What to do when you have gas...

I always turn the gas off at the bottle when leaving the boat and each night before sleeping on the boat.
It's also wise to have the gas tuned off at the bottle when travelling .
If you turn the gas off at the bottle with a hob burner lit and let the burner snuff itself out , then tun the burner tap off , there will be no gas presssure left in the pipes so even if there is a defect in the pipes there will be no or negligible gas leaking out.
Check the orange gas hose from the gas bottle by bending the hose over and if this reveals any sign of splitting/perishing fit a new orange hose. The date on the hose is the manufactuing date - if it is more than five years old consider a replacement hose. Its not strictly necessary to replace the hose at five years old if the hose shows no sign of perishing.
I did have faulty gas regulator on my boat which was only slightly corroded but it let out a tiny sniff of gas when turning the valve on . A replacement orange hose and/or regulator is not expensive.
 
Gas explosions are nasty . Avoiding them is a matter of common sense. Gas is deliberately given a strong and distinctive smell so that if it is where it should not be you will know. Straight away.

I have sailed with gas for 50 years. I have camped with gas. I motor caravan with gas. My house has gas fired cooking and heating. Keep it properly maintained, and it works. safely, efficiently, and without trouble.

Use common sense: use a flame type lighter, and light it BEFORE turning on the gas, so that you can light it immediately. Make sure supply pipes are correctly installed, and rubber hoses are within date. Turn off at the bottle when not in use. And if you do smell gas, turn off the bottle or supply IMMEDIATELY. Remember naked flames produce carbon monoxide, and burns oxygen so ensure there is proper ventilation: but that is true of ANY fuel, including spirit stoves.

I have NEVER had a problem or a leak. Ever.

The only fire I ever had in a boat was a paraffin cooker which started pumping burning liquid fuel all over the place. Very nasty indeed.
 
Around here (Swan River) we get perhaps average 2 boats burning/exploding each year. Now some certainly are from petrol fumes in bilges but I think most are from gas leakage.
Mostly crew survive and boat definitely does not. As said spirit stoves are slow and limited and gas certainly is very common usage. Just be very careful as has been said.
good luck olewill
 
Gas from down under :)

William_H said:
Around here (Swan River) we get perhaps average 2 boats burning/exploding each year. Now some certainly are from petrol fumes in bilges but I think most are from gas leakage.
Mostly crew survive and boat definitely does not. As said spirit stoves are slow and limited and gas certainly is very common usage. Just be very careful as has been said.
good luck olewill
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I don't doubt you, but last year in Denmark we had no boat fires/explosions caused by gas, and there's (albeit a small country) thousands of boats with gas. The last incident I can think of was a German boat 4 years ago, and that didn't cost lives (one person with a second degree burn). So maybe the standards for gas installations "Down under" are not being adhered to?


Anyways, as you say be careful with gas as well as spirits and kerosene..
 
oldharry said:
use a flame type lighter, and light it BEFORE turning on the gas, so that you can light it immediately.
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I'ld like to be able to do that but we've never been able to find one that lasts for very long so we just end up using the spark to light the gas. (yes, we do try filling them with gas!). We've got four on the boat at the moment.

Disposable lighters seem to be OK but I don't like burning my knuckles.
 
Trying to keep gas out of the interior of the boat and then using items inside the boat that contain gas doesn't seem to be logical. I use a spark generating lighter. Have it in position before turning the gas on and it lights first time. Came with the boat so I don't know the make etc. Box of matches as backup.
 
JomsViking said:
I don't doubt you, but last year in Denmark we had no boat fires/explosions caused by gas, and there's (albeit a small country) thousands of boats with gas. The last incident I can think of was a German boat 4 years ago, and that didn't cost lives (one person with a second degree burn). So maybe the standards for gas installations "Down under" are not being adhered to?
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Similarly here, the last gas explosion I remember was the military yacht in Poole (with holes in its gas locker into the generator compartment) quite a few years ago now. Two per year seems absurdly high.

Pete
 
ostell said:
Trying to keep gas out of the interior of the boat and then using items inside the boat that contain gas doesn't seem to be logical. I use a spark generating lighter. Have it in position before turning the gas on and it lights first time. Came with the boat so I don't know the make etc. Box of matches as backup.
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My new stove does not light very well with a Piezo type lighter so have taken the "gas match" that we seldom used at home to the boat.

It contains so little gas that it really is not a hazard......
pity though that there is not room in my gas locker for the refill can. For the moment that is staying at home and the Piezo lighter and a box of matches remain on board in case the lighter runs out of gas.
 
We are cooking with gas! Lovely bit of toast and tea over the weekend. Really enjoyed our new (to us) proper galley, in which you can actually stand up and get things from cupboards and everything. My only fear is the OH likes our new boat so much more than my old boat he will start turning it into a man cave. A bachelor visit with his mate is already planned for next weekend. Yikes. :)

Nicola
 
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