Fat Freddie]

Thanks for that. You are right two hulls are better, I have just bought a Gemini cat for my trip to the caribbean. While not the greatest cat in the world it is a joy after my heavy old mono, on my first sail across Poole bay I had 7.5 knots of boat speed in 12 knots of wind the old monohull would have struggled to do 4knots.

 

[HinewaisMan]

The bottom line is that I don't think it matters. (All H&S people please stop reading here).

We have 2x9 kilo Propane cylinders from Australia - one in use, one spare - we have refilled them a few times on the way to the Med from what ever LPG is available - be it Propane, Butane or whatever.

The biggest problem is fittings - most of the time, our Aussie threads won't work locally so we beg or borrow a local cylinder, fill that and decant.

But first you need an adapter - we have an Aus fitting at one end, that clear plastic re-enforced pipe, a local fitting at the other end.

Either drop your cylinder in the water or wrap wet towels around it (cool it down), leave the full cylinder in the sun (heat it up), connect the two cylinders with your adapter hose, and hoist the local cylinder upside down above your cylinder. Open both valves and you'll see the LPG flowing as a liquid from the local cylinder into yours. Keep your cylinder as cold as poss, the local as hot as poss - maybe a hot air gun is a bit too far, but sun and shade works well. When it stops flowing, you'll have got about 90% of the gas into your cylinder.

We've never had any problems with our cooker with whatever we use.

BTW - each 9 kilo cylinder lasts between 3-5 months, depending on whether we are on passage and cooking or bay hoping with restaurants and just making a cuppa in the morning.

 

[PetiteFleur]

FRom talking with these people recently, they do all the various conversion adaptors for the various european etc adaptors.
See:- http://www.gaslow.co.uk/pages/products/list_6.htm or talk to them - they are very helpful.

 

[snowleopard]

(All H&S people please stop reading here).

I can't let that one pass without giving a warning. If not done correctly this can be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

If there is more gas in the cylinder you are pouring from than the receiving cylinder is capable of holding, there is a possibility that you will completely fill your cylinder leaving no head space. Under those conditions, if the cylinder gets warmer after you have filled it, you will get not the pressure of the gas but hydraulic pressure which can pop the safety valve venting liquid gas or if the valve fails to open it can burst the cylinder.

 

[DownWest]

To avoid a 'Hydraulic POP' might be a good idea to check the weight after filling. All cylinders have the base weight and gas allowance stamped on them.
And I have used a heat gun to speed up 'boiling' the gas to improve flow. But that was to melt lead ballast.
A

 

[TQA]

We had no problems getting blue calor cylinders refilled at the sort of place the cruisers stop at on the Atlantic circuit EXCEPT France [ Camping Gas only ] and the USA where you have to find a back street guy who will ignore their rules.

N.B. This was a few years ago.