OCC Forums

LPG safety suggestion

https://forum.oceancruisingclub.org/Topic7039.aspx

By Dick - 10 May 2022

Hi all,
Just an FYI for those of us who carry those one-pound propane bottles: one can get brass caps on-line or at some hardware stores (at least in the US we can). These caps screw on and have an internal washer that minimizes or precludes leaks.
In a salt water environment, I have had unused bottles go empty in a few months’ storage (subtle rust/corrosion producing pin-hole leaks) while I have also seen bottles get rusty in garages.
These bottles are extremely handy and worth having on-board but with precautions. In addition to grilling your dinner, they can be used, with attachments, for a multitude of heating applications such as loosening bolts and heating hot knives for rope work. With an adapter, I can attach these bottles to my ship’s propane system if my ship’s bottles go empty.
But, I would suggest, these bottles should also be considered little bombs and never stored down below (or inside homes), but rather in the designated propane locker.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy